Gambling and the 20th century Rulers
The history of the 20th century is inseparably connected with wars, revolutions, forcible change of governments and other political cataclysms in which the leading role was often played by bright, extraordinary personalities – leaders, chiefs. Impetuous was also the history of legislative regulation of gambling games and bets. They were allowed, then prohibited, then allowed again…A lot of these bans and legalizations were directly connected with the principle political acting personalities of the 20th century. How venturesome were the most famous totalitarian rulers of the previous century and what was their role in regulation of activities on organizing and playing games and bets?
Vladimir Lenin (1870-1924)
When in a small town of Simbirsk little Volodya Ulyanov was born nobody of the people around, including his parents, could ever guess that one of the main heroes of the 20th century came into the world. After many years it is already difficult to unambiguously evaluate the activities of Vladimir Lenin in the office of the chairman of the Soviet of National Commissars, but there is no doubt that he has gone down in history as the main ideologist of the bright ideas of communism which the Russian poor strived for so much and never achieved despite the long 70-year way.It is not known for sure whether Vladimir Lenin was fond of gambling, in his public speeches he never mentioned the words "gambling-house" and "casino". However, in his boyhood the future Ilyich played chess and russian bowling (gorodki) with passion. Having grown up, he played cards as well, alas, the history does not give a single answer as to the games the chief of revolutionists played and whether the bets were madeIt is interesting to know that even when Vladimir Ilyich was still alive there were anecdotes and tales concerning his love of card games. But still the most favourite game of Ilyich was politics. But with regard to regulation of gambling industry, of course, Vladimir Ulyanov succeeded in the way so typical of him.
Having become the statesman, firstly, he started to fight against bourgeois heritage, established censorship. And he decided to establish order in gambling in addition to this. In provisions of the Petrograd (St. Petersburg)military-revolutionary committee as of the 24th of November of 1917 the task was set to "close all the clubs and gambling-dens where card games were played". Despite this, in spring of 1918 the commissar of municipal economy of Petrograd the future "all-union head" M.I.Kalinin taking into account the interests of reimbursement of state treasury proposed legalization of gambling. This proposal was rejected though "on revolutionary grounds" and all the gambling establishments were found illegal.
In 1921 Vladimir Lenin introduced NEP – so to say new economic politics of the state at which the priority was no longer general equality and fraternity but earning money by the young Soviet state for its own budget for realization of revolutionary ideas. It was at that time that gambling business was founded in the Republic of Soviets. On the 9th of November, 1921, The Soviet of labour and defence of the RSFSR issued a decree according to which sale of playing cards was allowed on the territory of the country. Also in 1921 when there happened to be the worst drought in Russia, the first All-Russian lottery to help the starving people took place. In the course of two years local authorities allowed activities of gambling-houses, following financial principles and collecting rather large amounts of taxes from organizers of gambling games. In spite of this fact, at the end of 1923 there was created a commission on struggle against "moonshine, cocaine and gambling" in the USSR.
Struggle against gambling started to follow its regular soviet course, however, Vladimir Lenin could not witness its end. On the 21st of January, 1924, Lenin died. It happened just at the time of flourishing of soviet gambling industry, but after half a year after his death CEC of the USSR and SNC of the USSR issued a Decree dated the 1st of August, 1924, "about state monopoly on production of playing cards". And afterwards still four years later gambling industry was finally prohibited in the USSR as a remnant of the old times which was to be done away with.
Iosif Stalin(1879-1953)
Iosif Stalin (Djugashvili) was born on the 21st of December 1879 in a small Georgian town of Gori. A friend and adviser of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, his great successor, he took the reins of government in his hands after Lenin and kept them till his death. The time of Iosif Stalin's rule is still reflected with joy and pain in the hearts of those Soviet citizens living at the time of his being in power. Industrialization, the victory in the war and continuation of communistic construction, on the one hand, and concentration camps and mass repressions – on the other hand. Without taking into account personal characteristics of the second chief of proletariat and without estimating the deeds of his in the course of almost 30 years of his being in power, we'll point out only one thing – Iosif Stalin was not a venturesome person and except for games in politics, where stakes were sometimes hundreds of thousands of human lives, he acknowledged only billiards and races on the race track.
