OPPapers.com

Gambling

Gambling
Gambling started back in the beginning of the colonies. The Puritans and the English were split into two groups, both groups had different beliefs and traditions. The Puritans came to the new world to forget england and its traditions. When the colonies were divided, the laws were based on who was in control of them. New England and Pennsylvania were under puritan jurisdiction, gambling was prohibited; Even having a pair dice and   or a card in your possession was illegal. They later changed the law to make gaming for recreation alright. The Colonies adopting English beliefs saw gambling as harmless and it was a popular activity.  
As the country moved to the west, miners enjoying the money made from the mining booms. They enjoyed having the mind set of getting rich quick. This made gambling the miners favorite activity. After the gold rush in California, an increased interest in gambling spread throughout the state.
In 1849 to 1855 gambling hit its peak, San Fransisco became the center of gambling in the United States.
Laws were put in place and enforced heavily on   gambling in order to keep it under control. The laws made almost every type of gambling illegal. In 1885 a law was put in place that made it illegal to gamble at all. In 1869 the state of Nevada made gambling legal, this caused it to move from California to Nevada. In 1910 gambling was once again illegal, at this point legal and illegal gambling was everywhere in the United States. Mobsters controlled most of the illegal gambling out of New York and Los Angeles but were being pressured by agencies to shut down operations.
With the Hoover Dam project coming to a finish, Nevada wanted a way to attract tourism. Nevada legalized gambling in 1931. Although it struggled in its first years, the industry had a boom   after World War II. Mobsters who mastered illegal gambling, were offering their services and were funding most of the casinos. This became known as what we today know as Las...