Roulette is a casino classic, a staple in gambling venues which has been around for centuries.
In fact, the primitive forms of Roulette-like games were actually around before the first casino opened in 1638 – a far cry from the digital online Roulette games that are so popular in the modern-day!
We’re talking way back to when the ancient Greeks and Roman soldiers would spin swords, shields and other weapons in between battles, placing bets on the outcome as a way to have fun and unwind.
So, in a way, that’s where Roulette began, but the journey of the wheel we know and love today didn’t begin until 1655…
Blaise Pascal
Accredited for inventing the Roulette wheel, among many other things (like his research towards the calculator), Pascal was a French mathematician and physicist.
In 1655, Pascal attempted to defy physics and create a perpetual motion machine. This failed, but Pascal was also an avid gambler at the time, so his invention didn’t go to waste. Instead, this birthed the primitive version of today’s Roulette wheel.
Francois and Louis Blanc
The next significant milestone for Roulette was when French brothers Francois and Louis Blanc moved to Hamburg, Germany. With a background in casino gaming, the duo sought out ways to help boost the struggling city’s economy.
They did this by ingeniously removing the double zero pocket from the standard Roulette wheel, leaving only the single zero pocket and significantly lowering the house edge.
This variation of the game became increasingly popular, and as word spread, it became known as European Roulette.
The Monte Carlo Casino
It was Francois Blanc, also known as the “Magician of Hamburg” by this time, who was responsible for the building and opening of the famous Monte Carlo Casino in 1865.
After striking a deal with Monaco’s Royal family at the time, Francois played the ultimate game of chance and invested all his money into the casino.
The Casino De Monte Carlo rose in popularity, later becoming known as the first modern casino of its time – featuring the European Roulette wheel at its centre.
Online Roulette
In 1996, the first online casino to allow automated payouts opened. At this time, not many people had access to computers, but those who did, could play a few of the classic games which had only previously been available at land-based casinos.
Roulette was one of the first games available.
Over the next few years, technology developed quicker than ever before, with the invention of mobile phones – upping the demand for greater bandwidth and faster internet speeds.
More people gained access to the internet, and online casinos continued to grow alongside this demand.
The modern day
In the modern-day, playing Roulette online offers an authentic experience, just like you would get if you were playing at a brick-and-mortar establishment.
Not only can you play digital, Random Number Generator (RNG)-run games, but you can play themed variations of Roulette with special features like multipliers.
There’s even the live casino, where a real-life dealer spins the wheel, directly from a specialist studio, in real-time!
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Roulette has come a long way since the game of chance first made some sort of an appearance in ancient Greek and Roman times. So, do you think you’ll be giving the wheel a spin anytime soon?
