The roulette wheel is about as iconic as it gets. It’s been around for hundreds of years, and though there have been some minor tweaks here and there, the concept remains the same as it was way back in the 17th century when it was first released to the public. It’s a staple of online and real-world casinos, and likely always will be. After all, despite the world moving forward in just about every aspect of life, the roulette wheel is proof that you can’t touch the classics.
While the roulette wheel may seem simple from the outside, there’s much to know about this beloved machine. Let’s take a look at the ins and outs of this all-time casino favorite.
We Have Science to Thank for the Roulette Wheel
Today, the roulette wheel is closely linked to casinos, but it wasn’t always that way. For one thing, its inventor, mathematician Blaise Pascal, wasn’t setting out to create a game at all.
One of the most famous scientists of his time, Pascal was actually trying to invent a perpetual motion machine, or a machine that functions without having an energy source. You can kind of see why Pascal thought the roulette wheel might work — it’s quite hypnotic when it spins — but ultimately, it turned out to just be a motion machine.
Hopefully, Pascal didn’t feel too bad that his experiment failed. For one thing, scientists say that, under the laws of physics, a perpetual motion machine can’t exist, so the odds were stacked against him. Second, he inadvertently invented the roulette wheel. Quite the legacy to have!
It’s First Casino Use Was in Europe
The roulette wheel didn’t immediately go from ‘failed science experiment’ to ‘mainstay casino fixture.’ It needed some time before people saw the gaming potential of the device. There are no records of when the first prototypes of the machine appeared in Europe’s casinos, but it was certainly in use in Paris by 1796.
From there, the machine began to spread outward across Europe. It was in Monaco, in the 1840s, that the roulette wheel got a significant update when King Charles III added a single zero. From there, number variations began to become more common, especially following the arrival of the roulette wheel in the United States in the mid-1800s.
Wheels Can Have Different Numbers
All roulette wheels look similar from afar, but take a closer look and you may well notice a few differences, depending on where you’re from and where you’re playing. Thus, roulette numbers vary depending on location, so much so that in the United States, there are 38 numbers on the wheel (1 – 36, 0, and 00) and in Europe, a roulette wheel has 37 numbers (1 – 36, 0).
If you manage to find an American wheel from yesteryear, you’ll find even more variations. The earliest models had numbers 1 – 28, 0, 00, and a slot with an image of an American Eagle — though, unlike the general positive connotations of the American eagle, players would hope it wouldn’t land there since it meant the house won.
How Roulette Wheels Work?
So, how do roulette wheels work, exactly? We’re not going to explain the science behind the motion – not because we don’t want to, but because we can’t. Instead, let’s focus on the nuts and bolts of the machine itself.
The wheel, which we’re sure you can picture, needs to have an even weight distribution in order to be legitimate. Each number on the wheel should be evenly spaced. Neither the wheel nor the ball should be made of magnetic materials.
Once you’ve got all those things ticked, you’ve got yourself a roulette wheel. Of course, it works differently at online casinos, where it’s an algorithm that dictates the outcome. These places tend to use RNGs (Random Number Generators) to ensure fair play.
Final Thoughts
The roulette wheel began its life as an experiment before taking on the world. Even more than 350 years after its invention, it continues to delight — and likely will for another 350 years.