| PAGE |
| INTRODUCTORY |
| Difference between Gaming and Gambling—Universality and Antiquity of Gambling—Isis and Osiris—Games and Dice of the Egyptians—China and India—The Jews—Among the Greeks and Romans—Among Mahometans—Early Dicing—Dicing in England in the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries—In the Seventeenth Century—Celebrated Gamblers—Bourchier—Swiss Anecdote—Dicing in the Eighteenth Century | 1 |
| CHAPTER I |
| Latimer and Cards—Discourse between a Preacher and a Professor—The Perpetual Almanack, or Soldier’s Prayer Book—Origin of Playing Cards—Earliest Notice—Royal Card Playing | 28 |
| CHAPTER II |
| Legislation as to Cards—Boy and sheep—Names of old games at Cards—Gambling temp. Charles II.—Description of a gaming-house, 1669—Play at Christmas—The Groom Porter—Royal gambling discontinued by George III.—Gambling in church | 40 |
| CHAPTER III |
| Gambling early Eighteenth Century—Mrs Centlivre—E. Ward—Steele—Pope—Details of a gaming-house—Grub Street Journal on Gambling—Legislation on gambling—Peeresses as gaming-house keepers—A child played for at cards—Raids on gaming-houses—Fielding | 51 |
| CHAPTER IV |
| Gambling at Bath—Beau Nash—Anecdotes of him—A lady gambler—Horace Walpole’s gossip about gambling—Awful story about Richard Parsons—Gambling anecdotes—C. J. Fox | 64 |
| CHAPTER V |
| The Gambling ladies—Ladies Archer, Buckinghamshire, Mrs Concannon, &c.—Private Faro Banks—Card-money—Gaming House end of Eighteenth Century—Anecdotes—The profits of Gaming Houses—C. J. Fox and Sir John Lade—Col. Hanger on gambling | 76 |
| CHAPTER VI |
| The Gambling Clubs—White’s, Cocoa Tree, Almack’s—A few gamblers described—Stories of high play—White’s and its frequenters—Brookes’ and its players—Captain Gronow and his reminiscences of gambling—Gambling by the English at Paris—The Duke of Wellington—Ball Hughes—Scrope Davies—Raggett of White’s | 90 |
| CHAPTER VII |
| Hanging, the penalty for losing—Suicide—Officer cashiered—Reminiscences of an exiled gambler—Description of the principal gaming-houses at the West End in 1817 | 103 |
| CHAPTER VIII |
| Crockford’s Club—His Life—His new Club-house—Epigrams thereon—Ude and the Magistrate—Description of Club-house—Anecdotes of Crockford’s | 118 |
| CHAPTER IX |
| Hells in the Quadrant, 1833—Smith v. Bond—Police powers—“Confessions of a Croupier” | 133 |
| CHAPTER X |
| Select Committee on Gaming, 1844—Evidence | 147 |
| CHAPTER XI |
| Wagers and Betting—Samson—Greek and Roman betting—In the Seventeenth Century—“Lusty Packington”—The rise of betting in the Eighteenth Century—Walpole’s story of White’s—Betting in the House of Commons—Story by Voltaire—Anecdotes of betting—Law suit concerning the Chevalier d’Eon | 150 |
| CHAPTER XII |
| Gluttonous Wager—Walk to Constantinople and back—Sir John Lade and Lord Cholmondeley—Other Wagers—Betting on Napoleon—Bet on a Coat—Lord Brougham—Brunel and Stephenson—Captain Barclay—Story by Mr Ross—The Earl of March’s Coach—Selby’s drive to Brighton—White’s betting book | 163 |
| CHAPTER XIII |
| Horse Racing—Early mention—Thirteenth Century—Racing for bells—Racing in Hyde Park—Newmarket—Oliver Cromwell and Running horses—Charles II.—James II.—Anne—Her fondness for racing—Sporting in her reign—Epsom—Tregonwell Frampton—The three Georges—A duel—Turf anecdotes of the Eighteenth Century | 173 |
| CHAPTER XIV |
| Match between Mrs Thornton and Mr Flint—Its sequel—Daniel Dawson poisons horses—Origin of Bookmaking—Turf frauds—The “Ludlow” scandal—The “Plenipo” fraud—Reports of Select Committee on Gaming, 1844 | 185 |
| CHAPTER XV |
| Gambling on Race Courses—E.O. tables—Description of Race Courses—Evidence before the Committee—Description of the betting-rooms at Doncaster in 1846—Beginning of tipsters and betting-rooms | 199 |
| CHAPTER XVI |
| Betting Houses—Their suppression in 1853—Bookmakers and their Clients—Defaulters—Dwyer’s swindle—Value of Stakes | 211 |
| CHAPTER XVII |
| The Lottery—Its etymology and origin—The first in England—Succeeding ones—Prince Rupert’s jewels—Penny lottery—Suppression and revival—Rage for them in Queen Anne’s reign—Lotteries for public purposes—Leheup’s fraud | 222 |
| CHAPTER XVIII |
| Blue coat boys tampered with—The two trials
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