Modern gambling is often associated with flashy casinos, [casino.org] high rollers, and enormous payouts. Nonetheless, gambling was just as common in medieval times, even if there were no sophisticated table games or slot machines as there are now. So what was gaming like in the Middle Ages?
A Time of Absolute Chance
Medieval gambling focused on the fundamentals of wagering, [casino.org] removing the complexity and technology of modern gaming. Games of chance dominated the environment, particularly well-liked dice games.
Raffle was a popular dice game from the Middle Ages [casino.org]. To win, players had to roll three dice that showed the same number or land the highest pair of matching numbers. Another popular dice game around this time was called Hazard. The name gave away the significant hazards involved. Hazard, who was often seen in pubs, drew a lot of cheats who would suffer harsh penalties if discovered. The contemporary game of Craps developed from the streamlined rules of Hazard over time. {www.casino.org/blog/medieval-gambling/}
Thimble-Rig and Additional Frauds
Known as “cup and balls,” Thimble-Rig was a popular street game in the Middle Ages [casino.org]. This game was often run by gangs, who tricked gullible participants. The operator would ensure that the players would always lose by skillfully moving a ball between cups. This game was a prime example of the deceit that was common in medieval gaming. {www.casino.org/blog/medieval-gambling/}
A different take on heads or tails, called “cross and pile,” was another well-liked game. The terms alluded to a coin’s two sides. This game, however simple, captured the attention of many medieval gamblers.
The Start of Card Games
Card games were also introduced to British society throughout the medieval era [casino.org]. Although card games were common in China as early as the 10th century, they weren’t until the 15th century that they made their way to Britain. Since then, card games have been a major part of British gambling culture, a practice that is still in place today. {www.casino.org/blog/medieval-gambling/}
Gambling: A Distinctive Interest
Gambling was mostly the domain of the wealthy throughout the Middle Ages [casino.org]. During King Richard I’s crusade in 1190, authorities outlawed gambling for anyone who was not a knight. However, they permitted knights and others of higher standing to partake in it, as gambling was considered a luxury for the affluent.
In 1461, the parliament of King Edward IV adopted a strict anti-gambling stance and outlawed card games and dice. Parliament imposed a new prohibition on importing playing cards two years later, probably encouraging the aristocracy to start producing English-only playing cards. Ironically, King Edward IV encouraged the blood sport of fox-hunting, in which onlookers wager on the results, in spite of these bans.
King Henry VII kept the common people’s ban against gambling in place [casino.org]. His parliament passed a statute outlawing gambling in 1495 for apprentices, laborers, farmers, and artisans. These limitations, however, did not extend to the wealthy and well-connected. King Henry VII routinely gambled and got into debt, borrowing money to pay his losses even though he opposed allowing gambling for the underprivileged. He bet on dice, chess, and tennis on a regular basis. {www.casino.org/blog/medieval-gambling/}
High-Stakes Awards
Medieval gambling witnessed high-stakes deals among the wealthy [casino.org], but it was often forbidden to the poor. The records of King Henry VII show the large sums of money he lost at gambling and the high stakes involved. He lost £10, for example, to Jakes Haute when he gambled on tennis, £20 in gold when he played cards with the King’s favor, and £3 to the Lord of York when they played dice [casino.org]. These amounts, enormous for the Middle Ages, show that while gambling was not permitted for the impoverished, it remained a privilege for the wealthy, who could gamble and squander their riches. {www.casino.org/blog/medieval-gambling/}
In summary
Even though it was only available to the wealthy, gambling was a thriving and essential aspect of medieval life. From card games to ‘cross and pile,’ to dice games like Hazard and Raffle [casino.org], gambling provided a kind of risk-taking and enjoyment that has endured for millennia. The affluent of the time engaged in high-stakes gaming, which set the foundation for the rich gambling history that endures to this day. [casino.org] Visit casino.org to get more understanding of the development and history of gaming.
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