Roulette is a game of chance in which players bet on a number. They do this by placing chips on a betting mat. The precise placement of these chips determines what bet the player is making. Each bet type offers different odds and payouts.
Players make their bets until the croupier says no more bets. Then the dealer spins the wheel and throws a ball into it.
Origin
The origins of roullete are somewhat cloudy, with different theories ranging from the game being invented by the 17th century French mathematician Blaise Pascal to it being brought over from China by Dominican monks. Regardless of the actual origins, the game is now one of the most popular casino and gambling games in Europe. It consists of a wheel with 38 (or 37 on modern European/Latin American tables) divisions around which players place bets by laying down chips on a betting mat.
While most historians point to a French origin, some theories also exist that suggest the game has Italian roots. Until around 1900, some encyclopaedias even referred to the version of roulette that had 38 numbers as ‘Italian Roulette’. Regardless, the modern game is closely related to the earlier Italian games hoca and portique.