Anyone familiar with the online poker or online casino gaming world will know just how popular backgammon is becoming. But did you know that today’s backgammon board has links with the classical world and has even been unearthed in ancient Egypt?

Remains found at historical sites around the country indicate that an early form of the game, known as Senat, was played using a board bearing striking similarities to the one used today. The Romans also played an early version of backgammon called Ludus Duodecim Scriptorum. A backgammon board was used but the notion of moving checkers based on the roll of three die was first added in the 6thcentury.

Crusaders are credited with introducing the backgammon board to Great Britain in the Middle Ages. Soldiers and travellers returning to the country from the Middle East are thought to have brought backgammon to European taverns, where it quickly became popular with gambling fans. The game could be found throughout Europe and was played as frequently as chess into the 15th century. However, due to strict Elizabethan law which prohibited many forms of gambling, backgammon’s popularity waned into the 16th century.

In modern times, the game once again entered the public arena in force – so much so that most American households were not complete without the family backgammon board in the1970′s. Computers and the internet made the game more accessible to younger generations in the 1990′s, thereby boosting the game’s popularity once again. Based on its longevity and appeal throughout the ages, backgammon fans can rest assured that their favourite game will be around for many years to come.