Roulette is one of the highest played casino games all around the world. And now, with varied digital innovations, online roulette has become more sophisticated. But this journey from the early forms to the online revolution has not been a simple one. Various countries accepted roulette in different styles, and here is the story of the evolution of roulette.
Since it’s traditional inception in the 17th century, online roulette, has become more sophisticated
One cannot tap on an exact date or year of the emergence of roulette. But, it is assumed that it originated from Rota Fortunae or the Wheel of Fortune.
The concept is derived from the ancient and medieval philosophy, where the Goddess spins a wheel and determines the future of a king. This embodies both happiness of victory and unhappiness of defeat, probably representing gambling at its best. The incorporation of a blindfold represents the unpredictability of the game.
There are red and black sections on the roulette wheel, occurring in a progressive series. This has been one of the most critical influences on the present-day roulette game. All those who adapted the game modified it as per their own rules.
The English E.O. (even/odd) games and the Italian board game, Biribi, are all inspired by this. There are other countries with their games as well, though there is no clear consensus over who started it first.
In one of the theories, it is also said that the French physicist Blaise Pascal invented roulette. He used his expertise in science and mathematics to create a huge specimen of probability, like roulette. His research paper titled, ‘L’Histoire de la Roulette’ talks of the formula to calculate cycloids included in the rolling of wheels. Maybe, the primitive form of roulette originated from his theories.
Another theory suggests that the game hails from 17th century Italy. Encyclopedias mentioned the 38 numbers roulette as the ‘Italian Roulette’ or ‘Big Roulette.’ Another version with only 18 numbers was the ‘German Roulette’ or ‘Small Roulette.’
Europe and Single Zero Roulette
It was in the 18th century that roulette became a part of the French casinos. In comparison to the modern game, its rules were slightly different. There was a zero marked in red and a double zero marked in black.
Despite the colors, those were the house pockets. Irrespective of the color you bet on, if the ball stopped at zero or double zero, you would lose. To avoid any confusion, these zeros have been colored green since the 1800s.
Just like all casino games, even the then king of France, King Louis XV tried to impose a ban on the game. In 1806, Napoleon Bonaparte allowed the game to resume in the casinos of Palais Royale. It was again outlawed in 1837 when all the casinos of France were shut down by Louis Phillipe.
From here, casinos shifted and began the Golden era of German casinos in Wiesbaden, Bad Homburg, and Baden-Baden. Later, the double zero was removed from the roulette wheel, and a single-zero variant spread all across Europe.
The American Roulette
With its growing popularity in Europe, roulette then traveled to America. Here, the game began with 28 numbers, in addition to zero, double zero, and an eagle symbol. The eagle added an extra house edge and signified the liberty of America.
If the ball landed on any of the house edges — the eagle, zero and double zero, all bets were discarded. They modified the game with a European influence, now including 1-36 numbers with only zeros as the house edge. Gradually, the game became popular in all the four corners of the country, from the west to the frontiers, from New Orleans to Mississippi.
Soon, both the player and the operators learned how to cheat in the game. That’s when roulette first came on a makeshift table. Even the rules were modified to make the game simpler and more fun for all the players.
The Revolution of the 20th Century
Casinos were not very prevalent in the early part of the 20th century. There were two major casinos – Monte Carlo with single zero roulette and Las Vegas with the American double-zero roulette.
It was post-1970s that the casinos started growing again and flourished all across the world. The introduction of the internet hammered the final nail to this progress.
Online Roulette – Present and Future
The first online casino was InterCasino, which started operating in 1996. Since then, the virtual doors of casinos have always been open.
Today, you can play both American and European variants of roulette throughout the day, from any part of the world. There are different themes and games available on the reputed casino websites.
The online roulette has become more sophisticated with time and attracts a vast number of players and equally significant victory money for the winners. Some commonly played new games are Multi-Wheel Roulette, Pinball Roulette, Mini Roulette, and Multiball Roulette.
Even the future prospects of roulette gaming seem very prosperous. 3D gaming facilities have already come to the mass. VR and AR are also going to be the mainstream ways of playing, giving the exact experience of playing live in a casino.
Immersive roulette is a growing platform where more participants are coming to experience the modern ways of playing roulette. The video quality is also set to reach 2K and 4K on all compatible devices, leaving no stone unturned for complete user satisfaction.
