The Gods of Gambling – From History to Moder
By
Jerry Smith
Staff Writer Updated: 08/26/2022
Jerry’s greatest advantage is his extensive experience on the casino floor. His time as a casino manager taught him everything about what makes a player tick. Besides being a skilled poker player, he has deep knowledge of all live table games and gambling regulations in the US.
The Gods of Gambling
Over thousands of years, people from around the world have prayed to different deities to influence the outcomes of their gambling. In this guide to the gods of gambling, we’ve looked at some of the oldest religions and cultures in the world and explained their most fascinating beliefs around luck and fortune.
What are the Gods of Gambling 2024, December?
With so many different religions and cultures in the world, we thought it was important to begin this article by providing a bit of background into gambling and religion. To kick things off, we’ve shared a brief history of how different global cultures have embraced or turned their backs on gambling.
We’ve then broken down each religion and culture and its god and gambling beliefs. The first of these looks at the European cultures, including the Ancient Roman, Ancient Greek, and Ancient Nordic Gods. We’ve then looked at the gambling gods of Asia, including the Hindu and Chinese Gods.
To round out this guide, you’ll learn about the gambling gods of the Americas and the Egyptian gods of gambling. We hope that you’re as fascinated about this topic as we are and want to learn it all, but if you’re after a specific culture, use the links below to jump to each.
- ⏰ A Brief History: Gambling in Religion
- 🙏 The Gods of Gambling
- 🏛️ Greek Gods
- 🍷Roman Gods
- 🔱 Norse Gods
- 🕉️ Hindu Gods
- 🔴 Chinese Gods
- 🛕 Gods of the Americas
- 𓂀 Egyptian Gods
- ❓ Frequently Asked Questions
A Brief History: Gambling and the Gods
An argument could be made that gambling is as old as history itself, so it makes sense why so many ancient religions have specific gods relating to gambling. While modern gambling activities have greatly evolved since those early dates, some players may still seek blessings from these deities even when playing roulette online.
Many of the gods and goddesses featured on this page were believed to preside over the realms of fortune, wealth, and luck. Whether it was in Ancient Greek, Roman or Chinese religions, these powerful beings were believed to have the power to give blessings as much as they were able to take them away.
Each god of gambling has its own unique story and will mean something different to each religion. In most cases, these gods are no longer worshipped by modern believers. That said, it’s still common to find many games, casinos, or gambling paraphernalia named in tribute to these gods and goddesses. Meanwhile, if you want to enjoy real gambling thrills, check our Bet365 New Jersey online casino review and test the overall performance of this fantastic operator.
The Gods of Gambling
Whether you’re looking for the god of gamblers or the goddess of good fortune, there are many stories and beliefs around each of the deities you’re about to discover. We have given brief descriptions of each gambling god and the culture below, but we recommend that you delve more into the fascinating topic if any god appeals to you.
Greek Gods: Hermes and Tyche
Gambling was a major part of ancient Greek culture, and the games were closely intertwined with the belief that the gods oversaw these activities. There are several gambling activities that are recorded in Greek history, with these being guessing games based on the outcome of tossing dice or special coins.
In fact, some ancient Greek legends stated that the universe was split because of a game of dice. The main greek god of gambling was Hermes. Most ancient Greek players would pray to Hermes while gambling, as he was believed to be a supreme trickster that could outwit all other Gods.
Whether it was for the benefit of humans or for his own pleasure, Hermes’ divine powers were highly respected and feared. A gambling goddess in Greece was Tyche, whose domain was fortune, prosperity, and destiny. She would also bring positive messages to people about events out of their control.
Roman Gods: Fortuna and Mercury
Many Ancient Roman beliefs stemmed for those of Ancient Greece. Its gambling games were similar to those of the Greeks, and required players to guess the outcome of knuckle bone or dive throws. Players would also pray to Mercury, the protector of gamblers, and Fortuna, the goddess of fortune.
The gambling god Mercury was believed to be mysterious and devious, though players still believed that he was willing to act on behalf of humans for their financial gain. In addition to gambling, he is also the god of commerce and trade, luck, trickery, and thievery. He would also guide souls to the underworld.
Fortuna, as her name suggests, was occupied with matters relating to fortune and good luck. Her powers are similar to those of the Greek Tyche, and unlike Mercury, she is seen as a more gentle and honest figure. That said, with her Wheel of Fortune, she could decide the fates of many with the spin of a wheel.
Norse Gods: Gefjon
The Old Norse religions were polytheistic, meaning that they believed that the world was influenced by several gods as opposed to one. The belief centered on Yggdrasil, which was a sacred tree that the gods came to daily to deal in otherworldly and human affairs. Gambling was rife through dice and board games in ancient times.
The goddess Gefjon is considered to be the Norse god of gambling. While her primary focus is believed to revolve around agriculture, her powers extend to fertility, good fortune, and abundance. It is likely that Vikings would pray for Gefjon’s favor before throwing the dice.
Hindu Gods: Lakshmi
While ancient Hindu records acknowledge the prevalence of gambling in society, it was believed by many to be an evil activity and a vice. That said, there were many legal gambling houses across ancient India, with players indulging in dice games. The primary goddess of gambling for Hindusim was Lakshmi.
Lakshmi was the wife of Vishnu, and like Vishnu was said to take on multiple figures over history. In all cases, Lakshmi was believed to be grant believers with luck, fertility, and good fortune. As a transformer of dreams into reality, gamblers have sought Lakshmi’s blessings for centuries.
Ancient China: Nezha
There are few ancient cultures that have such a rich history with gambling as China. Gambling history in the country can be traced back over 4,000 years, with early games played by the higher classes and nobility. Games took many forms and were similar to chess and other board games.
Nezha is the primary Chinese god of gambling. Nezha’s powers are associated with fortune and luck, as well as traveling. He is seen as a god of casino gambling by modern players in Macau, and it’s common for Chinese players today to have small statues of Nezha to pay tribute to.
The Americas: Nohoilpi and Macuilxochitl
Gambling was also extremely popular in the ancient Americas, including in Aztec, Mayan, and Native American cultures. Because of the vast differences in these cultures, gambling games varied greatly. It’s believed that some cultures were playing dice games over 5,000 years ago, while others bet on horse races.
In Navajo culture, the god Nohoilpi is said to explicitly deal with gambling and gamblers. It was believed that he came to Earth to exclusively teach gambling games to tribes, but soon used his trickery to enslave people and take their riches. Eventually, a Navajo man bested Nohoilpi and sent him back to the heavens.
The Aztec God Macuilxochitl was similarly seen as a god of gambling as well as frivolity and inebriation. While his powers were believed to guide those having fun, he would also punish those who gambled or indulged in pleasures too excessively. He was therefore both a revered and highly feared god.
Ancient Egypt: Thoth
There is a wealth of information that suggests that gambling was a part of everyday life in Ancient Egypt. Many tombs and relics feature carvings of people playing dice and board games, and countless artifacts believed to have been used in the gambling game Senet have been found and recorded.
The god of gambling mythology in Egypt was Thoth. It was believed that Thoth earned extra daylight by gambling with the moon in a game of dice. He was seen as a protective god of gamblers and their destiny in Egypt, which was important considering the game of Senet was a battle of acquiring good fortune.