Let's point out that totalizator on the race track under Iosif Stalin the only legal pastime for venturesome Soviet citizens. The most famous race tracks were situated in Moscow, Tbilisi, Tallinn, Odessa, Gorky (Nizhny Novgorod) and other cities. The son of Iosif Vissarionovich – Vasiliy was also a great admirer of race tracks.The death of Iosif Stalin did not have any impact on the existence of legal gambling in the Soviet country. They did not exist when Stalin came to power and did not appear after his death. The exclusion were horse races and races on the race tracks which attracted rather large cash means with the help of the totalizator for development of the Soviet horse breeding.
Adolph Hitler(1889-1945)
Adolph Hitler (Schicklgruber) was born on the 20th of April, 1889, in a small town of Braunau on the border of Austria and Germany. The phenomenon of Hitler is still under study by historians and politicians but there are still a lot more questions than answers to them.
Really, political feeling, iron will, rare talent of an orator-demagogue, finally, need on the part of the hosts of Germany – all this helped him make himself a breath-taking career. Starting with a might-have-been artist and resigned soldier of the First World War to Fuhrer of the Third Reich and organizer of Holocaust. The history testifies that the bloodiest tyrant of the 20th century was an extremely venturesome gambler, but like Lenin, only in politics. Though Hitler was more loyal to gambling industry than a lot more of his other companions-in-arms.
In Fascist Germany officer casinos were very popular. However, a few people know that in those casinos people did not play but simply had a rest from everyday military fuss. There was a bar, billiards, music in casinos – a close club for officers in a way. Access to such establishments for outsiders was forbidden, and if officers played cards, then only for each other's money – it was forbidden to organize games and gain profit for them. Hitler was a frequent visitor of such casinos, moreover, during the war on the occupied territories, it was he who allowed arranging casinos for a rest, in which officers of the German army usually played different card games. In such entertainment establishments the most beautiful girls of the captured towns and villages "worked".When Adolph came to power in 1933 there were already no gambling-houses in the country. All of them were closed down still in 1872 under the Kaiser Wilhelm I. One of the first decrees in addition to the law about special authority entrusting Adolph Hitler with unrestricted power in the country, was the decree about permission, as exclusion, of operation on the territory of Germany of the most famous casino in Baden-Baden. It happened in many aspects due to the fact that the country urgently needed money, and Hitler marked for himself that Germans had better lost their money in Germany than in neutral Switzerland. A little later, in particular in 1938, when Germany captured Austria and German legislation started to be legal on its territory prohibiting activities on organization of games and bets, casinos were closed there as well. However, there was an exclusion made for one gambling-house situated in the town of Baden, 26 kilometers from Vienna.On the 30th of April Hitler committed suicide like a real "keen player" of boulevard novels, having lost all his wealth, and at night, on the 9th of May, 1945, in Berlin complete and unconditional surrender of Fascist Germany was signed. Where do you think it took place? In the capital district of Karlshorst in the building of the previous officer casino…
Benito Mussolini (1883-1945)
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was born on the 29th of July, 1883, in a small Italian town of Dovia. The most well-known Italian statesman of the 20th century, chief (duche) of the Fascist party of Italy. Having realized "a crusade to Rome" on the 28th of October, 1922, Mussolini captured power in the country and on the 1st of November, 1922, headed the government of Italy. Mussolini was a rather venturesome person, but preferred political games and wanted to play them only in accordance with the rules invented by him personally. These rules were quite cruel, and those who refused to follow them, Mussolini threw away as as not wanted from his life. Similarly to Adolph Hitler, his main virtue which helped him to achieve self-actualization on the arena of politics, were his oratorical abilities, charisma and skills to show himself to the audience. Alas, unfortunately for Italians of those years, great Duche produced his endorphins not at the card table, but in constant unrestrained desire to possess absolute power over everything and everybody.
Having come to power, the first thing of Mussolini to do was to take under control, exile and subject to repressions leaders of the opposition.
The founder of Italian fascism had a rather negative attitude towards gambling industry. On the 16th of July, 1923, Mussolini banned gambling games in Italy except for lotteries.
In 1926 Mussolini destroyed the remnants of opposition: there were laws adopted according to which all the political parties, except for the fascist one, were banned and dissolved.
However, Mussolini was a far-sighted politician and understood rather well that Italians could not do without gambling games, they would surely get to them – they would go to France, Monaco or Switzerland. He was aware that prohibition of games had a negative impact not only on his personal popularity, as well as on the well-being of the "weak" national economy.
Mussolini made a significant for gambling industry decision. Henceforth casinos were to "cover" the borders of the Italian state hindering from export of monetary resources abroad. In 1927 gamble was officially allowed in in San-Remo. Casino was made the property of municipality of San-Remo, and its management was only carried out by the most loyal to the dictator people.
