Here at NetBet casino UK, we present the latest and greatest games on our blog each week. The blog is also a place where we write guides and help you learn more about the history of the most important games. Online roulette is one of the top classics in our game lobby and is also one of the oldest and most popular casino games of all time. Learn more about the game’s history in this NetBet blog.
French Origins
According to most historians, roulette is a gambling game of French origin. It was invented by chance by French mathematician Blaise Pascal, who was researching models for a perpetual motion machine. It was the earliest possible model of the roulette wheel, which will further evolve quickly after its invention.
Roulette’s wheel mechanism was most likely based on the older Italian game of Biribi. In the early XVIII century, a primitive form of roulette known as EO (short for Even/Odd) was played in England. It used a wheel that was pretty similar to the roulette wheel we know of today.
The earliest records of roulette in its present form date back to 1796 in Paris. It was a gambling game played among aristocrats at the Palais Royal. The earliest roulette wheels in Paris had two zeros – red for one and black for the other. Starting from the 1800s, a green zero was introduced to avoid confusion.
Spreading Around the World
The single-zero variant we know of today was introduced in 1843 in the spa and casino town of Bad Homburg in Germany. It was invented by Louis and Francois Blanc as a way to compete against casinos that offer a traditional wheel with single and double zero house pockets.
Early in the XIX century, roulette’s popularity soared across Europe. It was also one of the most popular games of chance in the United States. After Germany banned gambling in 1860, the Blanc brothers brought their wheel to Monte Carlo, establishing a high-class casino for the elite.
In the US, the double-zero wheel made its way to gambling joints in New Orleans. The betting wheel was simplified and moved up the table, to prevent devices from being hidden under the table.
The Las Vegas Boom
The most popular version of roulette in the early XX century was the single-zero Monte Carlo wheel and the double-zero wheel in Las Vegas. As the influence of Vegas grew, so did the popularity of roulette. Until the blackjack boom in the 1970s and 1980s, roulette was a real hit among high rollers. Although its popularity dwindled later, online casinos came to its rescue.
A Bold New Era
Roulette’s revival started in the early 2000s and even before that when the first online casinos appeared on the market. Players could now easily choose between single- and double-zero wheels at the click of a button. Roulette moved into a bold new era with the introduction of mobile roulette games that allow players to enjoy their favourite game on the go.
Live roulette variants make the game all the more exciting. They do their best to replicate the atmosphere of playing roulette in a land-based casino, in that way offering an unbeatable experience that’s as close as it gets to the real deal.
When you choose NetBet Casino, you can enjoy a whole range of top quality games. Whatever you choose, always remember to bet responsibly. Here at NetBet, player wellbeing is our number one priority – check out our Responsible Gambling tips and tools page for more information.