The History Behind Popular Gaming Items
When you think of a casino, what’s the first thing you think of? Most likely, it’s probably your favorite game, whether it’s slots, poker, blackjack, or roulette. But have you ever wondered about the history of some of the most common casino games or the things we use to play them with?
Dice
If you’re a big fan of table games, no trip to a casino would be complete without seeing some dice or hearing the sound of dice being shaken. But you certainly wouldn’t be the first one to make the connection. Dice actually have one of the longest histories of any gaming tool.
Archaeologists have unearthed many examples of dice dating back thousands of years. According to Neatorama, early dice were made out of a wide variety of materials, including animal bones, stones, and fruit pits, but later included ivory and wood. While the first dice were actually used by ancient shamans as a way to tell the future, it didn’t take long for people to start using them to play games. Today, the most commonly-used style of dice is six-sided dice with dots on each side. This style is believed to have originated in Mesopotamia in about 1300 BC.
Playing Cards
Up for a round of blackjack or poker? Playing cards also have an extremely long history attached to them. Bicycle says that the earliest recorded mention of anyone playing a card game was in the year 868, during the Tang dynasty in China. By the 1300s, playing cards made their way to Europe and card decks featuring the familiar suits of hearts, clubs, diamonds, and spades were first produced in France in 1480.
Poker Chips
Compared to dice and playing cards, poker chips are a relatively modern creation. According to Greektown Casino, poker chips first came into use in the 1800s when gambling halls needed a consistent way for people to place bets. Before poker chips came along, gamblers would place their bets using just about anything they had with them, ranging from coins and dollar bills to pieces of gold and IOU notes. To make things easier, both for gamblers and the people running the halls, casinos started creating clay discs people could use to make their wagers. This plan worked so well that casinos started using these chips for other games as well.
Slot Machines
Slot machines are also a relatively new sight in casinos. The first mechanical slot machine, named the Liberty Bell, was invented in 1895 by auto mechanic Charles Fey. The Liberty Bell featured three reels with images of diamonds, spades, hearts, and of course, the Liberty Bell. This new game was a huge hit and demand for the machines was so high that Charles Fey couldn’t produce them fast enough to keep up. Despite several other companies offering to buy the manufacturing and distribution rights, Fey refused to sell. Eventually, Herbert Mills began manufacturing his own version of the slot machine, which introduced the idea of using fruit as symbols on slot machines.
Perhaps you knew that your favorite casino game had been around for a while, but you never really thought about just how old it was. Now that you know the history behind some of the most common gambling devices, you’ll have something new to think about on your next trip to the casino.
