Loaded dice: the history of an ancient trick

A loaded die has been tampered with, usually by adding weight to one side, so that some faces come up more often than others. The trick goes back a long way: loaded dice have been found at Roman sites, and medieval laws already punished those who used them.

How to load a die

The classic method is to insert a little lead or mercury near one face: that face tends to land facing down, leaving the opposite face on top. Other tricks included filing the edges slightly or making dice with repeated faces, which could go unnoticed in a quick roll.

Cheating through history

Some surviving Roman dice have irregular shapes or uneven weight distributions that suggest tampering. In the Middle Ages, regulations governing gaming houses penalised the use of false dice. We explore this in games of medieval Spain.

How people spotted loaded dice

• Dropping the die into water or a glass of salt water several times.
• Checking whether opposite faces added up to seven, as they do on a normal die.
• Playing with the venue’s dice rather than an opponent’s.

From cheating tool to curiosity

Today, loaded dice are sold as novelty items or magic props. But their history is a reminder of why so many games rely on trust. To find out how an honest die behaves, read are all dice fair?