When people play casino games online they might not realize all of the history that comes along with these games. Some of the games played on online casinos have historic links to European countries where they are thought to have originated.

Historians have spent many hours looking through records finding the earliest mentions of different games and seeing how they are linked to modern games. Some are simple to trace while others have potentially had a lot of different influences and it can be tough to know exactly where and how they started.

The Current State of Casino Gaming
Even a casino game that people think of as being more modern than the others in slots is actually an old game. Before we got to the realms of playing online we had mechanical machines and the first were invented in the 1800s.

When people now play casino slots online there are more options than there have ever been. What started as some basic games in the 1990s has now snowballed. Mobile casinos have also changed the way people play and they can access their game accounts on a variety of different devices.

Slot games have become the most popular of all of the casino games in some countries but the table game origins of casino gaming have also played a big part. It is easy to see how games have been revolutionized by tech. This influencer has even used AI to try to introduce strategy when playing roulette online.

France – The Birthplace of Roulette and Blackjack
France is a titan in the history of casino games and is credited with creating two of the most famous games: roulette and blackjack. Roulette translates to little wheel in French and the game emerged in the 18th century. It combined elements from existing games like Roly Poly and Biribi. The game’s elegant design and simple rules made it popular and it quickly spread across Europe.

Blackjack also has its roots in France, stemming from a game called Vingt-et-Un. The game gained popularity in French gambling halls during the 1700s before evolving into the modern version we know today – it has also been played in the UK a lot but given the name Pontoon. France’s contribution to casino culture is huge and its games continue to dominate tables around the globe and have helped to forge the online gaming community (with a lot of help from other countries).

France even lays claim to the history of poker though it was first played formally in the United States. The game evolved from a French parlor game called Poque and French settlers in New Orleans are thought to have formalized the game and come up with a set of rules people would be more familiar with today.
 

Italy – Where It All Began
Italy holds the distinction of being the birthplace of the first official casino and loads of games have had a lot of influence from the country of Italy. The millions of Germans visiting every year may have experienced what the culture is like in Italy.

Italy is very closely associated with the game of baccarat which has captivated high rollers for centuries. Though its exact origins are debated most historians agree that baccarat began in Italy during the 15th century before being refined and popularized in France.

Like a lot of these games that originated in France and Italy, they would then continue to grow around the world.
 

Monaco
No discussion of European casino history would be complete without mentioning Monaco. The mall province is synonymous with luxury and sophistication to this day. It played a pivotal role in popularizing games like roulette and chemin de fer which is a variation of baccarat.

Modern Monaco is also associated with things like the Grand Prix and boating and yachting culture. It is a popular destination for wealthy travelers who come from all over the world to visit. Monaco doesn’t fit into the category of any other country as it is technically its own principality.

Monaco definitely played its role in popularizing some casino games and had a time when it was a hub for gaming.
 

Conclusion
There is no denying that Europe has been very important in the history of casino games. A lot of people don’t realize that France has had such an influence on poker – especially as people mainly play American variations of the game now. Roulette has also had an American version added to the huge list of different games people can play.

The online gaming industry means people can play games from pretty much anywhere in the world and may not even think too much about how the game started. It is definitely worthwhile to consider the interesting journeys these games have been on.

The Central German Transport Association (MDV) increased ticket prices by an average of six percent on Friday, August 1st.

It means that public transport in the south and east of Saxony-Anhalt, in Saxony including around Leipzig, and in parts of Thuringia, will be significantly more expensive.

The operator cited rising costs for daily operations, higher wages and ongoing investment in modern vehicles as the main reasons behind the price hikes.

A single ticket in the city of Halle went up by 40 cents to €3.40, while a 24-hour travel card for one person increased by 80 cents to €8.30.

Meanwhile, in Leipzig, a single ticket rose by 10 cents to €3.60, and a 24-hour ticket went up by 40 cents to €10.20. 

As well as the cities of Halle and Leipzig, the MDV network area covers the districts of Leipzig, North Saxony, the Saale district, the Burgenland district and the Altenburger Land district. It also includes local rail transport in the districts of Wittenberg and Anhalt-Bitterfeld and in the city of Dessau-Roßlau.

Here’s the full list of ticket price changes.

According to MDV, the ‘Abo Azubi Plus’ savings ticket for apprentices has been axed. The operator said demand had declined since the introduction of the nationwide travel pass, the Deutschlandticket. The ‘Abo Azubi’ ticket, however, will continue to be available.

Many residents in Germany opt for the Deutschlandticket, which offers unlimited travel on all local and regional transport for €58 per month. 

READ ALSO: Kitas and Deutschlandticket – What Germany plans to spend money on in 2026

More regional price hikes expected

Transport operators – both locally and nationally – have been mulling or implementing price hikes in recent months. 

Earlier in July, the new head of the Berlin-Brandenburg Transport Association (VBB), Christoph Heuing, said he expected the company to increase fares on buses and trains in both states from 2026. 

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“The process is currently underway and the decisions will probably be made in autumn,” he told DPA. “I think it is likely that we will then have a price increase on January 1st, because we all know how consumer prices have risen significantly over the last five years.”

Like other regional transport associations, the VBB is struggling financially. “The situation is very tense at the moment,” said Heuing. “We have had significantly higher increases in the cost structures of the transport companies – personnel, materials, energy – than in inflation.”

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