Although there are a few strategies to help you win roulette, it’s mostly a game of chance. Start by choosing a table within your budget and setting a maximum betting amount.
Place chips or cash on the numbered areas of the table until the dealer (or croupier) announces ‘no more bets’. Then, the wheel spins and a ball bounces around until it lands in a slot.
Origins
There is no consensus on the exact origins of roulette. The name itself is thought to come from the French word roelete, which means “little wheel.” It is widely believed that the game was invented in 1655 by French mathematician Blaise Pascal as part of his efforts to create a perpetual motion machine. Others point to other games that have similar mechanics as ancestors of roulette, including portique, hoca, and bassette.
As European immigrants made their way to America, they brought with them some of these games. As gambling became legal in the early 1860s, the Blanc brothers came up with a version of the game that eliminated the double zero, creating what we now know as the single-zero roulette wheel. This is now the dominant form of the game.
Variations
Depending on your skill level and experience, you can choose from various roulette game variants. For beginners, we recommend choosing the classic European version that includes only one zero and a friendly house edge. Other variants that include extra betting options and special rules can be fun for experienced players, but they often have higher house edges. If you choose to play these games, make sure to read the payouts and house edge information carefully.