The origin of gambling in Ancient Egypt

Gambling has been a main recreational activity in Egypt for centuries.  There are many forms of legal gambling in the country. Egypt is a leader in the number of land-based casinos and there are dozens of prospering casinos visited by foreigners.

Online gambling is not specifically regulated by Egyptian laws. As a result, while locals are banned from brick and mortar casinos, they are free to gamble in the best live casinos.

This blog post will give you a brief description of the history of gambling in ancient Egypt.

Early stages of gambling

The beginning of gambling traces back to the religious rituals in ancient societies. The ritual process was straightforward, and it included the throwing of sticks or pebbles. After that, the outcome was analysed to check whether the total number of objects on the ground is even or odd. With time, the process became complicated and it involved many advanced patterns.

Gambling later evolved into a separate and daily routine. These developments meant encouraging the fate of God in bringing positive signs and helping people. Initially, people in Egypt indulged in gambling based on the outcome that depended on chances only.

Later, it changed into a separate activity and people started gambling for higher stakes that included winning a more significant part of the chase. The pinnacle of gambling finally happened when people started wagering with stakes for their material earnings only.

The first gambling games

Online casinos now offer various games like blackjack, baccarat and poker with enticing live casino bonuses. Casino games were popular in ancient Egypt too.

Human civilization took place in 3100 BC on the productive land of Mesopotamia. Gambling tools were found during the archaeological excavations. Some of the earliest known forms of dice cubes were found at many excavation sites and all dates back to 3000 BC.

There are some pieces of evidence that points that people from the earliest forms of civilisation played board games. Thousands of years ago, rolling two dice with sixes on them was called “Throw of Aphrodite”.

Many pieces of evidence suggest that the board games were identical to the ones played today like backgammon. Senet could have been their ancestors as it is the oldest known board game. The basic idea and setup of these games are simplistic with a slight amount of difference, and they are available in various countries around the world.

Egyptians moved the game objects across the boards after throwing the dice. Some other forms of gambling included odds and evens and other guessing games. Most of the writers and philosophers condemned gambling, and they have mentioned that it spread like a wildfire which forced the government to mitigate and reduce such activities. Cheating is associated with gambling and it was prevalent during the Egyptian civilisations as well.

The middle ages

By the 15th century, the dice games commendation was reduced and replaced with playing cards which became the more popular way to gamble. Card games were brought to Europe from Asia, and they soon spread out across Europe. The lottery also became a significant form of gambling in Europe. Lotteries first appeared in the Roman Empire as a way of handing out gifts offending nobody. On the other hand, they initially had a purpose to place expensive goods in Europe.

Online gambling and Egyptian-themed games

With the advancement in technologies, it became possible for gamers to enjoy online gambling. Microgaming was among the first software providers to offer games to online casinos all around the world. Online gaming companies have grown into multibillion-dollar enterprises offering a wide variety of casino games.

Live casinos now offer some exciting themes running on the plethora of ancient Egyptian related slots. Some of them include the Golden Ark slot, Queen of the Nile and many more.