First Casino in the World (1 Viewer)

[PaulsonCollector]

Hey guys,

another hobby of mine is LARP - Live Action Role Play. To make it quick: we're having costumes and playing Lord of the Rings.

I will run with some friends on a con next year a casino based on the very first casino that ever existed back in the Middle Ages in Venice. We've already done some research, but we can hardly find anything on what they have used as tokens.

If we can't find out anything we will use wooden chips and paint them ourselves for some kind of pseudo-authenticity, but maybe someone here might help?

 

[krafticus]

@BGinGA ... he was probably there.

 

[RowdyRawhide]

They probably used bakelites.

 

[Jambine]

Hey guys,

another hobby of mine is LARP - Live Action Role Play. To make it quick: we're having costumes and playing Lord of the Rings.

I will run with some friends on a con next year a casino based on the very first casino that ever existed back in the Middle Ages in Venice. We've already done some research, but we can hardly find anything on what they have used as tokens.

If we can't find out anything we will use wooden chips and paint them ourselves for some kind of pseudo-authenticity, but maybe someone here might help?

Don't know for sure, but a good guess would be that they were using coins.

 

[David O]

Yes, The Ridotto was the first "controlled" gambling house opened in Venice by The Great Council of Venice in 1638. During that time all they used was the local currency. This went on for a couple of hundred years until Poker was invented. This game became very popular in the Gold Rush days where they also used coins. The prospectors started wagering with jagged pieces of gold and silver and tokens made of metal, or chips made of ivory. It was not until the late 1800's that manufacturers started to produce uniform sized compressed chips.

 

[PaulsonCollector]

Thanks. As we consider coins pretty much boring, I think we will stick with our custom wooden chips.

 

[moose]

@BGinGA ... he was probably there.

First place @courage confirmed busto.

 

[chkmte]

Yes, The Ridotto was the first "controlled" gambling house opened in Venice by The Great Council of Venice in 1638. During that time all they used was the local currency. This went on for a couple of hundred years until Poker was invented. This game became very popular in the Gold Rush days where they also used coins. The prospectors started wagering with jagged pieces of gold and silver and tokens made of metal, or chips made of ivory. It was not until the late 1800's that manufacturers started to produce uniform sized compressed chips.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ridotto

interesting stuff @David O

 

[David O]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ridotto

interesting stuff @David O

I had read it before years ago and had to do some quick research again to make sure I was stating the correct facts. I found it interesting that chips got their start back in the gold rush days when a new game called poker became very popular

 

[justsomedude]

Check it out...

https://www.seeker.com/oldest-gaming-tokens-found-in-turkey-1767702348.html