Roulette is a game of chance. Players place bets by laying down chips on a betting mat. When the betting is done, the dealer clears the table and pays winners. Losing bets go into the casino’s income.

Players can bet on single numbers, various groupings of numbers, odd or even numbers, and high (19-36) or low (1-18). There are also a number of special bets that can be placed.

Origin

There are many theories surrounding the origin of roulette. Some believe that the game was invented by 17th-century French physicist Blaise Pascal as part of his efforts to create a machine that could demonstrate perpetual motion. Others claim that the game was derived from English games such as Roly Poly and Even-Odd or Italian games such as Hoca and Biribi. The modern roulette wheel was first used in the late 18th century and it has numbered pockets from 1 to 36 with red and black backgrounds.

Some anecdotal evidence also suggests that the game originated in China and was brought to France by Dominican monks. However, these claims are not backed up by any reliable historical records. Despite these fanciful stories, there is no doubt that roulette is a popular game at casinos and gambling houses worldwide.