Have you ever wondered how the popular game of Roulette came about? If you believe legends, you may have heard the story about the inventor of the single zero version of game making a deal with the devil in exchange for secrets to winning Roulette. As a result, the numbers that appear on the roulette wheel – 1 to 36 – adds up to a devilish total of 666. While this is of course just a myth, it certainly adds another interesting element to an already exciting game.
When Was Roulette Invented?
Roulette is a game of chance, where odds, the house edge, mathematics and statistics all play a major role. It is therefore hardly surprising that the actual inventor of the game, one Blaise Pascal, was a French physicist, mathematician and inventor whose attempt to create the perpetual motion machine ended up being the casino game we know and love today. Well, not exactly the game we know today as various elements were added as the years went along. In fact, the zero in Roulette was only added in the 19th century. Pascals’s version remained the same for many centuries until Francois and Lois Blanc added a zero to the Roulette wheel by order of King Charles III of Monaco. This ‘slight’ adjustment changed the game as it gave the house an even bigger edge. King Charles, in a bid to save his kingdom from financial ruin, built a casino as a way to introduce Roulette to the public in the most spectacular way. Thanks to the ubituqious Roulette wheel, Monaco saw a steady stream of income and remains to this day, one of the most prestigious gambling destinations in the world.
Roulette In America
It wasn’t long before the Roulette trend hit American shores in the 1800s. Despite its popularity in America, it was decided that the house edge was just not high enough and another zero was included on the wheel. This means that there was now 38 numbers on the wheel, namely 1 – 36, 0, and 00.
Roulette In Australia
Eventually, the game reached Australia, where Michael Small, a statistician from the University of Western Australian began studying the wheel with Chi Kong Tse of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. The aim was to figure out how to beat the odds in Roulette based on the location and speed of the spinning ball. Unfortunately, since Roulette is essentially a game of chance, figuring out the odds proved to be an impossible endeavour especially at established casinos.
The Roulette Wheel Online
Roulette was essentially a land-based game until the early 2000s when it made its debut in the online arena. Before then, players wanting a slice of the action would have to travel to Europe, where the single zero version was most commonly used, while the double zero wheel was only found in American casinos. But everything changed once online casinos became a force to be reckoned with in the industry and people from around the world gained access to this popular game. Many of the leading online casinos now feature a variety of Roulette online UK games from some of the top software providers in the industry, introducing the world to a whole new way of playing casino games.
The future of Roulette
The popularity of Roulette is at all-time high even centuries after it was first invented. Thanks to online gaming, more and more people are becoming aware of the game, while software providers continue to improve their gaming products. The introduction of live dealer casino games adds an impressively realistic aspect to your online gaming experience, complete with live dealers, live players and real-time action, while mobile gaming is perfect for players on the move. Overall, the game continues to draw the crowds, with no signs of slowing down anytime soon.