Casino and Gambling in Ancient Rome: Games of Chance and the Roman Spirit

When we think of casinos today, images of slot machines and poker tables in glittering halls come to mind. But gambling — the thrill of risk, the hope of reward — is far from modern. In Ancient Rome, gambling was woven into daily life, from the streets of the Forum to the barracks of Roman legions. Although there were laws against it, that didn’t stop Romans of all classes from placing bets, rolling dice, and cheering on chariot races with money on the line.

Gambling: A Popular Roman Pastime

The Romans were a people of entertainment and competition — they loved spectacles, sports, and strategic games. It’s no surprise that gambling was widespread across Roman society.

Common Forms of Gambling Included:

Dice Games (Aleae): The most popular form of gambling, often played with knucklebones (astragali) or six-sided dice (tesserae).
Board Games: Games like Ludus Duodecim Scriptorum and Tabula (a predecessor to backgammon) were often played for stakes.
Chariot Racing Bets: The Circus Maximus wasn't just for cheering — spectators placed heavy bets on the Red, Blue, White, and Green racing teams.
Animal Fights: Gladiator games and animal contests often included underground betting circles.
Wagering on Gladiators: Although illegal, betting on outcomes in the Colosseum was widespread.

Roman Laws on Gambling: Forbidden, but Flourishing

Roman law officially banned gambling, especially games of chance involving money. The Lex Alearia and later laws under Augustus and others criminalized betting with real stakes, with fines up to four times the wager.

However, these laws were widely ignored, especially during festivals like the Saturnalia, where temporary social freedoms allowed gambling, drinking, and role reversals.

Some Romans got around the law by:

Gambling in private homes or taverns
Claiming they were playing “for fun” with tokens instead of coins
Participating in state-sanctioned lotteries for charity or infrastructure funding

Gambling in the Military and Among Slaves

Roman soldiers were notorious gamblers. In military camps, dice games provided a way to pass time, build camaraderie, or — occasionally — spark brawls. Even slaves gambled among themselves using pebbles, nuts, or scraps as makeshift currency.

For many lower-class Romans, gambling represented a fleeting chance at wealth, even if the odds were rarely in their favor.

Gambling and Roman Psychology

The Roman appetite for gambling mirrored their broader cultural values:

A love of fate and fortune — personified by the goddess Fortuna
A fascination with risk, honor, and destiny
A belief in luck as a sign of favor from the gods

Gambling wasn’t just a vice — it was a reflection of how Romans saw the world: unpredictable, competitive, and ruled by unseen forces.

Archaeological Evidence of Roman Gambling

Excavations in Pompeii and Herculaneum have uncovered:

Dice and gaming boards carved into stone benches or built into tavern tables
Graffiti mocking or boasting about gambling wins
Amulets and charms carried for luck at the gaming table

Inscriptions even warn against cheaters — suggesting that loaded dice and sleight-of-hand were as old as the games themselves.

Was There a Roman “Casino”?

While ancient Rome didn’t have casinos in the modern sense, taverns (popinae) and private villas often served the same function: places where people gathered to drink, gamble, and socialize.

Some wealthy elites hosted lavish gambling parties, especially during banquets. Others used gambling as a tool of manipulation or seduction — a way to show off wealth, daring, or generosity.

Legacy: Gambling Through the Ages

Rome's gambling culture left its mark:

Many Roman games evolved into modern board games and dice games.
Their attitudes toward luck, fate, and chance influenced medieval and Renaissance gaming traditions.
The ongoing conflict between legality and popularity of gambling can be traced directly back to Roman times.

Despite laws, moral warnings, and social criticism, gambling thrived in ancient Rome because it reflected something essential about Roman life: ambition, boldness, and the desire to test fortune. Whether rolling dice in a smoky tavern or placing bets in the roaring Circus Maximus, Romans gambled not just for money — but for the thrill of chance, and the fleeting hope that Fortuna might smile on them.