The exiting game of roulette! Most people are familiar with the red and black framed number and the little white ball that spins around the roulette wheel and decides people fate. If you have ever visited a casino and worked your way past all the one armed bandits you have most likely seen how people are attracted to this fun game of chance. You may have even experienced the excitement of a roulette wheel landing on your choice. Where did this game come from? What is it's history?



While there is no conclusive evidence to back up just where the roulette wheel came from, some theorize that the French mathematician Blaise Pascal invented it. This is only one theory, though its origins are most likely in France, considering the name roulette is French for "little" wheel. The first modern roulette wheel used in gambling was presented in 1796 in a casino in Paris.

In the 1800's the popular roulette wheel was adapted by American Casinos, after adding 31 to the normally 30 numbered slot European roulette wheel. Thus two types of roulette wheels were created, the "American", and the "European". Due to the European wheel having one less number, your chances of winning on it are better.

Since its inception, live roulette has become one of the most popular casino games for years. In Europe, it is much more popular than other games, due to the fact that the odds of winning are much better than with other games. In America, a general love of poker, which has been on the rise, recently, beats out the popularity of roulette. Its popularity has made it a staple in casinos, and it's unlikely that the roulette wheel will go anywhere anytime soon.

If you have never played roulette before, then you should be aware that there are two main types of bets. The inside bet deals with the numbers on the roulette wheel, on the inside section and is called an inside bet.

The second broad type of bet is known as an outside bet, which also brings into play the possibility of betting on whether the ball will land in red or black, for example.

Within these two types of bet, there are plenty of alternatives that a player can bid on; you can take a bet on the likelihood of the ball landing on an individual number, or on a group of numbers, or even on whether the ball will land on an odd or even number.

You may be a little confused at first, however, after watching for a short time you will see how all the variations of roulette betting are played, and paid. Soon you will be placing bets with confidence.