A Relatively Brief History of Roulette

Roulette is one of the most popular wagering games, and is prominently featured in absolutely every casino. Apparently, it is here to stay, because the interest in the game doesn’t appear to decline – actually, it’s the exact opposite. To understand how roulette came to be this cherished by gamblers worldwide, we need to explore its origins. Prepare for a good old-fashioned history lesson!

Classic 19th-Century Roulette Wheel

The Luxurious Monte Carlo Casino Resort

Modern Online Roulette Game

The Origins of Roulette

Fun Fact #1 Roulette is a French word that means ‘little wheel’

The origins of the game known as ‘roulette’ are shrouded in mystery. The most widely accepted version is that the first incarnation of the game was created by French math wizard and accomplished nerd Blaise Pascal somewhere in the 17th century, while he was hard at work trying to create a perpetual motion machine.

However, evidence shows that many ancient civilizations played games quite similar to roulette. Let’s take a look at a few curious cases from the rich history of the world.

The Chinese Conspiracy

Many people believe that roulette is based on an ancient Chinese board game that involved arranging 37 animal figurines into a magic square with numbers that total 666. The game was discovered by Dominican monks who were deeply involved with all aspects of Chinese life and was later brought to Europe by them, with slight modifications.

Unfortunately, no one can find specific information on how the original Chinese game was actually played. The monks allegedly changed the layout, making the square a circle and adding a special slot for the number zero. The problem with this story is that even the earliest French roulette had both a zero and a double zero slot – so the whole ‘ancient Chinese game’ theory is probably not true. Still, it’s true that the numbers on the modern roulette wheel add up to 666 – which is pretty cryptic.

Killing Time in Ancient Rome

Being a soldier in ancient Rome was not a particularly fun and perspective occupation. Aside from the short life expectancy, they also had to deal with witnessing their friends and comrades being constantly wounded and murdered in battle. This was more than enough to bring the soldiers’ morale down, thus reducing their effectiveness on the battlefield.

To combat this, Roman commanders would let their soldiers have as much fun as possible – including participation in gambling games. Many of those games involved spinning a shield or a chariot wheel, which is close to how roulette is played.

Ancient Greeks Were Spinning Too

Greek soldiers also had their fair share of gambling games to enjoy while not dodging arrows and spears. One particular game is pretty similar to modern-day roulette. Soldiers would draw symbols on the inside of a shield, then put it face-down on the ground and place an arrow next to it. Then they would spin the shield and bet on which symbol will stop in front of the arrow.

Both those soldier games can be related to roulette, but there simply isn’t enough evidence to support the claim that roulette is a Greek or Roman game.

France Takes All the Credit

Roulette is undoubtedly of French origin, hence the name. However, the design and gameplay are clearly influenced by two quite similar games, popular in 17th century Europe. They were called ‘Roly Poly’ and ‘Even-Odd’, and both involved spinning a wheel and betting on the outcome of the spin. Blaise Pascal was a famous gambler, so he undoubtedly knew about them while creating his version of the wheel.

Gambling was not very popular at the time, mostly due to the fact that it was illegal in many countries in Europe. The late 18th century, however, saw the introduction of strict gambling laws, thus reviving wagering games in France and the rest of Europe. Meanwhile, Prince Charles of Monaco was facing some money issues and had the brilliant idea to use the rising popularity of gambling to solve some of them. He opened several gambling houses in Monaco, where roulette was prominently featured. Consequently, the game became really popular among aristocrats and royalty.

The roulette that was played in those gambling houses was almost identical to the one we are playing today – even the betting options were almost the same. The numbers went from 1-36, there were one zero and one double zero pockets, and the colours were red and black.

How Roulette Took Europe by Storm

Fun Fact #2 Legend says that Francois Blanc struck a deal with the devil in order to obtain the secrets of roulette.

It is safe to say that casino games, in general, would not be so popular today if it wasn’t for two smart Frenchmen by the name of Francois and Louis Blanc. They are the ones responsible for removing the double zero pocket and essentially inventing what we know today as European Roulette.

