Extras: A NARRATION OF ROULETTE’S HISTORY

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by Aveline MacQuoid on January 16, 2021

in Extras

A NARRATION OF ROULETTE’S HISTORY

Roulette is, when you think about it, a strange game. It’s a little ball circling around a disc and then landing in a slot that has a number and a color allocated to it. Players bet on that number and/or colour, and sometimes they win, but more often than not they lose. This, really, is all there is to it.

Yet it is an extremely popular game despite its simple nature, and it has a place in the hearts of many. Even those who never go to casinos recognize and understand roulette online. So just what is the history of this game?

Origins Of Roulette

There is a lot of debate over the origins of roulette, but the one thing that most people will agree on is that it started in the 17th century in France. In fact, to be more specific, it was first played in Paris, and it was then known as ‘little wheel’.

The idea for roulette, though, may have come from all kinds of different games that spanned Europe at that time. It might even be linked to games from ancient China. There was a Chinese game that involved creating a wheel out of 37 animal figurines. This game came to Europe, brought by monks, and it seems like that this is the beginnings of roulette. 

Then again, perhaps it came from ancient Rome. Roman soldiers loved to make bets, and one of their favourites was to bet on spinning chariot wheels. They would bet on where the markers on the wheels would land when the spinning stopped. Again, this sounds similar to roulette, although there are differences. 

For The Elite

When the game of roulette came into being in Paris, it was really only for the elite, and wasn’t something that was often played in the dingier, dirtier, illegal backstreet casinos that sprung up when gambling was restricted or banned. 

The game of roulette certainly hasn’t changed much over the years. In the 18th century the casinos in Monaco were opened, and Prince Charles of Monaco himself opened a number of them formally. Roulette wheels were present at that time – and were a favourite of the prince – and they would be instantly recognisable today. 

Popularity

Roulette is, when all is said and done, a change of change. There are no strategies that will help you, and no ways to cheat. You have to either go with your gut or close your eyes and choose at random. 

Of course, if you were to pick either odd or even, or red or black, as opposed to choosing a specific number, you have better odds of winning, although the amount you would win would be much smaller. 

So why, if there is no way to guarantee a win, is roulette such a popular game? There are many reasons. It’s fun to watch, and the excitement that builds when the ball is tumbling around the wheel is almost tangible. Plus, there is still an air of glamour around this game, and that will always pull in players.

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