Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling

by David G. Schwartz

The first narrative history of gambling, spanning the Stone Age to the Internet era, examining how it evolved with—and influenced—human civilization

In Roll the Bones, historian David G. Schwartz tells the epic story of gambling, beginning with its early emergence from divination rituals and ending with today’s global gaming culture. In a sweeping, rollicking narrative, Schwartz looks at the betting games people have played since the dawn of history, and argues convincingly that gambling has always been a crucial part of the human experience.

The book begins with the rolling of knucklebones in prehistoric times, progresses through the casting of lots portrayed in the Bible and sacred Hindu writings, and traces gaming through the heights of the Greek and Roman civilizations. Schwartz continues through the Middle Ages, investigating the mysterious invention of playing cards in twelfth-century China, the birth of the casino and table games such as baccarat in Venice, and the British Empire’s work in spreading gambling throughout the world. Schwartz describes how lotteries financed some of the first American colonies, how gambling prospered in the Civil War and the Old West, how organized crime exploded in the twentieth century by running illegal gambling operations, and how gambling dollars transformed Las Vegas into the world’s number-one tourist destination. Packed with colorful characters from Julius Caesar to Casanova, George Washington to Steve Wynn, Roll the Bones is an all-in history of humanity’s fascination with chance. BACKCOVER: Advance Praise for Roll the Bones

“Roll the Bones is a comprehensive and compelling look at the history of risk-taking—a necessary book in our age of plutonium poker, state lotteries, and billion-dollar Internet gaming sites. David Schwartz, a serious historian writing for a general audience, illuminates an urge we feel deep in our cells.”
—From the Foreword by James McManus, author of Positively Fifth Street

“Simultaneously entertaining, informative, and provocative, Roll the Bones looks through the veils of luxury, elegance, and pleasure that surround mankind’s obsession with lady luck, to give a panoramic view of generations of gamblers, from the Caesars of Imperial Rome to Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. Behind the lively narrative is a mass of information on the origin and rules of most popular games of chance, and a thoughtful analysis of the place of gambling in the 21st century.”
—Iain Gately, author of Tobacco: A Cultural History of How an Exotic Plant Seduced Civilization

“David Schwartz has written a masterful and encyclopedic history of gambling, from hunter- gathering peoples to the tourists on the twenty-first-century Las Vegas Strip. Throughout Schwartz maintains an accessible writing style with plenty of enjoyable anecdotes. Both the professional historian and the average reader will find the work rewarding.”
—Larry Gragg, author of Englishmen Transplanted and The Salem Witch Crises

“Roll the Bones is an impressive telling of our journey with gambling, from its evolutionary beginnings to today—a great read for both the serious student of gambling history and the merely curious. This book will become the ‘gold standard’ of gambling history.”
—Crandell Addington, championship poker legend and member of the Poker Hall of Fame

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Games, Business

592 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Daniel Polansky]

I read this book.

[Noah H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the fault of the author, but I didn't find his descriptions of the development of 20th century American gambling as interesting as his descriptions of gambling in the 11th-19th centuries, so the last 200 or so pages of the book was a bit of a slog.

Seems incredibly well-researched, although it can be tough to find corroborating evidence to some of the stories online, which may have only been published in one JSTOR paper 50 years ago.

With that said, I really enjoyed the first ~300 pages, and this book is super unique!

[Jukka Särkijärvi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A straightforward history of gambling. This particular edition is apparently particularly focused on the history of the casino, which I suppose excuses a bit of how it is relentlessly Americentric once the narrative reaches the 19th century. Once it hits the 20th, it's mostly Reno and Las Vegas and Atlantic City, and Frank Sinatra popping up everywhere.

The book is a splendid, resource on the history of the casino, but I think branding it a history of gambling is inaccurate, and claiming it The History of Gambling is the kind of hubris that gets you cleaned out at Caesar's Palace. It is a frustrating gaffe, since it focuses the attention on what's not there rather than what is.

