Gambling in Britain in the Long Eighteenth Century

This new account of gambling in Britain in the long eighteenth century investigates who gambled, on what, and why.

Bob Harris (Author)

9781316512449, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 17 March 2022

320 pages
23.5 x 15.7 x 2.3 cm, 0.617 kg

'Harris's meticulous archival research draws from an impressive range of papers held in private, county and national archives.' Jane Darcy, The Times Literary Supplement

English society in the eighteenth century was allegedly marked by a 'gambling mania', such was the prevalence and intensity of different forms of 'gaming'. Gambling in Britain in the Long Eighteenth Century subjects this notion to systematic scrutiny, exploring the growth and prevalence of different forms of gambling across Britain and throughout British society in this period, as well as attitudes towards it. Drawing on a vast range of new, empirical evidence, Bob Harris seeks to understand gambling, its growth, and significance within the context of wider trends and impulses in society. This book asks what light gambling practices and habits shed back onto society and the values, hopes, and expectations that informed the lives of those involved. This is a book, therefore, as much about the character of British society in the long eighteenth century as it is about gambling itself.

Introduction
1. Gambling for high stakes or 'deep play'
2. In search of popular gambling
3. The rise of the lottery
4. Lottery adventures and adventurers
5. Gamblers and the law
Conclusion.

Subject Areas: Social & cultural history [HBTB], Modern history to 20th century: c 1700 to c 1900 [HBLL], British & Irish history [HBJD1]