A Look at the Fascinating History of Casino Dice

Dice, now a staple of casino dice games, have been around for centuries. Back in the day, fortune tellers and soothsayers used dice to predict the future of a person, village or community.

With time, people began using dice to play games based on chance. Here’s a closer look at the history of dice!

The origins of dice

As with the classic version of Blackjack games online, the exact origins of dice are unknown. According to some historians, the first cubic dice came from the Indus Valley Civilization (also referred to as the Harappan Civilization). The first form of dice was probably an enhanced version of knucklebones, which were used for fortune telling and playing games then.

Evidence of the initial version of six-sided dice has been found in Shahr-e Sūkhté, an archaeological site between the Iranian towns of Zabol and Zahedan. The earliest dice, which dates back to around 2600 B.C., was used in a game that shares similarities with the two-player board game Backgammon. This was also when the Ancient Egyptians used dice to play the board game Senet.

It isn’t clear whether the old dice were used for gambling. The residents of Ancient Egypt didn’t possess money as such, though they were using grains as a form of currency. But dice usage for gambling was common among the Romans two thousand years ago.

The introduction of symmetric dice cubes

There was something unusual about the dice that the Romans were using for playing gambling games. However, the Roman dice looked like cubes with square faces at first glance; most came with rectangular faces. They lacked the symmetry of cubes. So, it’s no wonder some numbers showed up more often than others.

Even a small bias like this can affect your winning chances in the long run. Some casino gamblers noticed this in the 15th century, further resulting in the symmetric dice cubes’ introduction. This was also when the arrangement of numbers on dice cubes was standardised. The standardisation of numbers made it easy for gamblers to check that all six sides appeared.

At first, the numbers on most dice were arranged in the following order: 1 across from 2, 3 across from 4, and 5 across from 6. This number arrangement was called primes because the sum of opposite numbers resulted in primes. 

But by the 17th century, a new number configuration called “sevens” took over. Dice with the seven configurations have their numbers arranged in the following order: 1 across from 6, 2 across from 5, and 3 across from 4. If you add, you’ll find that the sum of these opposite numbers is always 7.

How are modern-day casino dice made?

Since their introduction, dice makers have used various materials to manufacture dice. Back in the day, Ivory and bone were highly popular among dice makers. A thorough analysis of dice history reveals that early dice were made of clay, seeds and nut shells. 

With time, dice makers began using bronze, rock crystal and amber to make dice. At this point, dice used by the rich were usually made of precious stones, gold and porcelain.

The dice used in modern-day dice-based casino games are usually made of cellulose acetate. These dice feature non-bevelled edges and are made so that they have no indentations. Also, most of them are big, so the dealer and the players can easily see the numbers that roll up. Furthermore, they are precision cut to 0.0001 inches to ensure the dice roll is completely random.

Security measures for casino dice

The top U.K. casino providers like us have several security measures to ensure that all players have a safe and fair gaming experience. Here are some security measures casinos use to ensure the outcome of the dice roll stay random and fair.

Perfect cubes

– If you’ve been into casino gaming for a while, you’d know that casino dice are also called precision dice. This is because they’re precision cut to 0.0001 inches, which makes it extremely hard for rogue players to create identical ones.

Key letter spot

– Many casinos tell dice makers to include a special monogram before painting the dice. While the monogrammed number or letter isn’t visible to players, it helps casinos identify fake dice.

Serial numbers

– Several casino operators have started putting serial numbers on every dice. These dice usually come in a pack of five or ten dice with the same serial number. So, if anyone tries to use a different casino dice, the dealer would immediately know it.

Cancellation

– Casino dice tend to wear out after a while. So, gambling operators need to replace old dice with new dice. But before cancelling the old dice, casinos use a hand-operator press to make a circular marking on the dice surface. The circular marking indicates that the dice have been cancelled.

Summing Up

Casino dice have existed for as long as casino gambling has been around. Now that you know the history and origins of casino dice, it’s time to check out some dice-based games on our platform.

We offer several exciting variations of online Roulette UK and other casino classics, along with dice-based casino games. Furthermore, our vast selection of mobile casino games means you can enjoy casino gaming anywhere. Happy gaming there!