Roulette is a gambling game in which a small ball is spun around the edge of a revolving wheel until it comes to rest in one of the red or black numbered compartments. Bets are made by placing chips on a special betting mat until the croupier indicates that no more bets can be placed.
Origins
Roulette is one of the most popular casino games in the world, and it all started with a simple spinning wheel. It is widely believed that the game was invented by 17th-century French mathematician Blaise Pascal. He was actually trying to create a perpetual motion machine when he invented the game, which used a wheel and an old Italian board game called Biribi.
The modern-day roulette wheel is based on a traditional European style and has 38 (or 37 in American casinos) numbered pockets around the edge. The game’s history dates back to the time of Roman and Greek soldiers, who enjoyed gambling games. One of these games resembled the modern roulette game, as it involved shields with symbols on them and an arrow.