There are certain needs that all humans have collectively shared since the very dawn of civilization, regardless of their culture or location. And I’m not talking about biologically necessary needs that are absolutely mandatory for survival, like feeding and breeding, I’m talking about things that various cultures, ancient and prehistoric alike, have shared which don’t actually contribute much to the continuation of the species. For example, there’s the need to wear clothing, which serves very little practical purpose outside of protection from extreme weather. Then there’s the need for mastery, to be the best at something, to be recognized, even when it’s a position that gives no additional benefits other than prestige and bragging rights. And finally, there’s the need to engage in behavior with an equal amount of risk and reward. For whatever reason, humans have never particularly liked playing it safe – winning some kind of cool item from a competition has always felt sweeter than receiving the exact same thing as a gift from your parents, hasn’t it? Well, ancient folks felt the exact same way, and when they weren’t fighting for power, territory or wealth, they often satisfied the need to take risks and be rewarded for it through, what else, gambling?

As a result, countless cultures across the globe individually invented various forms of gambling, be it through games or through placing bets with each other, to the point where the oldest evidence of gambling ever discovered dated back to over 4000 years ago. Think about it – that’s about as old as the Sphinx! Well, I don’t know about you, but I personally find that little human quirk extremely fascinating, and have been looking into it for quite a while. And now I get to share my knowledge with you, should you stick around! Welcome to Kasteel Limbricht, the blog where we look at gambling throughout history. I hope you have fun and learn something new!