Crown & Spike is a chance-based betting game that emerged among early hyperspace freighter crews and independent starship captains during the expansion of the Outer Rim Trade Routes.

Its roots can be traced back to long hyperspace hauls, where crews needed simple entertainment to break the monotony of drift time. Much like the ancient maritime sailors of the Core Worlds’ oceans once played dice games to pass long voyages, spacers in deep space adapted the concept, using etched dice and improvised betting boards.

Over time, the game spread from cargo holds and galley tables to the bustling streets and docking bays of major ports — from Nar Shaddaa’s Shadowport alleys to the industrial freight yards of Corellia and the outer concourses of Coruscant. Wherever freighters refueled or waited for clearance, Crown & Spike boards would appear on crates or hover pallets, drawing in bored deckhands and opportunistic gamblers alike. 

In many ports, Crown & Spike has grown beyond a simple pastime to a fixture in street level gambling operations and even in more upscale casinos.  Some sectors host semi-legal tournaments, while others see quick, high-stakes games settled in minutes beside shipping containers or in cantina back booths. A popular component of the game is the pursuit of progressive betting streaks called a "Smuggler’s Run" where players press their luck across multiple rolls for potentially enormous payouts.