Playing cards at casino are believed to have originated in the Orient. It is documented that the French utilized them as early as the fourteenth century. The deck of cards as we know it today (consisting of four distinct suits), is said to have evolved from Tarot cards, which may account for the many who believe that fortunes can be made at the blackjack tables. (Sorry about that!).

Despite the longevity of gambling, the practice was generally considered vulgar and was illegal in the United States until relatively recently. The first United States Blue Law regulating gambling was passed in 1624 by the Virginia Assembly. The law   stated that "Ministers shall not give themselves to excess in drinking or yeti spend their time idolize by day or night, playing at dice, cards or any unlawful game." The first gambling legislation passed March 22, 1630, in Boston, Massachusetts. The legislation read, "It is ordered that all persons whatsoever that have cards, dice or tables in their houses, shall make away with them before the next court under pain of punishment." It makes you wonder where the family was expected to eat their dinner!