Roulette is a casino game that involves a spinning wheel and bets on individual numbers or groups of numbers. It has a low house edge but can be a dangerous gamble without proper preparation.

Know the game rules and strategy to increase your chances of winning. Learn how to place inside and outside bets.

Origins

The origins of roullete are somewhat mysterious. Most historians believe that it was invented by a French mathematician named Blaise Pascal in the 17th century while trying to create a perpetual motion machine. Regardless, the roulette wheel soon became a staple of gambling parlors in Paris.

When the game made its way to America, it was adopted by French settlers. This variant of the game removed the double-zero slot from the wheel, creating what is now known as European roulette. Other games with similar rules, such as portique, hoca, bassette, and roly poly, are also thought to be precursors to roulette. All of these games used a spinning wheel, but they varied in other ways. Eventually, roulette morphed into its current form in 1796 in Paris.

Variations

Roulette is a fun game that comes in several variations. Some of these have additional bets and rules while others offer higher payouts. If you’re a beginner, it is best to choose a version that follows the European format and has a friendly house edge of 2.7%. Other options include the Double Ball Roulette from IGT and Lighting Roulette, a production from Evolution Gaming that offers a multiplier up to 500x your bet. Triple Bonus Spin Roulette also delivers high payouts of 1:12,000 for a straight bonus win.

Bets

To the casual observer, the numbers on a roulette wheel appear to be distributed randomly. However, this is not the case. Each section of the wheel has a pair of odd or even numbers that alternate and that add up to 37 or 39. This distribution was carefully arranged by Frenchman Blaise Pascal, who invented the game in the 17th century. The simplest and least risky bet is the outside bet, which pays 1-1. Other bets pay more generous odds, including the Dozens and Columns bets.