Roulette is a casino game in which players place bets on the outcome of a spin of a small ball on a revolving wheel. The ball will come to rest in one of the compartments on the wheel – either red or black and also a green division numbered zero.
Origin
There are a lot of different theories about the origins of roulette. Some people believe that it began in China and was brought to France by Dominican monks who were traveling there. Others believe that it was invented by the French mathematician Blaise Pascal in the late 17th century. The modern roulette wheel was first introduced in the 1700s and it became very popular in gambling houses.
There is no evidence that the game originated in either of these places, however. It is more likely that the game was developed by combining a gaming wheel and an Italian game called Biribi. Pascal was a scientist, philosopher and inventor who was searching for a perpetual motion machine. He is also credited with creating the rotatable shield that the modern roulette ball rests in.
Variations
Roulette games vary in how they are played, and this is a factor that should be taken into account by players. The best options for beginners are those that follow the European format with a friendly house edge. These include games like Lightning Roulette from Evolution Gaming, which relies on multipliers to offer huge payouts, and Triple Bonus Spin from IGT, which offers a 1:12,000 payout for a straight bonus win. Other variations may feature different types of bets and special betting rules.