Fortunately, the book is written in a readable prose and despite being a bit of a chonk, it went by quickly.

[Julian Bu · Rating 4 out of 5]

helpful...

[Zach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very detailed history of gambling, that was not quite as exciting as I thought it'd be. But definitely a worthy book of scholarship.

[Renato Garín · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Roll the Bones", de David G. Schwartz, es una obra ambiciosa y cautivadora que ofrece una historia global del juego de azar como fenómeno cultural, económico y político. Desde el lanzamiento de huesos en tiempos prehistóricos hasta los rascacielos de Las Vegas y Macao, el autor recorre milenios con erudición y un agudo sentido narrativo.

El relato parte de una premisa simple pero poderosa: el impulso a apostar ha acompañado a la humanidad desde sus orígenes. Schwartz examina la mención del sorteo en textos bíblicos y en escrituras hindúes, y analiza con detalle su evolución en las civilizaciones clásicas. El recorrido por la historia del casino en Venecia, los juegos de cartas chinos del siglo XII y la expansión del juego durante el Imperio Británico ayuda a situar al azar como motor —y síntoma— de distintos regímenes sociales.

El libro se vuelve especialmente atractivo cuando aborda el impacto del juego en la historia de Estados Unidos: desde las loterías coloniales que financiaron asentamientos hasta la mafia del siglo XX y el surgimiento del casino como industria legítima. Schwartz combina rigor histórico con anécdotas fascinantes protagonizadas por figuras como César, Casanova, George Washington o Steve Wynn, lo que convierte a la lectura en una experiencia rica y ágil.

Aunque en algunos tramos el despliegue cronológico abruma, la amplitud del enfoque permite visualizar el juego no solo como entretenimiento, sino como institución con peso en el desarrollo moderno. Es un ensayo que permite pensar el azar como construcción social, antes que como simple superstición o debilidad humana.

Le otorgo 4/5. Una obra exhaustiva, bien escrita y con múltiples niveles de lectura, ideal para quienes buscan entender cómo la historia de los juegos de azar es también una historia de nosotros mismos.

[Rocky White · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give this book 4.5 stars on content. I was curious about the history of gambling and this book is a comprehensive account of that. I appreciate the research the author put into it and getting it published.

However, I can't give it a great rating because it's not a page turner. This isn't the author's fault. Writing a compelling story about the general subject of gambling is impossible. It's a lot to pack into a book. There's not enough time to deal with all the exciting narratives.

A more narrow focus, like just on Vegas or the early bath houses or on Wild Bill Hickok would make for a great story.

Again, as someone curious about the history of gambling I'm glad I read this book. I learned some interesting facts like why fruit is often on slot machines and that the El Rancho Vegas, built in 1941, was the first casino resort on the Vegas strip and that segregation was the norm for casino resorts all the way up until 1960.

Read this book if you're curious about the history of gambling. If you're not that curious but you think it'd be a great story, find a more narrowly focused book.

[Johan Monge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting history on the persistence of gambling, and society's typically scornful sentiment towards said gambling. The adaptation of Las Vegas's business model away from dominating a cornered resource to leveraging profligate overhead to attract volume, to finally lowering the friction of gambling through slots is also fascinating.

Key takeaways:
1. Low bet sizes increase quantity, facilitate mean reversion, and allow for smaller reserves
2. If a neighboring entity permits vice/gambling, it will begin stealing the domestic entity's GDP, and can only be counteracted through domestic adoption of vice/gambling
3. Society has typically seen gambling as an idle frivolity, a high risk path to easy riches or financial ruin, a conduit for cruel behavior (likely exacerbated by complementing liquor), and as often associated with shady characters, at least at first
4. Gamblers must truly BELIEVE they can win to drive demand. This necessitates the odd windfall
5. Gambling always has been fundamentally human

Boring at times

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holy fuck was that a slog. I like gambling and so thought I would like to read a book on the history of gambling, but does that book need to include a synopsis on every idiot in the 17th century who lost a dollar playing keno? This is a *full* history, from ancient peoples who would throw the knuckles of animals on the ground to create a random result to the rise of the megaopoly casinos on the Vegas strip. There are certainly some interesting sections of this book and it is an absolutely thorough account of all forms of gambling, but it's a bit too broad in scope for my taste. It could do to cut down on some of the anecdotes and paint with a slightly broader brush, but if you want the real deal and have a few days to go, give this a shot. I can't imagine a more comprehensive analysis of the topic exists.

