Interesting Casino Facts

Interesting casino facts

We’re all in agreement that playing casino games is fun, but there are loads of interesting facts that you probably don’t know! 

Since the formation of the first ever casino in Venice back in 1638, all kinds of amazing things have happened in the gambling world that we know and love. We’ve compiled a list of some of the best casino facts and trivia out there so that you don’t have to!

Blackjack casino facts

Some of the most exciting facts about casino games come from one of the most well-known games going: blackjack. With one of the richest histories of any casino game, it makes sense that blackjack has some great facts behind it. Let’s take a look at a few:

• Blackjack as we know it originated in French casinos towards the end of the 17th century. This means that the game is nearly as old as casinos themselves.
• There’s a theory that the Romans invented a game similar to blackjack, which would make it roughly 2,000 years old!
• Up until the 20th century, blackjack was referred to as 21. During the rise of Las Vegas casinos, promoters changed the name of the game in an effort to attract greater interest, and so the term ‘blackjack’ was coined.

Facts about casino slot machines

At one point, blackjack may have been the most popular casino game in the world, but slot machines have quickly gained universal acclaim as a casino staple. Alongside their rise in popularity comes a number of interesting casino history facts about them. Here are some of the best slot machine facts:

• The first ever slot machine, the Liberty Bell, was invented by Charles Fey in 1895. Fey was a car mechanic living in San Francisco at the time. The device had three reels with symbols, including diamonds, spades, hearts, and the Liberty Bell. Those same symbols are still used to this day!
• As slot machines grew in popularity, winning money from gambling was illegal. Instead, players used to win drinks at the bar or fruity candies. This is why we see fruit symbols on modern slot machines and why Brits and Aussies call them ‘fruit machines’.
• The first electric slot machine was invented in 1974 by Fortune Coin Company. You can play modern takes on this slot at online casino sites today.
• In most countries around the world, slot machines are the most popular online casino games – they make up over 60% of the entire casino game industry in the UK!

Online casino fun facts

Blackjack and slot machines aside, here are some additional facts about online casinos:

• The first ever online casino was invented by Microgaming back in 1994. Microgaming is still around today and is credited with some of the best slot games in history.
• The biggest online casino game win in history came in 2018 for one lucky player of Microgaming’s Mega Moolah slot. The value of the win was a huge $21.7m, and it came from a stake of just 75 cents!
• Of all the gambling that takes place currently, as much as 90% takes place online. Land-based casinos are nowhere near as popular as they used to be.

The best of the rest

Even outside the online casino world, there are some really fascinating casino gambling facts out there: 

• If you add up all the numbers on the roulette table, you’ll end up with 666. This is why it’s sometimes referred to as the ‘Devil’s Wheel’.
• Casinos in Las Vegas have no clocks in the hope that players will lose track of time.
• The largest ever recorded payout from a slot machine was $39.7m!
• The longest poker game of all time took eight years, five months and three days – a far cry from the one to eight hours it should usually take. The game took place at the Birdcage Theatre from 1881 to 1889.

It’s impossible to list every interesting fact about casinos, but hopefully this is enough to get started. To play blackjack, slots and hundreds of other games, visit Mohegan Sun Casino. Happy playing!