1750
-
- In London, England, the first major gamble on a boxing match is made. Duke of Cumberland bets 10,000 pounds sterling on Jack Broughton to win versus Jack Slack. Broughton loses. [565.18]
1753
-
- The British Museum is funded with lottery proceeds. [39]
1754
-
- In France, the Loterie des Enfants Trouvés (Orphans Lottery) begins. [187.90]
1757
-
- French State Council approves a new lottery for the École Militaire, a French military school, run by Giacomo Casanova and Giovanni Antonio Calasbigi. Drawings are made of five balls from a cage of 90. [187.90]
1762
-
- In France, the Loterie de la Pitié begins. [187.90]
1769
-
- British government decrees an end to colonial lotteries. [187.144]
- The Redoute two-story casino opens in Liège, France. [187.187]
1772
-
- King George III of England abolishes the office of the groom porter, whose main job for over 250 years was to facilitate gambling for the royalty. The king decrees no card-playing amongst the servants. [187.65]
1773
-
- Duke of Lauzun and Count Branicki begin running horse races on a track between Spa and Verviers, the first such enterprise on the Continent. [187.187]
1774
- October
- The Continental Congress Articles of Association declares horse-racing, cockfighting, and "all kinds of games" would be discouraged. [187.146]
- November 27
- The Great Council of Venice votes 720 to 21 to close the Ridotto, ending legal public gambling, due to growing impoverishment of its aristocratic families. [187.95]
1776
-
- King Louis XVI of France transforms the Loterie de l'École Royale Militaire into the Loterie Royale de France, with twice monthly drawings. [187.90]
- General George Washington issues orders to army "All officers, non-commissioned officers, and soldiers are positively forbid playing at cards, or other games of chance." [565.152]
- November 18
- The Second American Continental Congress sets up a lottery to aid in the war effort. [187.146]
1777
-
- General George Washington tells men "gaming of every kind is expressly forbidden, as being the foundation of evil." [565.152]
1785
- August 13
- Fire destroys a wing of the Redoute casino in Liège, France. Burning playing cards cause up to fifty thatch-roofed houses to burn down, killing three people. [187.187]
1789
- June
- Thomas Whaley returns to Dublin, Ireland, from Jerusalem, having set out from Dublin October 7, 1788 on a bet that he could not return safely within two years. He wins 25,000 pounds sterling with 8,000 pounds of expenses. [565.35]
1793
-
- The French national lottery is outlawed. [187.90]
- The US government runs Federal Lottery No. 1, selling 50,000 tickets at $7 each, to finance the building of Federal City in the District of Columbia. George Washington buys the first ticket. [565.152]
1797
-
- The French Directoire re-establishes the Loterie Nationale. [187.90]
1801
-
- Ireland enacts prohibition on state lotteries. [187.129]
1804
-
- Kentucky state law prohibits gaming "in which one player is continually opposed to all the others". [187.152]
1805
-
- A horse race takes place between Truxton of Andrew Jackson and Greyhound, at Huntsville, Tennessee. Truxton wins. Jackson bet US$5000. One of the biggest horse races in history. [187.153]
1806
-
- French emperor Napoléon legalizes several gambling rooms in France. [187.104]
1809
- April 18
- First run of 2,000 guineas horse race at Newmarket England. [1]
- June 1
- Captain Robert Barclay begins a walk of 1000 miles at Newmarket Heath, to attempt to win a bet made with :Bold" Webster in October 1808, of walking 1000 miles in 1000 hours for 1000 guineas. Each hour, he walks a 1/2 mile round trip walk from his home. [1] [565.39]
- July 12
- Captain Robert Barclay completes the 1000th mile of his 1000 hour walk, winning a bet and collecting a total prize of 16,000 guineas. [565.40]
1811
-
- Louisiana territory passes a law prohibiting gambling anywhere in the state. [80.300] [187.248]
1814
-
- Louisiana state legislature allows legal gambling in New Orleans, under municipal authority. [187.248]
1817
-
- Great Britain enacts a law regulating (banning) several popular forms of gambling in British North American colonies, including cards, dice, checkers, shuffleboard, and bowling. [187.239]
1820
-
- Louisiana legislature outlaws gambling. [187.248]
1823
-
- Louisiana passes a law permitting New Orleans to license six gambling houses for a fee of US$5000 per year each. [80.300] [187.248]
- British parliament votes to end the state lottery. [187.128]
1826
- July 18
- The last lottery takes place in London, as the British government bans them. [40.12] [187.150] [565.49]
- October 18
- In England, the last state lottery draw is held. [187.128]
1827
-
- John Davis opens a gambling house in New Orleans, Louisiana, styled like luxurious West End London clubs. [80.300] [187.248]
1828
-
- William Crockford opens his own gambling house, Crockford's Gaming Club, at 50 St. James's Street, London, England. The private club features mainly hazard and whist, with cock fighting downstairs. (This becomes London's leading club of the 1830s.) [187.163] (1827 [80.297])
1831
- December 10
- "Spirit of the Times" begins publishing (weekly horse racing sheet). [1]
1832
-
- Louisiana removes limit on number of gambling licenses it issues, and sets the annual fee at US$7500. [80.300] [187.248]
1833
-
- Pennsylvania, New York, and Massachusetts end state authorized lotteries. [39]
1834
- January 1
- The final lottery in New York state is drawn. [187.150]
- November 1
- First published reference to poker (as Mississippi riverboat game). [1]
1835
-
- British Parliament bans cockfighting and other forms of animal fights. [187.171]
- Louisiana outlaws gambling houses. [187.273]
- July 6
- In Vicksburg, Mississippi, local militia hangs five gamblers following months of trouble, culminating in the murder of a doctor and armed resistance to the law. [187.252] [565.59]
1836
- June 17
- Government of France resolves to close gambling clubs December 31, 1837. [187.192]
- (month unknown)
- In France, the Loterie Nationale ends. [187.90,150]
1837
- December 31
- The Chamber of Deputies of France bans all games of chance. All gambling clubs in the country close. [187.91,105,185,192]
1838
- January 1
- First official horse race in South Australia-Adelaide. [1]
1839
- February 26
- Jem Mason on Lottery wins first Grand National Steeplechase (Britain). [1]
1841
- May
- Construction begins on a casino in Homburg, with first gambling taking place in a temporary building. [187.207]
1842
-
- Lotteries are banned in Japan. [187.449]
1843
- August 16
- Opening of Kursaal casino in Homburg. Operators François and Louis Blanc run roulette with one zero instead of two, and also with improved players' odds at trente-et-quarante. [187.208]
1844
- May 25
- The British government makes a law that police may enter any gaming house on a request by any two householders. [80.298]
- May 29
- William Crockford, clubman/gambler, dies, leaving a fortune worth US$5 million. [80.298] (May 24 [1])
- (month unknown)
- A Select Committee of the British House of Commons investigates gambling. [187.164]
1845
- August
- British Parliament passes the Gambling Act, tightening sanctions against professional gambling houses. Gambling debts can not be recovered by legal action. [80.50] [187.165]
1848
-
- The El Dorado gambling house opens in San Francisco, operated by Thomas Chambers, rented for US$40,000 per month. (At its peak, it makes US$100,000-200,000 monthly profits.) [187.252]
1849
- January
- The German National Assembly resolves that all gambling would cease as of May 1. [187.212]
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