Italian authorities behaved very consistently and decisively, having allowed organizing of only one casino, they refused to any other requests about a possibility of organization of gambling-houses.
Mussolini declared that gambling industry in Italy was prohibited, existence of a casino in San-Remo was an exclusion which was presupposed by serious political and economic factors, however, the given exclusion only confirmed the general rule. The intention of the dictator was to turn the town of San-Remo into another Monte Carlo, but the dream never came true.
Despite his declaration on prohibition of opening of new casinos, Mussolini changed his decision to some extent as the time went by. During his rule two more casinos appeared. In 1933 there was opened a gambling-house in the Italian enclave Campion created still in 1917. And in 1937 gambling was allowed in Venice. All the casinos belonged to the municipalities of the corresponding towns. Games were only stopped there during the Second World War.
In 1943 previous associates foreseeing the military collapse of Italy, "put" Mussolini on the retired list. However, he didn't give in, and as a most venturesome gambler tried to win back with Hitler's help, still being the head of the fascist puppet government in the town of Salo for some time. However, the system he had been building for 20 years, fell apart within a few months. Cliché of a gambler let him down at that moment. Mussolini didn't bring himself to put a pistol to head. In 1945 he was captured by Italian partisans and executed, and after a year, in 1946, gambling industry returned to Italy again, and casinos opened their doors which Mussolini was no longer able to enter.
Mao Zedong(1893-1976)
Mao Zedong was born on the 26th of December, 1893, in the village of Shaoshan of Hunan Province situated in the south of the country. Great helmsman, revolutionary - Marxist came to power in 1949 when gambling was already forbidden in the country. The creator of communistic China did rather a lot for getting into the list of the sternest rulers of the 20th century; however, as a fighter against gambling industry Mao did not distinguish himself in any way, simply leaving the ban in force. Frankly speaking, Mao had more important matters in the country.
Kim Ir Sen (1912-1994)
The creator of North-Korean communism was born on the 15th of April, 1912, near Pyongyang. The author of Korean doctrine about Juche and supporter of Marxism-Leninism was not an admirer of gambling. During the rule of Kim Ir Sen operation of gambling-houses was out of the question, however, the son of the great North-Korean chief Kim Chen Ir after his father's death still opened a casino. Famous Chinese millionaire Stanly Ho helped him with opening of the first gambling-house in 1999. Although, it was not allowed for aborigines to play in North-Korean casinos, but there are a lot of Chinese players there.
Fidel Castro(1926)
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz was born on the 13th of August, 1926 in a Cuban settlement of Biran. Since childhood Fidel was a purposeful young man, seeing his destination in the fight for liberation of the Cuban people.
Before the victory of the revolution during the rule of Batista all Cuban casinos belonged to Americans. A consultant of the acting president on gambling industry was none other than Meyer Lansky, a notorious American gangster.
Castro came to power on the 1st of January, 1959, when under attack of the revolutionary army under his command the dictatorship of Batista was over.
Having become firmly established in power, firstly, in 1959 Fidel Castro banned gambling industry – and he had his own reasons for that: struggle against Americanism. From the end of February till May of 1959 casinos were opened for some time, but finished their accounting periods with negative results and were ultimately and definitely closed down.
Until now in one of the most beautiful countries of the world attracting large tourist flows there are no casinos. Why is it so? This question should be, evidently, addressed to the Cuban president.
Saddam Hussein (1937)
Saddam Hussein was born on the 28th of April, 1937, in the Iraqi village al-Awja in the south of Tikrit region. He came to power in 1968 and changed the life of the country beyond recognition. While he was in power Iraqi became the noticeable power in the Near East, but Hussein "become famous" not for this. Genocide concerning Kurds, war against Iran, occupation of Kuwait, maximal possible totalitarianism placed the name of the born in poverty boy on the first page of the book about bloody crimes of the 20th century. At the beginning of Saddam's rule there was opened a race track in the country, as well as a casino the existence of which is so difficult to believe in now as well as in the fact that Hussein was once the best friend of the Soviet government. In 1979 Saddam banned games of chance. And only after overthrow of the principle Near-eastern dictator, there were slowly but surely opened gambling-houses. Surprisingly, but they were opened by Russian entrepreneurs. Saddam Hussein is at present in Iraqi and is awaiting the judicial sentence in connection with numerous accusations presented.
