Which came first: the slot machine or slot machine dice? Though games of chance using dice have been around since approximately 3000 B.C., its thought that when soldiers went off to war in the first half of the 20th century - when the slot machine was at peak popularity - they took along a "portable slot machine" - sets of dice (usually 3) printed with slot machine symbols. The  anticipated outcome of a roll could be bet upon, then the dice would be rolled, just like the wheels of a slot machine. This is one die from a set and it's imprinted with typical slot machine symbols: Lemon, Plum, Bar, Bell, Orange, Cherries. 

This die was among my dad's treasures when he passed away - a US army veteran of two wars, including the WWII Pacific theater. Likely, he'd held onto it as a momento of some of the brighter moments of war.