Roulette is a fast-paced casino game that involves betting on numbered pockets on a roulette table. You can place bets on individual numbers, groups of numbers, or colors. After each round, winning bets get paid out. The rest of the chips are cleared and the next round begins.
The roulette wheel contains 36 red and black numbered compartments, with two green compartments on European wheels and one green zero on American wheels. The distribution of these numbers should be balanced as much as possible.
Origins
While the exact origin of roulette is unknown, it is believed that the game was invented in 1655 by Blaise Pascal. The 17th Century French mathematician and physicist created the game during his experiments to create a perpetual motion machine. However, some scholars have also claimed that the game could be traced back to ancient China and Greece. This is because there were games that were quite similar to the modern European roulette game, such as roly poly and even-odd.
The earliest written record of the game is found in a gambling regulation document published in New France (now Quebec, Canada) in 1758. It included roulette on a list of prohibited games. From there, the game made its way to Europe, gaining in popularity and eventually making its way to America.
Variations
There are many different roulette variants that can be played, from traditional European Roulette to multi-ball games. These variations add a new element to the game and increase its potential payouts. However, they may also affect the game’s overall house edge.
For example, multi-ball roulette injects excitement through dual or triple spheres circulating the customary singular wheel, boosting chances of hitting desired figures in one spin. While this increases winning opportunities, it can also complicate strategy as players must distribute stakes across broader numerical selections to optimize success potentials against multiplied odds.
Another variation is Lighting Roulette, a production from Evolution Gaming that relies on multipliers to deliver huge payouts. And IGT’s Triple Bonus Spin Roulette features a special bonus game that boosts payouts to 1:12,000 for straight bonus wins.