Roulette is a French game; hence, its European roots are deep. The name itself comes from the French word for “small wheel.”

Early Versions

It is widely believed that the origins of roulette came to Europe via China, but the story has several different versions. One theory is that the game was introduced to Europeans by traders who dealt with the Chinese. Another is that it was Dominican monks who brought the game from one continent to the other. A third theory combines the two: it was Dominican monks trading with the Chinese.

Of course, it may not have come from China at all, but instead from ancient Rome or Greece. This story stays that the ancient soldiers tipped their chariots and then spun the wheel, both as a diversion from their battles and as a way to divide the riches won in war.

The modern game is attributed to Blaise Pascal, a French scientist best known for his theory of probability. The original primitive roulette wheel was invented in the mid-1600s as a by-product of Pascal’s perpetual motion devices.

The Modern Game

In 1720, a game called “roly-poly” appeared in England. This game included a spinning ball and a rotating horizontal wheel. However, The Gaming Acts of 1739 and 1740 outlawed the game.

The game continued to evolve in France, however. By the time roulette made its appearance in the Paris casinos, the game had added the numbered pockets, 1 through 36, alternating between black and red, with green zero and green double zero.

Roulette began to gain popularity around Europe. When Germany banned gambling, Louis Blanc, who helped to revolutionize the roulette table by developing the single zero game, was invited to establish a casino in the tiny country of Monaco. Blanc set up shop in Monte Carlo, and his casino set the standards for roulette in all of Europe. In fact, until 1933, Monte Carlo was the only place in all of Europe where roulette could be played.

How to Play European Roulette

The player can bet on a certain number, a combination of numbers, or pick whether the number will be red or black, odd or even. In Europe, players can expect a casino to have the “En Prison” rule or the “La Partage” rule.

“En Prison” refers to the outside money bets of red/black, odd/even, or high/low. When the outcome is zero, the bet remains for another spin, meaning the bet “stays in prison.” Another zero spins means that the bet is lost; a hit means the money is released but nothing is won. “La Partage” is similar to “En Prison,” with the difference being the player loses half the bet and no option to spin again.

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