Roulette is one of the most popular casino games. It has a lower following in America than slots, video poker and blackjack but still draws crowds.

The game consists of a wheel with divisions numbered from 1 to 36, alternately red and black and has a green division marked 0. Players place chips on the table map according to their preferred bets.

Origins

The exact origin of roulette is somewhat unclear, but the game most widely recognised today has emerged from French culture. Many believe that it was invented by 17th century French math wizard Blaise Pascal as part of his quest to produce a perpetual motion machine. Other theories suggest that it was derived from a combination of earlier games including Roly Poly and Even Odd, with elements of Biribi, an Italian game that involved betting on the number that would be pulled out of a bag. However, the first recorded reference to the game as we know it today was in a document on gambling regulations published in New France in 1758.