Casino
Everyone today knows what casinos are, but not many people know how they evolved.
The term casinos has not always referred to the snazzy glitzy clubs we know, nor has the word been solely limited to centers of gambling. In fact, the very first casinos were pleasure villas or summerhouses. These were usually built on the grounds of Italian villas. Gambling was just one of the pleasure activities that went on in these casinos.
Gambling itself has been around for almost as long as human civilization. It is in our very nature to take risks and to take pleasure in those risks. Ancient scriptures actually mention instances of gambling. We have always enjoyed taking risks, and casinos are in a sense places where you can take risks, while having fun or vice versa.
By the 19th century, the definition of casinos started to include public houses where gambling and sporting activities went on. An example of this kind of a building is the famous Newport Casino. Slowly, organized gambling whether legitimate or illegitimate began thriving and casinos, as we know them today came into being.