For well over a thousand years, maybe more, from wikis.ece.iastate.edu individuals have been testing their luck at various games of chance, or gambling. For example In ancient Rome, the locals bet on many professional sports...such as the most unbelievable sporting event EVER...the gladiator fights that took place in the Coliseum. In those times, events like which were several of the most effective gambling spectacles, and in most cases were for the sole entertainment of the Kings and/or Queens of Europe through the middle ages. Royalty were known to be serious gamblers, and actually set the tone for that sort of event... Actually, there are many books that cover the topic telling the story that many of the Kings and/or Queens were seriously addicted to gambling, and that many nearly bankrupted their own countries because of the addiction.