The casino. You walk in, take your seat, pick your chose casino game and place your bets. With the oldest six-sided dice dating back to 3 000BCE used in ancient Mesopotamia, it seems that our fascination with lady luck has been everlasting – and ever growing.
As with all things, there has been a great evolution of what is popular, with exceptionally popular games now not even played anymore, perhaps one of the most lasting and most popular games has been roulette. Despite most gamblers now playing online roulette rather than visiting a roulette table, very little has changed when it comes to this classic casino game.
We take a closer look at why and more importantly, how roulette has become such a fan favourite and what is it that makes it so ever popular.
The Roulette Wheel’s Origins and its Evolution
17th Century Origins in France
Rather poetically, it seems as if the invention of Roulette happened by chance. Although it is not certain, most scholars attribute the invention of the Roulette when to Blaise Pascal.
It was during the 17th century that this legendary French mathematician and physicist invented the wheel while trying to create a perpetual motion machine.
This accounts for the wheel itself. But the actual game is an amalgamation of invention and earlier games.
Influence on Earlier Games
The game itself was of course influenced by a mixture of other games that were popular at the time. These included the English games Roly-Poly, Ace of Hearts, and E.O. as well as the Italian game Biribi.
The English Influences
Roly-Poly
Invented in the 17th century, Roly-Poly was an English game involved a spinning wheel and a ball. Here, players would bet on whether the ball would land on a black or a white segment of the wheel.
Ace of Hearts
One of the most popular games of its time, Ace of Hearts or Bone Ace, was a simple card game where players would bet on the likelihood of drawing the Ace of Hearts from shuffled deck.
E.O.
E.O. was an 18th-century game often referred to as Even-Odd consisted of a wheel with 40 sections, 20 marked ‘E’ for Even and 20 marked ‘O’ for Odd on it. During the game, a ball or pointer would determine the winning section. Players would then bet on whether the outcome would be Even or Odd, resembling the red/black bets in roulette.
The Italian Influence
Biribi
Originated in Italy during the 17th century, Biribi, was a game where players would bet on one of 70 possible outcomes. A banker would then draw a numbered ticket from a bag to determine the winning number – much like with the lottery.
The Roulette Game and its meteoric rise
Despite its evolution, the first form of roulette, or rather the introduction of the roulette when, was seen in Paris in 1796.
This version of the game featured pockets for both the zero as well as for double zero.
It was only in around 1843, to compete with other casinos offering the traditional wheel with single and double zeros, the Blanc brothers introduced the single zero roulette wheel in the German spa casino town of Bad Homburg. This was met with great appreciation and the popularisation of the single Zero wheel started to become popular.
Partly due to its popularity in Europe, the game of Roulette started to make an appearance in the United States in the 19th century. Interestingly enough, Americans favoured the double Zero and this became the dominant version found and played in the States.
With its rise in popularity, especially among aristocrats, royals, and the upper echelons of society, the Roulette wheel started to become a symbol of luxurious excess and leisurely activities.
During this same period, the first casino La Condamine opened its doors in 1862, and although unsuccessful at first, this laid the foundations for Monte Carlo to become the gambling capital for Europe’s elite.
Unsurprisingly, one of the main attractions of Monte Carlo became its single zero roulette wheel, contributing significantly to the game’s popularity in Europe.
Around the turn of the century, the roulette wheel slowly started to fall out of favour with gamblers, but partly thanks to the legalization of Roulette in France in 1933, lady luck once again started to smile down on the wheel.
But it wasn’t until the 50’s and 60’s when the game would cement itself as a staple for all gambling lovers – and in both cases, we have Hollywood to thank. It would be during this era that the world-renowned actress would marry Prince Ranier of Monaco and convert the tiny gambling country of Monaco into a glittering and glamorous destination for the rich and famous.
During this same period, the “Rat Pack”, consisting of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop would make Vegas more than a gambling destination.
These two culturally significant changes would reshape how the world saw gambling – and partook. Suddenly, it not only became accessible and acceptable, but it was an aspirational and leisurely lifestyle that any could enjoy. Partially due to its simple rules and easy to understand format, roulette has cemented itself alongside evergreen games such as blackjack and slots.
