Being an ancient game, it’s not a surprise to see a long history of Backgammon. Besides having an ancient origin, there are so many great facts associated with the origin of Backgammon, a wonderful game.
The most ancient ancestor of Backgammon is a game called "Senet" which developed in ancient Egypt. Although not much is known about the rules of the game, it is believed to be a gambling game of movement and displacement of opposing pieces moving in opposite directions, played with a dice.
Another game in Rome, The Roman's "Ludus Duodecim Scriptorum," is believed to be derived from Senet, played with three six-sided dice. It was a very popular game, even with the Emperor. The game was further modified and called "tabula”.
Throughout the Backgammon history it is seen to be associated with the leaders and emperors of the ancient civilizations. There is much evidence found in the excavated relics and literary references from Persia, Greece, Rome, and the Far East.
The history of Backgammon became more global as the game was spread to Europe by the Roman Empire and its legions. As a result of invasion during the 1st century AD, Backgammon arrived in England. The game was now called "Tables" with the rules becoming more recognizable in our modern variety.
The Middle Ages saw the survival of the game as a gambling game of the upper classes. It was also banned for some time in England due to its gambling nature.It was only in 1645 that the game was first referred to as "Backgammon" and it probably meant, "the game where you can go back”. Edmund Hoyle came out with the first official rules of backgammon in 1743. The doubling cube was introduced in New York in 1920, which accelerated the stakes of the gambling game much more quickly, favoring skilled players.
Backgammon history shows that it was sanctioned and prohibited on a regular basis from the 13th and up to the 16th century. Backgammon has not changed much since then.
Arriving in the new world with the very first European settlers, it was quite popular in early America. The history of backgammon shows that it did lose its popularity to some degree due to unknown reasons in the 19th century. However, the following years in Backgammon history experienced a rapid rush and the game became very popular across the US and Europe due to its simple nature.
Computers and internet have changed the face of backgammon forever. Online gambling environment has seen the backgammon transformed to the digital format quite fast and long before many other gambling games. Today, Backgammon is enjoyed by millions of players across the world.