The History of Roulette

The roulette wheel has thirty-six red and black compartments numbered nonconsecutively from 1 to 36 (American wheels also have a 00). Players place chips on the betting table until the croupier says “No more bets.”

Bets fall into two categories: inside bets and outside bets. Inside bets offer higher payout odds but lower chances of winning.

Origin

There’s not much known about the origin of roulette. The best-known story is that the game was invented in 1655 by a French mathematician and physicist named Blaise Pascal. However, he wasn’t looking to create a gambling device when he conceived the idea. Rather, he was trying to create a perpetual motion machine.

It’s possible that he did invent the game, but it’s equally likely that it was derived from older games such as portique, hoca, and bassette. In any event, the game quickly became a popular feature of casinos and gambling houses in Europe. As European immigrants migrated to America, they brought the game with them and it eventually found itself there too. It is now one of the most popular casino games in the world.