The English language is, as most people who have learned it know, a strange and bewildering thing. Words which one day meant something particular, the next mean something entirely different – especially if they are acquired from other languages. Whereas today you can simply click to find reputable USA online casinos if we go back in history there has certainly been some confusion about the word.
Originally from the Italian, casino originally meant a house in the countryside and was not associated with places like Casino Royale in Monte Carlo, pictured above (although I would love to travel there by train from London!).
No, it was a place your family (if wealthy enough) would go to in the summer to escape the hot city days and nights – even though it could just as easily be at the end of your garden. For those less well-off it could mean a club where social gatherings could take place. There is very little evidence to suggest that gambling took place in Italian casinos. Then along came the English language and everything changed for the word – the meaning as we know it came to pass.
While the word was acquired by English to mean a place where gambling takes place, in Italian the word didn’t stand still either – nowadays it means a place where ladies keep gentlemen company in exchange for some financial recompense – ahem! A gambling house is spelled with an accent – casinò. Blink and you might miss it, of course, but if you are a visitor to Italy and fancy a flutter then it might be important for you to know the difference!
Not only that, in some countries there are casinos which have been, variously, banqueting halls, theaters and public meeting houses. So, although there has been gambling since time immemorial, sometimes the word we most associate with it is not quite what it seems. As Shakespeare’s Juliet said “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” While that may well be true I think I will err on the side of caution. Unless I happen to travel from London to Monte Carlo I think I will stick to having the occasional flutter online!