Current Events: Sidelights - brief history and future of gambling

* Gambling in some form is as old as humankind itself. Archaeologists have found shaped animal bones that were used in a gambling game by prehistoric people 40,000 years ago. Dice have been found in ancient Egyptian tombs. The ancient Greeks were fond of gambling, as were the ancient Romans. The illustration above is part of a painting by the Italian artist Andrea Mantegna (1431-1506). It shows Roman soldiers at the time of Christ playing dice, but most likely is a picture of a gambling game enjoyed by Italians of Mantegna's time.

* In Colonial America, gambling was widespread. Colonial governments often used lotteries as a way of raising funds. George Washington himself bought and sold lottery tickets. But then--as now--there were many opposed to gambling on moral or religious grounds.

* What is the future of gambling? Some people, such as Scott Jacobs, left, president of Gameway Technologies, think that gambling on the internet will be big in the future. But government officials are concerned that computer-smart kids may find ways to break into gambling programs designed only for adults.