Roulette is one of the oldest games of the casino. Roulette means “little wheel” in French, and the game goes back all the way to ancient Rome and China.
The Roulette that we know today was first invented in France in the 17th century by the mathematician, Blaise Pascal. He designed the first known version of the Roulette wheel while searching for a perpetual motion machine and from that, he invented a game involving betting on where things landed.
The game gained popularity and spread all around Europe becoming very popular in Germany and Monaco, where it became a hit and led to the start up of Monte Carlo, one of the biggest gambling destinations in the world.
A Deal with the Devil
In 1842, Francois and Louis Blanc made Roulette history when they built a single “0″ Roulette Wheel for King Charles III of Monaco. The wheel became a symbol for Monte Carlo’s posh casino culture and is still associated with the old guard of traditional gambling in Europe. The Blanc brothers introduced the red and black pocket design to the wheel and also added a green zero, numbering the pockets 1-36.
Some say that Pascal sold his soul to the devil for the Roulette wheel because if you add up all the numbers on the Roulette wheel, the grand total comes to a 666 – the mark of the beats. Apparently if you also add up all the numbers belonging to a dozen, you will eventually reach 6. After adding all three dozen’s on the wheel you would receive a 666. Of course this is all false but it’s funny to see that with gambling, comes great superstition.
The game first came to the United States during the gold rush. There was a lot of spare cash floating around and so people jumped at the opportunity to use it up on a fun game of chance. The Americans added a double zero to the game and Roulette systems began to develop along with different strategies.
Did you know – The most common bet is the number 17 because James Bond betted on this number in the movies.
The Here and Now
Roulette today has several different versions and is played all across the globe. It is not only available in land-based casinos but can be played over the internet for real money in the comfort of your own home. Many online casinos have popped up everywhere and offer a vast variety of Roulette versions and games for players to enjoy. With advanced software, animations and graphics, it will feel as if you are in a real life casino when you play.
With the technology age in full swing, players can also enjoy Roulette on mobile. There are some advanced html5 platforms using mobile gaming software that offer a variety of Roulette games on you mobile device or tablet. Gaming on the go has been revolutionized and looks to be a big hit.