Baccarat is thought to have originated in Italy around five hundred years ago (Baccarat comes from the Italian word for zero). When introduced to France it became a game played by aristocrats. In the middle ages Baccarat was played using a Tarot card deck and was a game played by the rich. The game evolved into European Baccarat and the French game Chemin De Fer (which means "railroad" in French).

Even if we do not care whether it was invented in Italy or France, the game of Baccarat is a very old game. Traveling through countries and continents for centuries it was acquiring different rules variations.

Today we can find the game in every part of the globe, but in the beginning, the French variation of baccarat "Chemin de fer" becomes popular in England, where they changed the rules and name of the game for "European baccarat". Then, it spread to South America.

Finally, Tommy Renzoni brought this fancy game to the United States in the late 1950s as a combination of European baccarat and "Chemin de fer". It was introduced into Las Vegas as the infamous Dunes casino in the late 1950s after the Cuban government closed the Havana casinos.

Although a few rules have been changed in every country, the style has remained the same. It has kept its elegance and is still one of the most appealing games to the high rollers and individuals with high social standings in every society.

Baccarat has a history overseas also, which is evidenced by its popularity among the Asian population who visit Las Vegas each year. The highest of the high rollers often come from overseas to try their hand under the chandeliers of the stylish Vegas baccarat rooms. 

In casinos based in the Portuguese territory of Macao, near Hong Kong, the popularity of baccarat is unrivaled. Unlike the heavily ordered and systematic American casinos, these Portuguese tables often allow multiple players to bet on a single spot at the same time, while the expert dealers mentally keep track of each players commission on winning bank bets.