Roulette is a gambling game that relies on chance and probability. It has a long history that spans several centuries and many incarnations, from the first rotary-wheel game of Roullete to modern double-zero American roulette. Its story reveals how the game has adapted to changing economics, politics, and culture. It also highlights the enduring allure of a wheel that spins with mathematical precision and existential randomness.
The game’s origins lie in a hybrid of wheel games like Roly-Poly and number lotteries such as Biribi, but the modern form crystallized in late 18th-century Paris. Structurally, the numbered wheel turns mechanical spectacle into a matrix of granular odds; the red-and-black betting cloth codifies the wagering system; and the 0 and 00 pockets explicitly reserve outcomes for the house.
In the early 19th century, Paris nurtured a teeming gambling economy, despite royal prohibitions. Municipal complaints and ordonnances mention roulette among disruptive games, and early descriptions cite it alongside games such as Roly-Poly, E.O., and other jeux de hasard. Nevertheless, the game’s popularity could not be contained: Roulette tables popped up in public places across the city.
Until the mid-19th century, the majority of roulette players were amateurs. Professional gamblers remained few and far between, but they were active, and they developed strategies to maximize their profits. In particular, they sought out rigged wheels and placed bets opposite the largest wagers. This asymmetry gave them an advantage, and the game’s popularity grew even faster.
At the same time, mathematics and rigorous analysis of random events were making their way into popular culture. Blaise Pascal and Pierre de Fermat teamed up in 1654 to develop the foundation of modern probability theory, and their work established the link between chance and rigor. By the late 18th century, these intellectual advances paved the way for the roulette of today.
The game reached the United States on paddlewheel steamboats, which carried it up the Mississippi River and into mining camps and frontier towns. In contrast to the refinement of Monte Carlo, American roulette had a more rugged allure. Its rules were simplified to prevent cheating, and the double-zero wheel shifted the house edge from 2.7% to 5.26%. Moreover, it became a staple of saloons and mine shafts, rather than refined salons.
Roulette owes its reputation to its ability to entertain and excite. Its allure has spread beyond gambling to pop culture, and its symbolism has become a metaphor for fate, wealth, and ruin. Its circular shape also recalls the medieval “Wheel of Fortune,” turned by Fortuna to decide human destinies.
In addition to the bets based on a single number, other bets in roulette can be made based on groups of numbers, colors (red or black), odd or even numbers, and high or low numbers. A straight bet on a single number costs 40 chips and pays out 392 chips if won. Other bets, such as corner or double street, cost a smaller number of chips and have a higher payout.