There’s plenty going on in the background of the Star Wars Expanded Universe, and gambling is no exception. Often seen going on in the backdrops of the cantinas, or on the extravagant planets of the super-wealthy, it adds detail and colour to the richly-drawn culture of the galaxy. There are numerous instances of gambling across the galaxy, and some scenes, characters, and outcomes have become iconic — or even legendary — as we’re about to find out.
Han Solo Wins the Millennium Falcon (The Empire Strikes Back, Solo: A Star Wars Story)
Although only getting a brief mention in The Empire Strikes Back when Han is greeted by Lando Calrissian in the Cloud City of Bespin, the Millennium Falcon was the subject of a high-stakes wager in the almost-fictional game of Sabacc many years before. The spacecraft itself has taken its place among the icons of the entire Star Wars franchise, with its own replica at Disneyland, and is immediately recognisable by fans of the franchise and casual observers alike.
The games (there were actually two) in question are fleshed out in Solo: A Star Wars Story, among the best of the recent spinoffs. In the first scene, Lando cheats Han out of victory with a hidden card, though decides to join with the film’s mission anyway. Challenged to a rematch at the end of the movie, Han repeats the trick on Lando, flying the Falcon away into the beginning of its epic journey. Incidentally, Sabacc is now a real game, available for fanatics to enjoy together, although presumably for smaller wagers.
Canto Bight Casino (The Last Jedi)
In an exciting scene in the second of the sequel trilogy, we’re introduced to Canto Bight Casino — based on Las Vegas or perhaps Macau, where the regular games of casino fans seem to be being played alongside more exotic Galactic fare. Finn, Rose Tico, and faithful (and quite cute) droid BB-8 are directed to the planet of Cantonica in order to secretly disable the sinister First Order’s tracking device.
They must find the hacker, DJ, in order to do so. They then escape using the help of the stablehand children and animals used for racing on the planet. The casino provides a rich backdrop to the exciting scene.
The Pod Race (The Phantom Menace)
Berate the prequel trilogy if you must, but one shining light in the whole affair was the pod racing scene in the first episode, The Phantom Menace. Set on the iconic (that word again) desert planet of Tatooine, gambling is controlled by the menacing Jabba the Hutt, and bettors can win big or lose everything on the high-octane, no-holds-barred racing. Anakin Skywalker, still a child, enters his pod into the race and manages to emerge victorious, despite the nefarious antics of his rivals, demonstrating his power with the Force and his skill as a pilot. Despite the mostly negative reception the film received upon release, the pod racing has spawned a whole host of fan fiction, video games, and more.
Star Wars has lots of activities going on in the background, and some high-stakes moments that are crucial to the development of the plot(s) of the movies, TV shows, and books. These are just three of the gambling scenes fans enjoy across the enormous Star Wars Extended Universe.