Women and Gambling

The Start of Gambling in the World

Gambling had its small beginnings as part of pagan religious rituals, but very soon it expanded to everyday life, with people making important decisions based on the outcome of a game, much like tossing a coin today. Back then, people cast lots using sticks, pebbles or nuts.

The Roman Empire

In ancient Rome, public gambling for women was not completely legal. Women were allowed to watch the gladiatorial games, but not to bet on them. They were given their own festival, Bona Dea, where they played a game called Tabula, much like Backgammon. During the years 37AD to 68 AD, Emperor Nero softened the law allowing women more freedom to attend public games and sports.

The Notorious Faro Ladies

In 18th Century England, gaming in public was not acceptable for aristocratic women, as it was for aristocratic men. These ladies from wealthy homes gathered secretly in private houses or at social gatherings where they would play “faro” a once popular card game. They loved gambling and defied the anti-gambling edict of the time. These adventurous ladies became famous for the faro tables they hosted late into the night. Lady Buckinghamshire and Lady Sarah Archer were common figures in the popular press throughout the 1790s. They were dubbed “Faro’s Daughters” or “Faro Ladies”.
In 1792, King George III passed a “Proclamation against Vice” which prohibited anyone from playing faro. The Faro Ladies were the primary target of this edict. Very quickly they were described as wanton and greedy women and were often depicted in satirical caricatures, serving as a symbol to warn others that those who engaged in illegal gambling would not escape punishment. They were eventually found guilty and although they didn’t suffer the pillory, each had to pay a £50 fine.

Gambling in the Wild West

It was in America in the saloons of the Wild West that the concept of a “house” or “casino” became popular. It was also here that one of the most legendary women in the history of poker began her career. Alice Huckert had been taught how to play poker by her late husband, Frank Duffield, but when he died, she began dealing at the poker tables as a way of making ends meet. It didn’t take long for her to develop the skill of counting cards and figuring the odds and she was quickly given the name “Poker Alice”. Luckily for Alice, gambling was socially acceptable, but still, a “lady” did not enter the gambling halls which were mostly frequented by prostitutes. Alice caused quite a stir as she was an attractive, well-dressed individual with a quick wit and a penchant for cigar-smoking. Considered a force to be reckoned with, Alice soon developed a name for herself at the poker tables and would win up to $6,000 on a good night.

20th Century Las Vegas

At the start of the 20th century, gambling was still very much a male dominated area. However, during World War II, when most male workers were shipped off overseas, it was women who filled the spaces at the tables. First in Reno, then Las Vegas, and female dealers were no longer a curiosity!

 
 
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