Sloto Magazine Blog
As featured on Sloto Magazine
Like many traditions and practices that are old as humanity itself, the origins of games of chance lie hidden in the mist of prehistory. Anthropologists and historians believe that in one form or another gambling has existed for thousands of years. We must look at the records of the earliest civilizations to find clues for the origin of what is today a widespread, globalized form of entertainment.
'Head or tails' could be the simplest and earliest form of a chance game. The game could be played with an ordinary seashell tossed into the air. Records from the Roman Empire confirm this form of 'coin flipping' prior to the actual use of a coin. When coins were common within the Empire, a coin toss became a popular way of settling disputes. It was called 'navia aut caput' meaning 'ship or head' as many coins had a ship on one side and the head of the emperor on the other.
In Ancient Greece the practice of gambling was embedded in their very mythology. It is said that Zeus, Poseidon and Hades divided the universe amongst themselves after a game of dice. Zeus won the Heavens, the sea went to Poseidon and Hades won control over the Underworld. In this context it is easy to understand why the ancient Greeks believed that the gods controlled the results of a game of dice. They used this game of chance to select rulers, look for omens and predict future events.
(Pull-out quote: Did you know that according to ancient Greek mythology, Zeus and two others gods divided the universe amongst themselves after a game of dice!)
One of the most elaborate games of chance in antiquity is Keno, originating as early as 2500 years ago in China. It is the earliest form of lottery, where participants select a few numbers from a set of 80 and wait for the outcome of a random selection of numbers. Legend has it that the Great Wall of China was partially financed by the selling of Keno tickets!
As we move closer to our times, more and more games of chance started to appear. Many of the prototypical casino games such as Blackjack, Roulette, Craps and Baccarat have their origin during or after the European Middle Ages. The game of Craps is believed to be of English origin, developed by knights in the 12th century to pass time. An early version of Blackjack is mentioned in Cervantes' famous novel Don Quixote. Playing cards were at first hand painted but later, with the invention of printing, they were manufactured in printing houses. The philosopher and scientist Blaise Pascal introduced a primitive form of Roulette in the 17th century. Later in the 18th century both Roulette and Baccarat began to take their modern form.
The casino as an establishment for gambling purposes has an obscure origin. Gambling has always been an extremely popular form of entertainment but rulers and governments in the past, like now, have attempted to suppress it. In 1190, during the Third Crusade, King Richard of England and Philip II of France issued edicts that forbade gambling for money for those below the rank of a knight. It is only in 1638 that we see the first legal casino appear in Europe. Known as 'Il Ridotto' or 'the private room' in Italian, this was a government-owned gambling house in Venice. It only offered two types of games: Biribi and Basetta. The first was a kind of lottery game, while the latter was a mix between poker, gin rummy and blackjack.
In the US gambling saloons were widespread in the 19th century but it was only in 1931, when Nevada became the first state to legalize gambling, that real casinos made their appearance in Las Vegas. The second major gambling hub became Atlantic City after New Jersey legalized gambling in 1977. Today there are 21 states that allow commercial gambling establishments in the US.
The last phase in this short overview of casino games has been the introduction of gambling into the online world. The very first online casino was launched in August 1995, offering only 18 games of very poor quality compared to today's online games. Fast forward only 20 years and the internet now harbors over 1,500 gambling sites according to a recent Economist.com article.
What could be the future of games of chance? As we have seen in this Summer Edition, the arrival of 3D slot games sets a new standard of quality and entertainment. We can look forward to plenty of new releases of 3D and mobile games in the near future as we begin to shape the next phase of the age-old gambling tradition.
As featured on Sloto Magazine
The world has gone digital. There is no hiding from this fact. More and more of our daily lives is organized by mobile and digital technology. Many believe that the next phase will be when we use a global digital currency. Forget about bills, checks, credit cards. Soon, we might be using a Bluetooth wallet to pay all our bills.
Currently, the leading digital currency is Bitcoin. But there are many others arising every month. There are over 1,000 digital cryptocurrencies available today!
Digital currencies can be a great way to invest for the future. At the start, when Bitcoin was launched, each Bitcoin was valued for just a couple of cents. Today it is worth several thousand dollars. It is always a gamble to predict which digital currency will one day surge, but it is risk worth taking.
Sloto’Cash accepts Bitcoin for deposits and withdrawals. Plus we cover transaction fees for your Bitcoin withdrawals! Here’s a tip for you to start investing in cryptocurrency:
Next time you have a big withdrawal; cash it out for FREE with Bitcoin. There are a number of online cryptocurrency exchange wallets such as CoinBase, Kraken and Cryptopia. Once you receive your withdrawal funds into your Bitcoin wallet, exchange some Bitcoin for other digital currency (like Etherum, Ripple, Bitcoin Cash, Cardano, etc) and store them for a few months. You’ll be surprise how much their value will change from week to week.
We recommend only using a small percentage of your winnings (10-15%) to invest in other currencies. It is a form of lottery and there are no guarantees that the digital currency you buy will become the next hit. But on the other hand, if it does… then you’re golden!
Try your luck with any of our weekly offers all tailored-made to accept Bitcoin, Litecoin and Bitcoin Cash
Get inspired by these classic witches!(As featured on slotomagazine.com)
Impress this Halloween by dressing up as a classic Witch drawn from literature or pop culture! Here’s a review of some of the most prominent witches in history:
The three sisters
Shakespeare’s immortal play, Macbeth, features three witches that predict Macbeth’s rise to the throne. They are remembered for reciting these words during a spell:
Double, double toil and trouble,
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.
Recommended to do it with two other friends so you all go around casting spells together and quoting the genius bard!
Wicked Witch of the West
Everybody will immediately recognize this green-faced witch, the villain of Wizard of Oz. She carries all the iconic features of the modern witch: greenish skin, pointed nose, black hat and the shaggy broom.
You can go around repeating her famous line: I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog too!
The White Witch
She is Jadis, one of the main characters in C.S. Lewis’ classic book The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. She is famous for turning the entire world into perpetual winter. One of her memorable quotes you can go around saying is: Who has awaked me? Who has broken the spell?
And then cast white powdery material (bio-degradable best) around you as you walk along.
The Grand High Witch
The incredibly evil witch from Roald Dahl’s novel, The Witches. Also see in a film adaptation, where the witch is played by Anjelica Houston. She starts like a classy and elegant middle-aged woman only later to turn into a grim nightmarish beast!
If you meet other witches along your way you can quote: A foolish witch without a brain, must sizzle into fire and flame! I witch who dares to say I'm wrong, will not be with us... VERY LONG!
The Grand High Witch uses the prototypical lure to turn children into mice: giving them poisoned candy!
Sloto’Cash Witches
Hey, why not dress up as one of our most famous slot characters? We have three perfect witches for you this Halloween!
Witch’s Brew
This 25-line video slot has a young and passionate witch that makes magical brews with big fat toads, eyeballs, and Goblin’s blood!
Bubble Bubble
Our 50-line Halloween classic slot features Winni the Witch, a sensual witch with flair for mischief.
Bubble Bubble 2
The sequel to our Halloween classic has double the fun with one more witch appearing: Wanda Witch
Play these three top quality games to get inspired for your Halloween party this year!
