Roulette is a game of chance played with chips on a betting mat. Players make bets by putting the chips in the appropriate position. The croupier then spins the wheel and if there are winning bets, payouts will be granted automatically.

Each roulette table has a different set of minimum and maximum bets. Learn the rules of roulette before playing and choose a table within your budget.

Origin

There are a few different stories about how roulette came to be. One is that it was invented by 17th-century French mathematician Blaise Pascal as part of his search for a perpetual motion machine. Another is that it was derived from the Italian board game biribi. Yet others claim that it was first played in China and then introduced to France by Dominican monks.

Regardless of its origin, there is no doubt that roulette was popular in the 1700s. It was at this time that the modern roulette wheel with its numbered slots began to appear in gambling houses.

The word “roulette” actually comes from the Latin rotella, meaning little wheel. It is also believed that Roman soldiers played a game similar to roulette using shields that had symbols on them and an arrow attached.

Variations

The game of roulette can be played in many variations. Some of them are similar to the European version while others have additional features that boost the game’s payout potential. For example, Lighting Roulette from Evolution Gaming uses the same wheel and layout as the European variation but delivers multipliers of up to 500x. Another unique roulette variation is French Roulette, which retains the traditional European rules but uses the French names for the different types of bets on the table. Moreover, it adds two special rules called ‘En prison’ and La Partage to lower the house edge to 2.7%.

If you’re a beginner, it’s best to avoid games with special betting rules and extra bets as they come with higher house edges. However, experienced players can enjoy the fun of playing different versions of the game.