10 fun facts about the casino world: little-known anecdotes and well-kept secrets

Did you think the casino world was all about cards, machines and chips? Well, you were mistaken. Behind every gambling table, every roulette wheel, and every jackpot, lie crazy stories, unexpected anecdotes and behind-the-scene tales sometimes worthy of movies.

We searched the archives and activated our curiosity scanner to deliver 10 fun facts to boost your casino knowledge.
Some will make you smile, others will make you say "Seriously?!", but all will prove one same thing: in gaming, the impossible can be just the beginning; merely your starting bet.

1️⃣ The world's largest casino floats (almost)

Did you think the Vegas desert would take top spot in the strangest of places to build a city devoted to gambling? You lose.  Macau, China, is home to the most colossal of all casinos: the Venetian Macau.

Built on a former marshland area reclaimed from the sea, this 39-storey monster boasts Venetian-style indoor canals, gondolas, LED skies and state-of-the-art jackpot machines.

This is a temple dedicated to gambling and one of the craziest casinos in the world.

2️⃣ The first slot machine was invented by a mechanic

In 1895, San Francisco mechanic Charles Fey created the first reel slot machine: the Liberty Bell.
Why? For customers to play while waiting for repairs. The result? He invented one of the pillars of the modern casino.

Today, you can try much more modern machines like Cyber Spinner, Plasma Fusion Dice Slot or InfinityDice at Casino1. And there’s no need to hang around at a garage!

3️⃣ The people of Monaco are not allowed to play in the Casino de Monte-Carlo

The Casino de Monte-Carlo is more than an architectural gem: it literally saved the Principality from bankruptcy in the 19th century.
But the craziest thing? The people of Monaco are not allowed to play there. The deal was this: attract rich foreigners, but protect citizens from getting sucked into the thrill of games (and avoid any cheeky family cheating in the process).

4️⃣ FedEx was saved by... a blackjack hand

In the 1970s, FedEx had only around $5,000 cash on hand. Its founder, Frederick W. Smith, got himself to Vegas, risked everything on blackjack... and walked away with $27,000. Jackpot.
Enough to save the company and attract new investors. A real stroke of luck.

5️⃣ Cameras more powerful than in airports

In large casinos, the cameras (a.k.a. the eye in the sky) can zoom in on your card hand more than 30 meters away.
They scan chips, read behavior, analyze gestures.

It’s no surprise that casinos take cybersecurity so seriously. At Casino1, technology also looks after your online gambling experience. Our site is 100% legal and certified by the Belgian Gambling Commission to ensure a safe game.

6️⃣ A casino in a prison

From 1932 to 1967, there was a casino for inmates in Nevada State Prison. Poker, craps, sports betting... everything went on in there. It was unofficially tolerated until a new manager decided to do a big clean-up. Endgame.

7️⃣ What was the first public casino in the world? Let's take a trip to Venice

In 1638, Venice opened the doors of the Ridotto, the first public and legal casino in Europe. Masks, wigs, games of chance and a carnival atmosphere prevailed.

This casino was reserved for nobles and public officials, who had to respect a dress code (mandatory masks, three-horned hats), but the atmosphere was already laying the foundations of the modern casino.

8️⃣ A roulette wheel almost hacked by science

In 2004, at the Ritz Club in London, three players used a telephone with laser measuring software to calculate the speed of the roulette ball.

The result: £1.2 million earned in just a few nights. No direct cheating, just a little too much applied physics. The court even agreed with them. Just goes to show that sometimes, math can be fun.

9️⃣ Breaking the bank

At the Casino de Monte-Carlo, if a player won more than the reserve of a table (called the bank, or 100,000 francs), they said that they had “broken the bank”. Once done, the table was covered with a black veil – guaranteed dramatic atmosphere – before play was resumed.

Today, you can try your hand at online roulette at Casino1... without a veil, but with a guaranteed wow factor.

🔟 The longest poker game ever lasted 8 years!

Do you think a poker session that lasts 3 hours is long? Well hang on! Between 1881 and 1889, in the back room of the Bird Cage Theatre, a saloon in Tombstone, Arizona, a poker game is said to have lasted 8 years, 5 months and 3 days.

The wealthiest players of the time took turns there day and night, with a total pot estimated at $10 million, more than $270 million today. And since the house took 10% of each pot, there’s little need to say that the owners of the saloon were in no hurry to draw the curtain.

Why did it stop? Neither stealing nor cheating. No, it was actually a mine flood that ruined the local economy and ended the party.

🚀 The future of gaming awaits you at Casino1

Between legendary anecdotes, strokes of genius (or luck), and futuristic technologies, the online casino world is ever full of surprises.

At Casino1, experience all this in an immersive, secure and 100% fun version.