The Rise of Roulette
Whether you’re familiar with casino games or not, you’ve probably heard of Roulette. The game itself is said to have originated across both ancient Greek and Roman times, as soldiers would spin the likes of swords, shields and chariot wheels and place bets on the outcome. However, the Roulette wheel we know and love today was actually invented in 1655, by French mathematician and physicist Blaise Pascal, accidentally.
Now, Roulette is more accessible and popular than ever, after having risen to fame and eventually evolving to utilise modern technology, becoming one of the first games to be hosted by online casino sites when they opened in the late-1990’s; with live Roulette online later becoming available to provide you with high-tech, live dealer gameplay, for an authentic experience streamed straight to your device.
With this in mind, join us as we take a look at how Roulette rose to fame…
Francois and Louis Blanc
Although Blaise Pascal’s somewhat primitive version of the Roulette wheel did begin to gain traction, it wasn’t until 1842 that French brothers Francois and Louis Blanc truly revolutionised the game as we know it.
After having travelled around France with a circus and planting roots in the casino world, new laws were created that prohibited gambling games in France, forcing the Blancs to move to Hamburg, Germany, where they worked to help boost the city’s economy. To do this, they removed the double zero pocket from the Roulette wheel, lowering the house edge from 5.25% to just 2.70%. This version of the Roulette wheel saw people travel far and wide to enjoy the newest variation of the game.
However, in the early 1860s Frankfurt outlawed gambling, which affected Hamburg and some of the other surrounding cities. The brothers were forced to move yet again, but luckily managed to strike a deal with Monaco’s Monarchy.
Monaco’s Monarchy
At this time, Prince Charles III of Monaco was struggling financially and sought out a solution. He had heard of Francois and Louis’ Roulette reinvention and persuaded them to move to Monaco, where they would be promised gaming freedom and security.
The brothers accepted the offer and built The Monte Carlo Casino in the prince’s honour. On top of this, they built a railway and roads so that the remote location would be easier to get to, and luckily, their hard work paid off.
The single zero version of the Roulette wheel sat right at the heart of The Monte Carlo Casino, bringing visitors from far and wide to take a chance at the first modern casino of its time.
The modern-day
After rising in popularity in Monaco, this new variation of Roulette began to be adopted by casinos all throughout Europe. Although, when taken over to American shores, it was more-or-less rejected by both casinos and players alike, who preferred games like Blackjack, or the double-zero Roulette wheel, as they felt that the higher house edge provided a little more excitement. Due to this, the double zero variation became known as American Roulette, and Francois and Louis’ single zero creation – European Roulette.
