Star Wars has some of the most in-depth and vibrant lore in science fiction. From the various films, Tv shows and games you can learn the backstory of some of the most iconic characters to ever grace our screens – Everything from Darth Vader’s rise to power to Jabba the Hutts’ childhood.
A part of the lore that not many fans are clued up on is the different forms of gambling and various casinos that feature in the Star Wars universe. You may be surprised to learn that most of the gambling and casino games are quite similar to the exciting games you’ll find at the best new casinos in Canada – in fact, most of the forms of gambling are the same as ours but slightly different.
Let’s take a closer look at this expansive fictional universe and find out how the characters in Star Wars get their gambling kicks.
The casinos
Throughout all of the media about the Star Wars franchise, we’ve actually seen or heard of quite a few different casinos. One of the most notable includes the Crimson Casino, which was featured in Star Wars: A New Hope.
This casino was based on a space station known as The Wheel and only the extremely wealthy were allowed in. During the film, only Chewie actually made it inside the premises as Luke, Leia, Hans and the droids were captured by security.
Other casinos that are mentioned in the Star Wars universe include one based at The Wheel’s rival station the Jubilee Wheel, The Balance Casino which is based on Reapers Wheel, Club Vertiga on Nar Shaddaa, the Canto Casino in the infamous Canto Bright as well as Casino Kuari. Whilst we don’t get an intricate look at the culture and aesthetics of these casinos, they help flesh out the world.
As you can see, the universe actually has quite a few different casinos. But an area of the gambling industry that features more prominently in the Star Wars universe is betting. The topic of betting is used quite frequently to tie characters together in different books, comics, films and TV shows.
Here’s a deeper look at the different betting activities that we know take place in the Star Wars universe.
Betting in the Star Wars Universe
You’ll actually find numerous forms of betting throughout Star Wars. These forms come in both legal and illegal types and were done by people on both sides – both members of the Galactic Empire and members of the Old Republics. Even Jedi bet as we’ll discover in a second.
The different sports and activities that we know punters could place bets on include Umgullian blob racing, pod racing, sun jammer racing, sling racing, Sabacc, swoop racing, Odupiendo racing and Fathier racing. Whilst all of the above are mentioned, we only learn about two main types of betting: Pod Racing and Sabacc.
Sabacc
This is a card game similar to Blackjack. Two to eight players compete, using both skill and luck to get closer to 23 than their opponents. It’s through a game of Sabacc that Han Solo famously won the Millennium Falcon from Lando Calrissian.
Pod Race Betting
The other type of betting to feature in the Star Wars films is Pod Race betting. In the film, Qui Gon Jinn manages to win Anakin’s freedom from Watto. The betting is exactly the same as you would bet on horse racing, with a lineup of different racers competing in custom pod racers.
Conclusion
Whilst gambling doesn’t feature as the main event of any piece of Star Wars media, the universe actually has an interesting and in-depth history of different forms of gambling. This includes multiple casinos both on land and in space, card games and betting.
With more and more TV shows, movies, comics and other forms of media slated for release, there’s no doubt that even more lore will come to light. Who knows, we may learn even more about this overlooked part of Star Wars lore.