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When Caesar crossed the Rubicon, he uttered one of his famous phrases, which sounded like 'Alea iacta est.' It can be interpreted as the beginning of a game of chance, except that the stake in this game was the whole state. The word Alea translates as 'dice,' later, it became the name for all gambling in principle. Yet, the primary type of gambling leisure for the ancient Romans was a game of dice. Gambling in the Romans was popular mainly due to emotional factors. People were simultaneously afraid of losing their bet and excited in anticipation of winning. This made everyday life much more interesting, and because of this, gambling was addictive.

Dice were played not only by commoners but also by patricians, but there was a gender division— only men could play. Women were allowed to gamble only during the feast of Bona Dea.

Finds in the form of game boards confirm that the Romans played both indoors and outdoors. Significantly often played soldiers in barracks and taverns can be safely considered the prototype of modern casinos. Then, gambling gradually moved to private homes. Usually, such games were played at various receptions, and the observance of the rules was monitored by a special person—arbitrator Bibendi.

Games that used animal bones were four-sided, with numbers 1, 3, 4, and 6. They also made bones of bronze, marble, gold, or amber. The same materials continue to be used to this day for the manufacturing of dice, but plastic still prevails.

Interestingly, hexagonal dice made of different materials continue to be used in modern games, such as Craps. They are presented both in land-based casinos and online, and everyone can play dice. The game is given, for example, in mobile applications of such casinos as 1win, Mostbet, and Megapari. And in the 1win app, there is also an online version of Craps, which allows you to play with a real croupier.

In Ancient Rome, in addition to dice, quite a wide range of gambling games were known during which bets were made. However, the rules and descriptions of most games have not survived. It is known, for example, that the Roman legionaries enjoyed a tremendously popular game called the game of robbery. However, its essence is not known. It is believed to be similar to modern chess or checkers, but no exact data exists. A popular game was also 'heads and tails,' but dice were still the most widespread.

It should be said that gambling in ancient Rome was condemned, but their charm succumbed to all. Suetonius tells us that Octavian Augustus was a fan of games to such an extent that he invited his friends and family to each of them with a sum of 250 deniers and thus encouraged the game. Emperor Claudius was a gambler - this is confirmed by Seneca's parody, which depicts him playing dice using a bottomless bowl in hell. The mad emperor Caligula confiscated the property of his subjects to pay off gambling debts.

Eventually, Ancient Rome began to restrict gambling by law. For example, Lex Titia and Lex Publicia allowed gambling only during sporting events where players demonstrated strength, such as boxing, wrestling, and running. It was legally possible to bet during gladiatorial fights and chariot races. Gambling was forbidden on all other occasions and seasons.

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