THE JOY OF LUCK

BONE DICE AND THE “PAINLESS TAX”

Techniques, rules, and moral attitudes have shifted dramatically over the centuries, and yet, the electric mix of chance and hope – infused with a dash of social ritual – is as ancient as humanity itself. In antiquity, people wagered money or goods using astragali, small dice carved from animal bones. Lotto has existed since the 15th century, but by the 17th century it had become a favorite way for the Dutch to fund public projects, also nicknamed the “painless tax” because citizens willingly bet on their numbers.
At the same time in 1638, Venice opened Il Ridotto, the first true forerunner of the modern casino: highly exclusive, reserved for the nobility, and governed by a strict mask dress code. Then, in the 1930s, a desert city bathed in sand, neon, and glitter emerged as the world’s ultimate pilgrimage site for those seeking fortunes at roulette, poker, and the slot machines: Las Vegas. The thread uniting all these epochs? Disputes, debts, laws, prohibitions – and the irrepressible human appetite to bet.

REWARD AND RISK

So the question is: why does gambling entice us so much that we actually feel physically drawn to it? Well, because gambling truly does affect the body. Unexpected wins and near-wins trigger dopamine release – the brain’s reward messenger – urging us to continue playing even though we haven’t gained anything. Simultaneously, gambling floods the body with adrenaline, our internal alarm signal that quickens the heartbeat, causing hands to tingle and tensions to rise. It’s this potent cocktail that makes us feel so intensely alive when we try our luck.

RIEN NE VA PLUS BUT PLEASE, JUST ONE MORE …

Sure, we all know the internal battle between dopamine and adrenaline; the way they fuel our appetite to take risks, and yet, we’re certainly not about to let those two biological roller-coasters spoil all the fun. Here at the Burg, we prefer the joy of refined play rather than a dry, scientific lecture. On that note, we grant our guests the license to enjoy elegant games of chance in the lobby to the fullest. We wish you: “best of luck!”