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References are numbered in [brackets], which are listed here. A number after the dot gives the page in the source.

Last updated: 2009 November 9.

1728 October 19 Le Pellefier-Desforts, finance minister to French King Louis XV, publishes a royal decree of a new lottery to promote Parisian municipal bonds. Only holders of bonds are allowed to purchase tickets for the lottery. [187.89] 1730 June In France, a two-year lottery to promote Parisian municipal bonds ends. By taking advantage of laws of probabilities on the terms of the lottery, Voltaire and Charles-Marie de La Condamine and friends dominated the winnings. Voltaire alone won over 1 million francs. [187.89] 1732 The Pope permits the establishment of a Roman lottery. [187.87] 1739 British Parliament passes a law prohibiting many gambling games, including faro, basset, hazard, roly-poly, and ace of hearts. [187.104,133] (1738 [187.133]) 1744 The first British North American colonial government lottery is held for financing public works. Massachusetts holds a lottery to raise 7500 pounds to protect the sea coast and northern borders against the French. [187.143] 1745 British parliament prohibits E/O, a roulette-like game of guessing even or odd, and outlaws hosting or playing at a gambling house. [187.133] 1753 The British Museum is funded with lottery proceeds. [39] 1754 In France, the Loterie des Enfants Trouvés (Orphans Lottery) begins. [187.90] 1757 French State Council approves a new lottery for the École Militaire, a French military school, run by Giacomo Casanova and Giovanni Antonio Calasbigi. Drawings are made of five balls from a cage of 90. [187.90] 1762 In France, the Loterie de la Pitié begins. [187.90] 1769 British government decrees an end to colonial lotteries. [187.144] The Redoute two-story casino opens in Liège, France. [187.187] 1772 King George III of England abolishes the office of the groom porter, whose main job for over 250 years was to facilitate gambling for the royalty. The king decrees no card-playing amongst the servants. [187.65] 1773 Duke of Lauzun and Count Branicki begin running horse races on a track between Spa and Verviers, the first such enterprise on the Continent. [187.187] 1774 October The Continental Congress Articles of Association declares horse-racing, cockfighting, and "all kinds of games" would be discouraged. [187.146] November 27 The Great Council of Venice votes 720 to 21 to close the Ridotto, ending legal public gambling, due to growing impoverishment of its aristocratic families. [187.95] 1776 King Louis XVI of France transforms the Loterie de l'École Royale Militaire into the Loterie Royale de France, with twice monthly drawings. [187.90] November 18 The Second American Continental Congress sets up a lottery to aid in the war effort. [187.146] 1785 August 13 Fire destroys a wing of the Redoute casino in Liège, France. Burning playing cards cause up to fifty thatch-roofed houses to burn down, killing three people. [187.187] 1793 The French national lottery is outlawed. [187.90] 1797 The French Directoire re-establishes the Loterie Nationale. [187.90] 1801 Ireland enacts prohibition on state lotteries. [187.129] 1804 Kentucky state law prohibits gaming "in which one player is continually opposed to all the others". [187.152] 1805 A horse race takes place between Truxton of Andrew Jackson and Greyhound, at Huntsville, Tennessee. Truxton wins. Jackson bet US$5000. One of the biggest horse races in history. [187.153] 1806 French emperor Napoléon legalizes several gambling rooms in France. [187.104] 1809 April 18 First run of 2,000 guineas horse race at Newmarket England. [1] 1811 Louisiana territory passes a law prohibiting gambling anywhere in the state. [80.300] [187.248] 1814 Louisiana state legislature allows legal gambling in New Orleans, under municipal authority. [187.248] 1817 Great Britain enacts a law regulating (banning) several popular forms of gambling in British North American colonies, including cards, dice, checkers, shuffleboard, and bowling. [187.239] 1820 Louisiana legislature outlaws gambling. [187.248] 1823 Louisiana passes a law permitting New Orleans to license six gambling houses for a fee of US$5000 per year each. [80.300] [187.248] British parliament votes to end the state lottery. [187.128] 1826 July 18 The last lottery takes place in London, as the British government bans them. [40.12] [187.150] October 18 In England, the last state lottery draw is held. [187.128] 1827 John Davis opens a gambling house in New Orleans, Louisiana, styled like luxurious West End London clubs. [80.300] [187.248] 1828 William Crockford opens his own gambling house, Crockford's Gaming Club, at 50 St. James's Street, London, England. The private club features mainly hazard and whist, with cock fighting downstairs. (This becomes London's leading club of the 1830s.) [187.163] (1827 [80.297]) 1831 December 10 "Spirit of the Times" begins publishing (weekly horse racing sheet). [1] 1832 Louisiana removes limit on number of gambling licenses it issues, and sets the annual fee at US$7500. [80.300] [187.248] 1833 Pennsylvania, New York, and Massachusetts end state authorized lotteries. [39] 1834 January 1 The final lottery in New York state is drawn. [187.150] November 1 First published reference to poker (as Mississippi riverboat game). [1] 1835 British Parliament bans cockfighting and other forms of animal fights. [187.171] Louisiana outlaws gambling houses. [187.273] July 6 In Vicksburg, Mississippi, local militia hangs five gamblers following months of trouble, culminating in the murder of a doctor and armed resistance to the law. [187.252] 1836 June 17 Government of France resolves to close gambling clubs December 31, 1837. [187.192] (month unknown) In France, the Loterie Nationale ends. [187.90,150] 1837 December 31 The Chamber of Deputies of France bans all games of chance. All gambling clubs in the country close. [187.91,105,185,192] 1838 January 1 First official horse race in South Australia-Adelaide. [1] 1839 February 26 Jem Mason on Lottery wins first Grand National Steeplechase (Britain). [1] 1841 May Construction begins on a casino in Homburg, with first gambling taking place in a temporary building. [187.207] 1842 Lotteries are banned in Japan. [187.449] 1843 August 16 Opening of Kursaal casino in Homburg. Operators François and Louis Blanc run roulette with one zero instead of two, and also with improved players' odds at trente-et-quarante. Today, you can play online roulette on the Internet. [187.208] 1844 May 25 The British government makes a law that police may enter any gaming house on a request by any two householders. [80.298] May 29 William Crockford, clubman/gambler, dies, leaving a fortune worth US$5 million. [80.298] (May 24 [1]) (month unknown) A Select Committee of the British House of Commons investigates gambling. [187.164] 1845 August British Parliament passes the Gambling Act, tightening sanctions against professional gambling houses. Gambling debts can not be recovered by legal action. [80.50] [187.165] 1848 The El Dorado gambling house opens in San Francisco, operated by Thomas Chambers, rented for US$40,000 per month. (At its peak, it makes US$100,000-200,000 monthly profits.) [187.252] 1849 January The German National Assembly resolves that all gambling would cease as of May 1. [187.212]

End of 1728-1851. Next: 1852. The complete timeline can be purchased in a PDF file for US$10 from the author. You can pay now directly via PayPal. When I receive notification from PayPal, I will email you the PDF file. or send me an email to request my mailing address to mail payment. start-1727 1728-1851 1852-1900 1901-1949 1950-1974 1975-1984 1985-1999 2000-end A list of references to all source material is available. Other web pages of interest: Chronology of World History Chronology of Sports This Day in History

Last updated: 2009 November 9. Copyright © 2007-2009 Ken Polsson (email: ). URL: http:/// Link to Ken P's home page.