Roulette is a casino game that has a long history. It was invented by 17th-century French mathematician Blaise Pascal. Its wheel has compartments painted alternately red and black, and a single green one numbered 0 on European wheels (on American ones there are two more green zeroes).

Players place their chips on the betting mat, indicating the bet type. These bet types sit in different areas of the table and offer different odds for winning and payouts.

Origin

There are many fanciful stories about the origin of roulette, which means “small wheel” in French. One popular theory is that it was invented in the 17th century by the French mathematician Blaise Pascal as part of his unsuccessful attempt to create a perpetual motion machine. Other theories claim that it was derived from the Chinese game of Biribi or Hoca and was brought to France by Dominican monks.

Whatever its origin, roulette has become a fixture in casinos and gambling houses across Europe. With modern technology, it has even spread to online casinos where players can play the same game from anywhere in the world, using cameras that broadcast the action live.