How the Roulette wheel has spun through history

23

The wheel plays a big part in the history of mankind, helping to take us from place to place. This is no different when it comes to another type of wheel – the Roulette wheel.

The Roulette wheel has helped generations of players throughout its history to transport them from place to place along the Roulette tables and at times, into history books. But how has a wheel, most commonly known to be located within brick-and-mortar establishments, been able to spin through history and travel into the 21st century, onto screens of all kinds of devices, and land in the pockets of players looking to spin the iconic wheel?

Follow us as we take a trip from the origins to the modern-day of this casino classic, or simply click to play here.

Read on to find out more.

Where it all began

Believe it or not, the blueprints behind the famous wheel were actually created by mistake, after French physicist, inventor and mathematician Blaise Pascal tried his hand at building a perpetual motion machine. His quest to invent such a machine didn’t go to plan and led him to create the blueprints for one of the most popular casino games of all time.

The single zero 

Up until the mid-19th century, the Roulette wheel didn’t contain a zero, and had remained the same since its invention by Pascal. However, that all changed in 1842 when French brothers Francois and Louis Blanc redesigned the wheel, by removing the double zero pocket and leaving only the green single zero amongst the numbers already within the wheel.

The newfound single-zero wheel was a big hit with players, as it reduced the house edge and opened up the opportunity to potentially win more for less. This version of the wheel is now known as the European version.

Going international

When Roulette sailed across the seas and introduced itself to new players around the globe, some players weren’t too happy with the odds. It was in America that players preferred the idea of a higher house edge and proceeded to keep the double zero pocket on the wheel. This is why this version is now known as American Roulette.

Roulette variations

  • European – Contains one single zero alongside numbers 1 – 36.
  • American – Contains a single zero and a double zero pocket alongside numbers 1 – 36.

Modern-day Roulette

As the years went by, technology advanced, and we soon saw the birth of the internet, which led to the first virtual online casino doors opening to players around the world.

With this advancement, Roulette was introduced to new players from all over, offering them a chance to spin the wheel from wherever, without having to travel to visit their local brick-and-mortar casino. As technology advanced further, we soon saw the rise of smartphones and the ability to transport an online casino within your pocket. Now with a tap of an app, players can access their favourite casino games, including Roulette, straight from their smartphone or tablet.


Gambling can be addictive, please play responsibly.
Click HERE for more info.

Comments

comments