Roulette is one of the most popular online games you can play, and its origins are said to date back thousands of years. It is a thrilling game where money can be won and lost in the blink of an eye and it has always been popular, although it’s not a game for the faint hearted. Here is everything you need to know about the history of roulette and its evolution.
The Origins of Roulette
It is not exactly clear how the game started. Some people think that it was modelled on an ancient Chinese board game. Others think that it was invented by the Romans to stop their soldiers getting bored between battles. The ancient Greek soldiers were also thought to have played a game between battles that was similar to roulette. However, there is not enough evidence to prove or disprove these ancient theories.
The French Connection
The word roulette is most definitely French, and it is the French who claim credit for the game as we know it today. In the 17th century, there were a couple of games in which spinning a wheel and betting on the outcome of that spin were the main aims. They were called ‘Roly Poly’ and ‘Even-Odd.’ However, gambling was not that popular at this time because it was illegal in many European countries.
The 18th Century
In the 18th century, gambling laws were relaxed and this revived many of the games that had previously been used for gambling. It is here, in 18th Century France, that the game we know today as roulette rose to popularity.
It is believed that Prince Charles of Monaco saw the newly popular game as a way of solving the principality’s money issues and opened several gambling houses in the area. These became popular among the royalty and aristocracy of France and Monaco is still renowned as a gambling paradise for the rich and famous today.
European Roulette
In the 19th century, gambling became illegal in France once more and many people who wanted to gamble had to travel across Europe to do so. Some of them, such as Francois and Louis Blanc took their own games with them and it is these Frenchmen who are accredited with moving the game of roulette across Europe and inventing the game of European Roulette that is still being played today. Play roulette online here and you will be playing exactly the same game as they did in the 1800s.
The Blanc’s moved their game to Hamburg in Germany first, but it soon spread across the continent. Eventually, Francois and Louis were invited to take the game back to France with them as gambling laws were again relaxed. They went on to create the famous Monte Carlo Casino Resort.
Coming to America
After the American Revolution, there were many immigrants coming into the country. They brought their old ways such as cooking, religion, lifestyle and, of course, roulette with them. It is believed that it was the settlers in Louisiana in the early 19th Century who first made roulette famous across the pond. However, America wanted to create its own identity as a fledgling nation and many of the old ways were changed and Americanised. One of these things was the fine game of roulette and they changed some of the rules to create American Roulette.
Internet Sensation
The rise of the internet in the late 1990s and early 2000s meant that everything was possible. You no longer had to travel to Monte Carlo or Louisiana if you wanted to play roulette. Instead, you could play from the comfort of your own living room and you could play either European or American roulette depending on your personal preference rather than geographical location.
Roulette is still a popular game today and many people prefer to play it from their own home rather than going out to play because they can concentrate on the game better without any background distractions. It is a game of chance, meaning there is no definite way to beat the system, but for many this adds to the thrill of the game. It is safe to bet that roulette will be around for many centuries to come, and that it will continue to be popular.