The exact origin of roulette is not certain, but accounts indicate that
variations of the game have been played for centuries. Its name is derived
from the French word roué, which means wheel. Some attribute the invention
of the roulette wheel to a Benedictine monk, who committed suicide after
years of trying to devise a system for winning the game. Others credit
its origin to the Chinese, while still others believe it was the brainchild
of Italian mathematician, Don Pasquale. The strongest evidence, however,
indicates that the original game, similar to the present day roulette
layout, appeared in French casino's in about 1765 through the efforts
of French police official Gabriel de Sartine. Supposedly, Sartine devised
this game to thwart the cheats who were then plaguing the city.
The single-0 wheel, which is found in most European casinos and gives
the house 2.7 percent advantage, is beginning to make its appearance in
American casino's today. It was devised in 1842 in Hamburg, Bavaria, in
a casino operated by brothers Francois and Louis Blanc, who left France
when gambling became illegal. Francois left a fortune to his son Camille,
who operated the Monte Carlo Casino for nearly sixty-five years and has
been credited with the development and success of this world renowned
resort.
Roulette was introduced in the United States in the 1800s in New Orleans,
Louisiana. The first roulette wheel sin American casinos had the French
style layout of twenty eight numbers and three symbols, for a total of
thirty one compartments. Subsequent changes resulted in a wheel with numbers
1 though 36, the 0 and the 00, and a third symbol, the American eagle.
This tripled the house edge over the single 0 game found in Europe, so
many began avoiding the game. Eventually, in an attempt to attract more
players, casino operators eliminated the eagle, and the wheel has remained
unchanged ever since.
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