[Stephen Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roll the Bones is a very thorough history of gambling. It's a dense book, and I'm glad I tackled it in 1-3 chapter increments at a time. The book gave me a greater appreciation of the evolution of the gambling industry and how it evolved to what we have today. Given that this book came out almost two decades ago, I'd be curious what update the author would add if he could.

Probably the most fascinating part of the book to me was lotteries, their use and evolution over time. The fact that lotteries essentially have been treated as a substitution for taxes for centuries was new to me. The book definitely had me thinking about the importance of regulation as well, and how the legality and rules regarding gambling has shaped the gambling hubs we have to this day.

[Trey Robbins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting contents, but extremely dense without a clear through line in the first couple of chapters. I gave up after fifty pages in favor of more engaging reading. Academic value is high, but it’s organized like a pleasure read without the same sensibility. The way it’s written, it would be more useful if it included timelines and less colorful chapter titles.

[Luiz Costa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweeping and well-researched history of gambling, from ancient knucklebones to modern casinos. The author brings the topic alive with vivid anecdotes and global scope, though at times the detail can slow the pace. Still, a rewarding read for anyone curious about why we gamble and how that shapes societies

[Jeff Russo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A minor factual flub here and there, and a seeming commitment to historical balance across the centuries leads I think to more detail than is warranted in chapters about centuries gone by, but, it's a fun read if you're into casinos.

Skim through some earlier chapters if it's wearing you down.

[Chris Stratton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting look at Casino gambling through the ages. The economics, the people, the legislation.

[Mark Slutsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detailed. Very detailed. Encyclopedic.

[Max · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obsessively curated and detailed, I cannot imagine a work on the history of gambling (and contemporary gaming) being any more thorough and yet endlessly readable and engaging.

[Harry Harman]

The first die were a six sided animal bone hence the title of the book.

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating history book on gambling.

[Nick Kovronskiy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really dives into the thrill of competition and strategy, which I find super engaging. It reminds me of the excitement I get when following live sports — that constant tension where every move counts. I’ve often felt that same adrenaline rush while watching games on platforms like https://1xbet.gm/en/line especially during close matches where things can flip in seconds. Just like a good book, those unexpected twists are what keep you hooked.

[Guera25 · Rating 4 out of 5]

In addition to the thorough history of gaming from ancient times to the present, it boasts several fascinating illustrations of gambling implements through the ages. The exploration of the ancient period is very, very brief, so if that era was your primary interest, look elsewhere. The exploration of the medieval period, however, is quite thorough, as is the subsequent look at the twentieth century.

[Tucker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm still sort of unclear as to how it was *supposed* to be arranged, which made it troubling to read and then find out that we're now in a different time and place. Overall though, I really enjoyed learning about our ubiquitous past-times.

[Jordan Bradford · Rating 5 out of 5]

The definitive history of Gambling bar-non. It's hard to write a history spanning the amount of time that David did, but it's all there, with excellent reference notes as well.

[Nolan]

I enjoyed it. I didn't realize there were more games than just craps, roulette, and blackjack. I wish some of the others were still played in casinos today.

[Jason Gillikin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent historical survey of gaming.

[John Edward Handfoth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite interesting. It's eye-opening to realize just how pervasive gambling is, and has been across all cultures and what a long, long history it has.

[Jake Losh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Frankly, I found this to be dry and boring, even for a history tome.