The Star Wars universe is full of a lot of history. Aspects of this relate to its casino culture, with whole sections dedicated to gambling and the card games that are woven into its storylines. In the following article, you can learn about the legacy of casino culture in Star Wars.
Han Solo won the Millennium Falcon from Lando Calrissian in a card game. Gambling and the culture of the casino has been thread into the fabric of Star Wars ever since, often being an integral part of its narrative. But just how deep does the connection go? Read on as we give the must-know information on casino culture in Star Wars.
The Long Lost Star Wars Slot Machines
To date, there have been two slot machines that have used a licence from Star Wars. Both were named “Star Wars” and used imagery and likenesses from the original movies. These licences are quite common. They are great for both movie companies and those developing slot games. You can find games online containing many well-known sci-fi franchises. These include Transformers and Knightrider. For the producers, it is one more revenue stream to help make a profit and recoup operating costs. For fans like you, it gives a level of familiarity when choosing a slot game. This allows you to combine two of your existing interests.
While these slots previously existed in lobbies of physical casinos, many can now be found in online casinos. They offer convenience letting you play from the comfort of your home or when commuting to and from work. Combined with a range of bonuses, they are attracting customers from new markets as far afield as South America to South Africa. They offer you slot titles, a range of table games and live casinos.
One particular genre that may interest Star Wars fans is the crash gaming phenomenon with its titles like Aviator. This is where you have to guess the trajectory of an aircraft. If you stay in the game, you get multipliers as you progress. If you don’t cash out in time and the plane crashes, you lose the bet. You can imagine it like a flailing Millennium Falcon with its thrusters out. You have to bet on when it will start to descend.
Unfortunately, there are no longer any Star Wars slots available. When Disney acquired Lucasfilm it began to remove its slot licences. It also did this when it acquired Marvel. You won’t find any Spiderman or Avengers ones either. Other companies are much more lenient, so there are plenty of sci-fi franchises still available for you to play in slot formats.
Gambling and Casino Games in Star Wars Lore
There are a host of gambling games ingrained in the Star Wars universe. Below are two of the most well-known.
Sabacc
Sabacc is a well known card game in Star Wars. It was the game Han Solo beat Lando Calrissian at. Its rules have changed over time. It is closest to a hybrid of poker and blackjack.
The goal is to end the game with a hand of two cards. One must be sand-colored and the other blood-colored. The deck has cards that are numbered from one to six. At the end of each round, you subtract the values from each and compare them to the hands of the other players to see who has the lowest score. However, two cards of the same value are known as Sabacc and you will beat any other hand with this.
Playing the Pazaak Card Game
Star Wars characters also play Pazaak. It was created for the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic game. This is very similar to blackjack found at online casinos. You must get as close to 20 instead of the 21 from blackjack. The only other major difference is that you must play against another player and not a dealer.
The Casino Planet of Canto Bight
Canto Bight is a city located on the desert planet of Cantonica. It is a casino planet where the rich go to play. This is done in card games to racetracks. It had its first appearance in The Last Jedi movie.
Kay Vess is the protagonist of the Star Wars Outlaws game. Her hometown is Canto Bight. Starting the game here had two major outcomes.
Firstly, it allowed the narrative to explore a range of different moral choices. As Canto Bight is filled with the rich of the galaxy, often selling off dangerous assets and spending their earnings on casino games and racing, it allows the player to make a choice. Will you side with these people for fame and fortune, or work to take them down to restore harmony to the galaxy? Secondly, it primes the title for casino mini-games. This included the well-known Sabacc card game, but also titles like Pazaak.
Star Wars has long held an affiliation with casino culture. Its licences are no longer used on casino games. However, the theme is still inherent in its stories. Star Wars and gambling have a connection that will remain.