Roulette is arguably one of the most recognisable casino games of all time, but did you know it has a long history which spans over 400 years?

Whilst there is no clear answer of when, where or how the game was invented. We do however know that there were several popular games in the 17^th Century that were similar to the Roulette we know today. These included the English games E.O. and Roly-Poly, and the Italian board games Biribi and Hoca. Many people believe that these games inspired the invention of Roulette.

Many others believe that the origins of Roulette came accidentally by a French mathematician and physicist, Blaise Pascal. Whilst attempting to create a perpetual motion machine, it is believed that Pascal created the roulette wheel as a bi-product.

The 18^th and 19^th Century saw Roulette become hugely popular throughout casinos, particularly in Paris. The game was well-loved and played by aristocrats and royalty at the Palais Royal. It was around this time that the Roulette wheel featured a zero and a double-zero, which gave the house an advantage. French brothers Francois and Louis Blanc challenged this, opting to remove the double zero from the Roulette wheel in 1843 and increasing the return to player percentage.

However, by this time gambling had been made illegal in France, and so the Blanc brothers took their new Roulette wheel to German casinos, where it again became hugely popular. A gambling ban in Germany was then introduced, forcing the brothers to move their focus to Monte Carlo, where they opened the first modern casino. Roulette was the main attraction, and soon after the game quickly spread throughout Europe.

Europeans introduced the double-zero Roulette wheel to America in the early 19^th Century. Unlike the high-class atmosphere in the European casinos, Americans played Roulette in makeshift dens with simplified betting options for fast-paced gaming. Despite the rise in popularity of single zero Roulette throughout Europe, the double-zero game remained popular in America. In fact, double zero Roulette remains popular in the US even today.

With Roulette available in-house, online and in-apps, you are unlikely to visit a casino without a Roulette table present. At Rainbow Casino, we have Roulette tables available for you to try your hand at.

If you would like to refresh your memory on how to play Roulette, you can do so here. For more information, get in touch with your nearest Rainbow Casino today.

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