Cicero viewed gambling as superstition; he disliked it because he thought it was an attempt to force the hand of the gods.
The Bible does not mention gambling as a sin. It does however, mention gambling twice; that Samson makes a bet with his groomsman and loses and where an officer of the Assyrian King makes a bet with King Hezekiah of Judah, “I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders on them”.
The symbols for multiplication "x" and division "÷" did not appear until 1631 and 1659 respectively.