In today’s world, gambling is huge and few cultures have been left untouched by the “Veni, Vidi, Vici” sweep of the globe. Are ancient societies merely the source of enticing graphics that easily replace fruits, bars, and sevens on slot machines? Or do they, even inadvertently, provide us with reminders of the long, exciting, dangerous, and contentious romance between humans and their games of chance? Raising the Stakes
Similarly, themed casinos such as Caesars Palace, Luxor, Excalibur, The Venetian, Treasure Island, and Sahara in Las Vegas, as well as Caesars and Trump Taj Majal in Atlantic City, and most Native American casinos across the country reiterate the connection between today’s high-tech gaming and yesterday’s lower-tech but equally compelling forays into gambling.Īlthough a more comprehensive study of slot machine and casino themes can be (and is being) undertaken, here I would like to ask simply if there is any connection between what today’s visitors to casinos experience and what the ancient Romans, Greeks, Aztecs, or indigenous Americans might have encountered when they gambled in their own cultures. Throw in Merlin and sorcerers, Vikings, Native American spirits, Chinese warriors and dragons, African princesses, and knights and gypsies, and pretty much every major cultural tradition is represented in games that flash and spin inexact but visually appealing images of the artifacts or inhabitants of other worlds. The large slot manufacturing companies have for many years developed machines that utilize Egyptian, Greek, and Roman, as well as hybrid Mesoamerican cultures in their designs. Themes about ancient and distant cultures are very common in the world of casino gambling. “I came,” “I came,” “I came,” it will taunt the player as if it is the player’s fault that Caesar’s conquest is not complete, the machine is not conquered, and the video volcanoes are not spewing virtual coins. The machine repeats “ Veni” over and over again if only the first coin appears. The chant is mesmerizing, encouraging continuous and rapid play so that the familiar phrase can be completed. In the popular video slot machine called “Pompeii,” a chorus of male voices chants, “ Veni, Vidi, Vici,” when gold coins consecutively appear on the first three reels.