Robert Mugabe(1924)
Robert Gabriel Mugabe was born on the 21st of February, 1924 in the town of Kutama on the territory of current Zimbabwe. Before coming to power in 1987 he had spent 11 years in prison for participation in the national liberation movement. Robert Mugabe is famous, firstly, for his anti-American claims, as well as for the fact that in 2005 he the inflation reached the record 502% in the new 21st century.
Interestingly, but at the peak of inflation growth speaking in front of the journalists the president of Zimbabwe declared that the population of his country was "very happy". What it meant to be "very happy" the president knew not through hearsay. A few years ago Mugabe won the state lottery's main prize in the amount of $2,639 dollars. Curiously, but only those citizens took part in this lottery who had accounts in the National Bank of Zimbabwe, at this for every 135 dollars there was only one lottery ticket. Naturally, under the name of the current president there was registered the record number of tickets, that is why the prize did not keep him waiting for a long time. They say, the results of the lottery upset the citizens of Zimbabwe very much.Robert Mugabe is a very temperamental person and a typical gambler by nature. A lot of his statements are made in a burst of passion and excitement. By the way, the attitude of the president towards gambling industry is not in the least bad: there are several casinos opened in the country, as well as race tracks with the totalizator, left to the Zimbabwean from English colonizers.
Augusto Pinochet(1915)
Augusto Pinochet was born on the 25th of November, 1915, in a Chile resort town of Valparaiso. In September 1973 he organized a putsch against the president of Chile Allende and after his murder took the post of the head of the state. Like many other "heroes" of the 20th century, he was distinguished by mass terror in relation to the "otherwise-minded".
General Pinochet was quite a cruel and ruthless person, but under his rule hyperinflation was stopped and economic growth began.
The Chilean dictator had a negative attitude towards gambling industry, and there were no gambling-houses in the country during his rule. However, he had rather a loyal attitude to holding a state lottery. Maybe it was because the control over profits from lotteries was entrusted to his daughter Lucia Pinochet Hiriart?
Only after a few years upon retirement of Pinochet under the president Eduardo Free a new casino was opened in the country in 1997. At present Augusto Pinochet is in Chile under house arrest and is awaiting the trial for evasion from tax payment. The trial, by the way, perhaps, will not even take place because of his age and extremely bad heath.
We can continue mentioning great dictators and rulers of the 20th century and argue about their attitude to gambling industry. Iosip Broz Tito, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, Idi Amin, Joseph Desire Mobutu, Muammar Gaddafi, Suharto, Thieu, Somoza, Marcos, Pol Pot, Ceausescu, Bokassa, Hissene Habre, Chombe, Franco, Duvalier, Mengistu Haile Mariam, Batista, Salazar and many others had different attitude to gambling. Some, like Marcos and Batista, liked it a lot, while others, like Gaddafi and Ceausescu, didn't give it even a chance for existence.While in Spain all power was in the hands of the general Franco Bahamonde Francisco, people were even afraid of talking about gambling-houses, but as soon as he died and the royal throne was occupied by Juan Carlos I, there were at once opened a number of casinos in the country. While Batista favoured gambling games, Fidel Castro, who substituted him, banned them at once. And it is clear. Batista was an American protégé, and Fidel was the one who fought against American imperialism. That is why casinos simply lost favour.
A lot of rulers of the 20th century were quite venturesome personalities having revealed their excitable skills in politics, and not on the cloth of the gambling table in the gambling-house. Who knows, if their passion had been connected with visiting of gambling establishments, perhaps, our planet would be quieter.Total struggle against gambling in the 20th century was under way only in one, at this "the most democratic" country – the USA. And after repressions, which failed, gambling industry there not only continued to exist, but started to flourish. The ideas of Marxism-Leninism did not give the right of existence of gambling establishments in the countries that chose the way of rise to radiant future in the form of communism, since the norms of the given ideology prescribed earning money by way of labour, and not in the hours of entertaining pastime. Countries practising traditional Islam do not allow gambling industry on their territory in accordance with their religious dogma. Despite this, Muslim Egypt, Tunis, Morocco and Lebanon have opened gambling-houses. The same was done by the Korean Republic, having demonstrated that ideology is ideology but if the country needs to earn money for the budget, gambling industry won't hinder it.
Totalitarianism and gambling are not connected with each other in the least. The basis of struggle against gambling industry in 99 cases out of 100 is not the desire to protect the rights and interests of the citizens and the society, but the most trivial desire to win votes of people which any party, striving to come to power, pursues. Politics is rather a subtle thing.
Evgeny Kovtun