Nepedia
Back to Discover
Fluent Reader
🎨

Roulette

arts Maturity 7-9 Next article →

Roulette is a famous game found in casinos around the world. The name comes from a French word meaning "little wheel."

Roulette wheel
Roulette wheel

People enjoy the game because of the many ways they can play. You can make "inside" bets on a single number or a small group of numbers. You can also make "outside" bets on larger groups. These might be based on colors like red or black. You can even bet on whether a number is odd or even.

French Layout-Single Zero Wheel
French Layout-Single Zero Wheel

Playing the game follows a specific set of steps. First, a dealer called a croupier spins a wheel in one direction. Then, they spin a small ball in the opposite direction. The ball rolls around a tilted track on the outer edge of the wheel. Eventually, the ball loses speed and hits some deflectors. It then falls into one of the numbered and colored pockets.

13-02-27-spielbank-wiesbaden-by-RalfR-085
13-02-27-spielbank-wiesbaden-by-RalfR-085

The dealer then uses a marker called a dolly to show the winning number.

The history of roulette is quite long and interesting. Some historians believe Blaise Pascal helped start a primitive version in the 17th century. The game we know today likely grew from an Italian game called Biribi. In 18th-century France, a form of the game was already being played. A book published in 1801 described a wheel in the Palais Royal in Paris. This book mentioned two special pockets for the bank: zero and double zero.

EO Wheel
EO Wheel

Different places use different types of wheels. In the 1800s, the color green was chosen for the zero pockets. This helped people avoid confusion with red and black numbers. In 1843, François and Louis Blanc introduced a single zero wheel. This was meant to compete with other casinos. In the United States, many wheels used a double zero. Some early American wheels even had a special pocket with an American Eagle.

1800 French Roulette Table 001
1800 French Roulette Table 001

Today, roulette is a global game with many styles. The single zero wheel is very popular in most parts of the world. However, the double zero wheel is still common in the United States and Canada. In the 1970s, casinos began to grow all over the earth. By 1996, the first online casino allowed people to play on computers. Now, hundreds of casinos offer roulette games to players everywhere.

Early Western Makeshift Game
Early Western Makeshift Game
374 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

🖼️ Images & Media (12)
File:13-02-27-spielbank-wiesbaden-by-RalfR-094.jpg
13-02-27-spielbank-wiesbaden-by-RalfR-094.jpg
File:Gwendolen Harleth.jpg
Gwendolen Harleth.jpg
File:EO Wheel.jpg
EO Wheel.jpg
File:Flemish characters by James Gillray (2).jpg
Flemish characters by James Gillray (2).jpg
File:1800 French Roulette Table 001.jpg
1800 French Roulette Table 001.jpg
File:Early Western Makeshift Game.jpg
Early Western Makeshift Game.jpg
File:Roulette wheel.jpg
Roulette wheel.jpg
File:13-02-27-spielbank-wiesbaden-by-RalfR-085.jpg
13-02-27-spielbank-wiesbaden-by-RalfR-085.jpg
File:French Layout-Single Zero Wheel.jpg
French Layout-Single Zero Wheel.jpg
File:European roulette wheel.svg
European roulette wheel.svg
File:Martingale System Simulation.png
Martingale System Simulation.png
File:Paroli System Simulation.png
Paroli System Simulation.png
More to explore

✨ What else?

Related topics you might enjoy

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.