Roulette is a game that has been around for centuries and has become a staple of casino gambling. It is one of the only casino games that is purely luck-based, meaning there are no skills or strategies involved. It is also known for the large payouts it offers on certain bets and its simple rules. This game is played with a small ball and a wheel, which spins after a dealer announces that it’s time to place bets. Players can choose to place their bets on a single number, group of numbers, color, or combination of these. Each bet type has its own payouts and odds of winning. There are two main types of bets: Inside Bets and Outside Bets. Inside bets pay higher amounts, but have lower odds of winning. Outside bets pay out less, but have higher chances of winning.
The modern version of the game originated in 18th century France, influenced by earlier games like Roly-Poly and Even-Odd. The earliest clear description of the essential structure comes from Jacques Lablee’s book, La Roulette, ou Histoire d’un joueur, published in 1801/02. Lablee’s description of a mechanical wheel containing thirty-six red and black compartments numbered nonconsecutively from 1 to 36, plus two green ones reserved for the house (known as the 0 and 00 on European wheels) makes perfect sense today.
Lablee’s description, moreover, clearly distinguishes the game from earlier variants. He explains how the two additional slots on the wheel are used to establish a house edge, and he describes the layout of a betting table: columns and dozens, and even-money wagers on red/black and odd/even. This basic format remains the fundamental structure of modern roulette.
It is perhaps for this synthesis of mechanics, mathematics, and social practice that roulette remains such a persistently popular game. It combines the mathematically predictable nature of its expected return with the psychological lure of risk and fate. This juxtaposition has inspired literature, art, and film, and it fuels gamblers’ addiction to this enthralling pastime.
In the 19th century, roulette spread from Monte Carlo to Paris’s Palais-Royal and other gambling salons, where it remained popular despite royal and municipal prohibitions. It then made its way up the Mississippi River on paddlewheel steamboats, reaching river towns and the wild frontier. Roulette became a fixture in saloons and mining camps, where the game was exposed to rougher conditions. Practical innovations arose to prevent cheating, such as making the wheel visible to all and simplifying the betting layout.
The game’s popularity in the United States has fueled debate about its legality and whether or not it violates state anti-gambling laws. Nonetheless, the game has survived in casinos across America because it is so exciting to play. In addition to its simple rules, American roulette has a unique feature: players can choose between reclaiming half of their lost bets (“en prison”) or leaving them on the table (“in prison”) for an all-or-nothing gamble on the next spin (La Partage). This is a crucial difference from European roulette where all even-money bets lose if the ball lands in green.