The history of betting is long and complicated. Evidence suggests that people have been gambling for centuries, with some experts estimating that it dates back as far as 10,000 years. While the specifics may vary from culture to culture, the broad outlines of betting's evolution are fairly similar across the globe. One of the earliest recorded examples of gambling comes from China, where betting on animal fights was a popular pastime as early as 2300 BC. In ancient Greece, meanwhile, citizens would wager on everything from chariot races to athletic competitions like the Olympic Games. Gambling continued to be popular throughout the Middle Ages and Renaissance, with many European countries establishing official casinos during this time period. One of the most famous gambling venues of this era was the Ridotto, which opened in Venice in 1638. The 1800s saw the rise of horse racing as a major betting sport, with the first Kentucky Derby taking place in 1875. This was also around th...