Today we’re going to talk about gambling. Now, gambling is interesting because it could be argued that gambling doesn’t even have anything to do with games. It’s usually about making money after all – which makes it much closer to work. But gambling definitely has a gaming component from its uncertain outcomes to rules of play, and gambling has had a huge impact on the more traditional games we see today. So let’s take a look at gambling’s not-so-certain history all the way from antiquity to the present, and maybe along the way we’ll try to figure out why we like playing these “games” so much anyway.
Want some Crash Course Games merch? Check out our beautiful Snake-inspired mugs!
Also, Crash Course is on Patreon! You can support us directly by signing up at
Thanks to the following Patrons for their generous monthly contributions that help keep Crash Course free for everyone forever:
Alyssa Nolden, Mark, SR Foxley, Kristina Lavoie, Sandra Aft, Eric Kitchen, Simun Niclasen, Eric Knight, Ian Dundore, Brian Thomas Gossett, Nicholas Bury, Daniel Baulig, Jessica Wode, Moritz Schmidt, Caleb Weeks, Tim Curwick, Alex S, Brian Roberds, Mayumi Maeda, Jeffrey Thompson, Montather, Noora Althani, Steve Marshall, Kathy & Tim philip, Robert Kunz, Jason A Saslow, Jirat, Jacob Ash, Christy Huddleston, Chris Peters, and Sheikh Kori Rahman.
Want to find Crash Course elsewhere on the internet?
Facebook –
Twitter –
Tumblr –
Support Crash Course on Patreon:
3:23 I wish my history class =was like that.
I'm only here because I am watching Kakegurui and I wanna understand the world of gambling haha.
While I've never gambled (I majored in finance. I'm holding on to every penny!), I always liked my father's system. On the rare occasions he was drug to the casino, he'd put $X in his right pocket and his winnings in his left. When his right pocket was empty, he was done and he cashed out his left.
2019 here, and they want to tell you to Buy More SURPRISE MECHANICS that are perfectly ethical and rated E for Everyone as Everyone give us your money (or your parents money if under 18).
Trading Card Games are interesting in terms of gambling. Such as how Magic: The Gathering™ used to have an 'ante' rule where players' cards would be bet on the outcome of a match, and how when buying booster packs the contents are randomised and the value of the cards that you receive can vary greatly (aided by the fact that 1 in 56 cards are 'premium' foiled cards).
I'm betting that the poem rhymes in Hindi.
Some day in the future people will also say this sentence: "Believe it or not, making drugs illegal didn't end the practice. It just drove it underground, where it eventually became an important stream of revenue for the organized crime syndicates that were springing all over the world."
The reference to Kenny Rogers made my day!
I was playing roulette once and saw one number come up 5 times in a row.
I played casino slots in Gangstar Vegas and I HATED it!!!!!!!!
5:29 check out that poor black guy kneeling at the bar. i feel for him!!!!
rtm law
"some of these games, only give casinos the slight advantage" ya…. after seeing in my town a roullette wheel have 12 straight red outcomes followed by a 00… im pretty sure i will never go back.. fuckin rigged
legalized gambling and alcohol prohibition are the perfect and exact reasons why drugs should be legalized, regulated and taxed. Get that revenue stream out of the hands of violent gangsters
Talks about gambler's conceit, shows an image of a poker tournament.
Playing poker as i type, thanks autoplay!
Would be cool to see a full video on the history of Pinball gaming.
gambling at casinos is a common practice to launder money as well as just spend(piss away) money for ppl who have too much Illicit money to launder.
Ive been caught by the Gambler's Fallacy when looking at the Powerball. 08 shows up way too often as the powerball to not bet on it more than other numbers. Plus the patterns that are displayed make it look like it follows some sort of theme.
Gambling is a tax on those who don't understand probability.
I never got the pinball=gambling argument. I'm not going to get any money back if I get a high score.
Hmm – I noticed that Wisconsin wasn't one of the states you showed that had legal casino gambling, but I know we do, it's just run by the Tribes. Are there states where only Tribal gambling is legal?
What's taking so long?
AM I GOING INSANE? I SWEAR THERE WAS A CRASH COURSE ON 'THE POKEMON PHENOMENON' BUT I CANT FIND IT ANYWHERE ON THE INTERNET, SOMEBODY HELP
I come to crash course to rebuild my melted brain from cancerous videos like I Play Pokemon Go Every Day.
Hearthstone kappa
this is for a school project please answer honestly.
https://docs.google.com/a/henricostudents.org/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdbM_-095Ou_zTjk2lbvnyeQ1efrDJqaAbgTQbiP4HOcIr5sQ/viewform?fbzx=7285415316816657000
The Gambler's Fallacy actually worked in Wife and my favor last time we were in Vegas… it was bizarre.
cool episode. gambling is the start of the western study of probability; it's more game than most
"Banning gambling just drove it underground". Yeah. Like drugs, alcohol, guns, and certain types of laundry detergent.
But every time. "This time is different! It will work and it's worth it!"
there's a key difference that makes poker different from other games mentioned. In poker, you're wagering against other players and not "the house."
Why would people bet their money on gamblings the outcomes are random
+
BTW the real casino workers are nothing like inJames Bond it's one of the most boring jobs ever
this is an amazing video dopamine is a joke all of psychiatry's chemicals are all frauds the DSM is a made up book with made up disorders homosexuality was once a disorder
ya should do a crash course on text rp
My brother stole $2200 from mom to buy supply drops in CoD
Well played on the Kenny Rogers reference!
I only bet when I am playing poker, and I go into the night expecting to the $20 buy-in. I consider it like paying to see a movie- I am paying to enjoy entertainment. I convince myself that I am not going to get the money back… that way if I win, it is an unexpected bonus.
when i used to live in North Dakota they allowed blackjack at the bars. so i'd sit at the table and once i up $20 bucks i get up, buy a round for my friends and me, then sit back down and do it over again. i was kicked out of several establishments for doing this however
The fact that early dice games grew out of divination amuses me.
"I bet five talents that the knucklebones say fortune lies ahead of me!"
Great to hear that Crash Course is advocating for quitting gambling.
In fact, millennials (aged 21 to 35) are spending less on gambling than older visitors of casinos [sources: https://stockton.edu/news/millennials-entertainment-preferences-gaming-levenson-survey.html and http://calvinayre.com/2016/09/14/casino/millennials-spend-two-thirds-less-gambling/]. Yeah for us, millennials!
i imagine Andre as the protagonist in Ready Player One
am I the only one who hates gambling?
I better save the gambling money and put it on Wall Street XD
you got to know when to hold up, know when to fold up, know when to walk away, know when to run, cuz you never count your money when its sittin at the table, there will time enough for counting, when the deed is done…
I like this BLACK NERD guy ^_^d
actualy in rulette the house does not have an advantage, its probability neutral. they only have the game to draw in more people to gamble at other games that do hold an edge
If you run of of episode ideas you can also do television game shows
well the roulette thing there is a system….but you are likely to be kicked out