Francois and Louis did their great deed in 1842. At the time, however, gambling was again illegal in France, so the two had to find another place where they can promote their game. They moved to Hamburg, Germany, and introduced their new roulette game to the gambling community there. As you might expect, the feedback was more than positive – the popularity of the game spread like wildfire.

Having only one zero slot in a roulette game causes the house edge to drop to 2.70%. In comparison, roulette with two zero slots has an average casino advantage of 5.26%. The lower odds and the higher return-to-player percentages caused the single zero roulette to become increasingly popular, and eventually replace the double zero variation.

Several years later, Francois and Louis brought the game of roulette back to France, upon the request of Prince Charles of Monaco III. They established what would be known as the world’s first modern casino – and the centrepiece was the famous single zero roulette game. Soon after, they set out to create the luxurious Monte Carlo Casino Resort.

History of Roulette Game in Europe 1796 Roulette starts appearing at gambling houses in France 1842 Francois & Louis Blanc introduce the first single zero roulette in Germany 1863 Louis Blanc establishes the Monte Carlo Casino Resort 1873 Petty crook Charles Wells manages to break the bank at Monte Carlo, walking away with nearly $500 000. He did not cheat at the game. 1994 Microgaming creates the first online casino

The resort attracted the richest and most esteemed Europeans and reintroduced them to the game of roulette. After that, gambling games and especially roulette became really popular throughout the entire Europe.

Roulette Sails Over to America

Fun Fact #3 In 1873, Joseph Jaggers made the first famous wheel exploit, after finding a biased roulette wheel. He managed to win over $300 000

Roulette was introduced to the US by European settlers who landed in Louisiana in the early 19th century. However, things did not go as smoothly as they did in Europe. Casino proprietors were not happy with the 5.26% house edge and decided that they want to increase it. Consequently, players got annoyed at the low earnings and quickly lost interest in the game.

Surprisingly, the gambling community in America rejected the single zero roulette almost unanimously. The double zero version eventually became the accepted form of play – and today it is known as American Roulette.

Despite the higher house edge that they had to deal with, Americans enjoyed roulette quite a lot. However, they eventually lost interest in it and started playing games that you can actually beat – like blackjack, for example.

Roulette on the Internet

The rise of online casinos in recent years made it possible for anyone to enjoy their favourite games in the comfort of their own homes. New casino platforms are coming out every month, and roulette fans are spoilt for choice. Now you can play European, American, and all other types of roulette despite your geographical location. Also, there are considerable advantages to playing the game online, rather at a brick-and-mortar casino.

First of all, you can actually concentrate and follow your betting strategy without being distracted by all the noises present at a real casino. Also, online games are fully automated – so you don’t need to constantly pay attention to the dealer and the sweeping of the chips. That is, of course, unless you are playing live dealer online roulette.

As far as odds and general fairness of the game go, there are special institutions that make sure the games you play are not rigged in any way. All casinos that have licensure and certification are safe to play at. Plus, you get handy information concerning odds, payouts, and other important stuff.

Roulette Today

After several years of not being very popular when compared to other casino games, roulette is making a slow but sure comeback to the gambling scene. The convenience of online casinos makes it possible for players to choose exactly what type of game they want to play, and they don’t need to go out of their homes in order to bet on a few spins.

Even though roulette is strictly a game of chance and there are no proven strategies to beat it, watching the wheel spin holds a charm that not many other casino games can emulate. The ancient Romans and Greeks knew the excitement of holding and waiting to see if you will get lucky. And you always do, eventually.

Roulette is still one of the greatest casino games, and today it’s more accessible than ever. Take advantage of that and enjoy!

Roulette History and What Frequently Comes to Mind

We have always been big fans of the “FAQ” sections. They are short, concise, and contain most of what is considered important as a takeaway from any read or information-based website. Here, we thought added the most commonly asked questions about the history of roulette and the evolution it went through to become what it is today. Give it a go and, hopefully, by the end of it, you will have the complete picture painted for you.