How Roulette Developed – a Journey Through History

Who invented it? Let’s get one thing out of the way: it wasn’t us Swiss. However, geographically we are not too far away from the place of origin. Here you will learn when and where the Roulette wheel started to spin and how it conquered the world.

The origins of Roulette: it all started with a very fickle woman

Her name: Fortuna. The goddess of fortune and destiny already had a fixed place in the divine order of the ancient Greeks (they called her Tyche) and later with the Romans as well. In art she is often portrayed with the Wheel of Fortune or rolling on a ball (both elements are reminiscent of Roulette). And it’s true – although the exact origins are not entirely clear to date, historians overwhelmingly agree that Fortuna’s wheel was most likely the template for the Roulette game of today and played a significant role in the history of Roulette.

Ravioli, Riviera and Roulette

The next stop on our Roulette journey: bella Italia. No, we are not going to play hotel Roulette now (although that might be very entertaining), but we are travelling 400 years back in time. A range of encyclopedia entries mention a game of chance that was very popular in 17th century Italy. They are the first written proof in the history of Roulette and describe a bowl with 38 compartments that contained the numbers zero and double zero, which therefore resembled American Roulette.

Italian roots, French name

In the palaces and villas of Italy, people enjoyed spinning the Wheel of Fortune. However, the word “Roulette” is of French origin and means “small wheel”. At this point, the French mathematician and physicist Blaise Pascal makes an appearance. At the time, he puzzled over probability calculations and is associated with the invention of Roulette. But his book “Histoire de la roulette”, written in 1658, is not about Roulette, the game of chance, but roulette, the cycloid, which is a mathematical curve.

So, Pascal did not care two figs about the history of Roulette. Still, the pathway of the game still leads to France.

All Europe spins the reel

It’s all happening in the 18th century: the rotating wheel with the small ball takes off on its victory lap through Europe and conquers France. The French aristocracy is besotted with the game of chance; Roulette is a tremendous success at court. It is so popular that there are tendencies to ban it.

Napoleon imposes the first restrictions in 1806: from then on, you could only try your luck with the Roulette wheel at certain locations. Finally, the game is banned completely in 1837. The era of German casinos begins: it heralds the development of new Roulette variants – a crucial step in the history of Roulette.

Bad Homburg has the better Roulette

Do you remember the first Roulette variant with the zero and the double zero in the wheel? These two compartments are also called “house pockets”: if the ball lands on zero or double zero, all bets on the table go to the bank. The bank has a clear advantage even with simple bets.

“Let’s make the game more enticing to attract even more aristocratic guests,” thought the mathematician François Blanc, who operated a casino from 1841 in the German city of Bad Homburg. When the German casinos boom due to a ban in France, Blanc drops a bombshell and offers from then on a variant with just one “house pocket”. The single zero variant is born – Blanc knows his onions and spreads the news all over Europe. More casinos follow his strategy to have a competitive edge with one less zero on the wheel. It becomes prevalent and is now known as European Roulette.

And what happened to Blanc? You don’t have to worry about him. In 1863 he leases the casino in Monte Carlo and turns it into one of the most famous casinos in the world. The native of France, who is also known as the “Wizard of Homburg”, dies in 1877 here in Switzerland.

And in the US?

Gambling is burgeoning there also. Roulette crosses the pond with European immigrants around 1900 and spreads rapidly in the New World. Las Vegas, Atlantic City – today entire metropolises live from the glitzy entertainment industry. What’s more, the Americans have perfected a consumer culture in these cities. Did you know that Vegas has shopping malls that simulate the day-night rhythm with special light settings in just a few hours to increase the revenue in the gastronomy? Sounds crazy, but that’s what it is! However, on some points they bank on the tried and trusted: then as now, Roulette is played in the States with 38 pockets, zero and double zero.

Crazy Roulette stories and winnings

One million francs ...

... is the amount that the Briton Charles Wells won in 1891 in just a few hours at Roulette in Monte Carlo. The casino had to bring new chips repeatedly because Wells cleaned up everything. How and with which system Wells managed this incredible coup is unclear to this day – what is certain is that his lucky streak didn’t last long. The boisterous parties on his new yacht came to an abrupt end when the authorities arrested him because of several cases of fraud.

As a self-made man ...

... Ashley Revel emerged in 2004 because of just one round of Roulette in a Las Vegas casino. He had sold all his assets in the same year, including his wardrobe, and bet everything on the colour red – and won! This all-in bet even turned the Briton into an entrepreneur – he founded his own online Poker business with the winnings. As the saying goes: nothing ventured, nothing gained!

FAQs: Important questions about the history of Roulette

Roulette history: Who invented Roulette?

Who exactly invented Roulette and when remains unclear. It is relatively certain that the wheel of Fortuna was the blueprint for contemporary Roulette. The game with the spinning wheel is described for the first time in 17th century Italy. Similar games of chance based on the wheel of Fortuna had been played by the ancient Greeks and Romans.

Roulette history: How did it spread?

Today, it is widely recognised that Roulette most likely spread from Italy to the rest of Europe. The Italian variant mentioned for the first time in the 17th century comprises a wheel with 38 compartments, including zero and double zero, and is similar to American Roulette. The game is initially very popular in France where it is banned some time afterwards. This ban benefits the rise of German gambling houses; in Bad Homburg a single zero variant is offered for the first time. At the beginning of the 20th century, the game travels overseas where it is played with a zero and a double zero on the wheel to this day.

What are the Roulette variants?

There are basically two well-known game variants: French or European Roulette and American Roulette. The first variant is played with 37 numbers (including just one zero) on the wheel and classic betting options. In American Roulette, 38 numbers with zero and double zero are located on the wheel. Moreover, the order of the numbers is different. Neighbouring numbers are always placed opposite.

Are there variants other than European and American Roulette?

Yes! Especially online you will frequently find new variants of the popular game with the spinning wheel. One example on StarVegas: in Mystery Roulette x38 you have the chance to bag a Roulette Bonus thanks to two additional Mystery sections. Of course, StarVegas also offers other Roulette classics. Simply visit the Live Roulette lobby and try American Roulette, Live Casino French Roulette or Royal Crown Roulette European.

Are there Roulette strategies I can use?

The Martingale strategy is probably the most well-known strategy among gamblers. It is based on always betting on the same colour and doubling your bet with every losing round. In purely mathematical terms, this method increases the likelihood to clean up large wins in the long run. The snag: it requires great commitment to play like that – and a losing streak can quickly tear a big hole in your account due to the rapidly increasing bets.