Roulette is one of the most well-known classic table games, first played centuries ago. Centered around the spinning wheel divided into numbered pockets, the game’s mix of simplicity and random outcomes has made it a casino staple.
But how has Roulette evolved over time? From its roots in 18th-century France to its adaptation for the digital age, the game has seen a transformation. Today, we’re exploring the game’s journey from an accidental invention to forms like online and live Roulette.
The origins of the Roulette wheel
The creation of Roulette is commonly credited to the French mathematician Blaise Pascal, though not as a deliberate invention of a game. Pascal’s attempts to create a perpetual motion device during the 17th century laid the groundwork for what would become the iconic Roulette wheel.
This wheel would become the centrepiece of the game as it rapidly gained popularity in the following decades.
From the parlours of France, Roulette soon began to spread to other countries like Germany and Monaco. By the start of the 19th century, it had crossed the Atlantic to become a staple in American casino establishments.
The transition to digital Roulette
With the rise of the internet during the 1990s, Roulette took its first steps into the digital. Online Roulette games were largely the same as their land-based versions, just played through software from a player’s own computer.
A big part of bringing Roulette to online casino platforms was the use of random number generators (RNGs). These algorithms ensured that the results remained entirely random, mimicking the unpredictability of a physical spin.
The move to online play also allowed players to choose from a wider variety of game variations. Classic versions, such as European and American Roulette, were listed alongside newer designs like multi-wheel Roulette.
The emergence of live Roulette
Developers took things a step further in the early 2010s with the introduction of live dealer games. These blend online play with the presence of a live human dealer running the game from a studio setup, using a physical Roulette wheel and ball.
Live Roulette uses advanced streaming and real-time video to allow online players to interact with the live dealer without delays or buffering. With a variety of high-definition cameras capturing all angles of the table and gameplay, players can choose to focus on whichever view of the game they prefer.
Even though live Roulette does not use RNGs, the use of physical game components still means that the spin of the wheel and the final stopping position of the ball are still governed by random chance. This sets the format apart from other online Roulette games, broadening the range of options available to players.
While Roulette has changed a lot over the decades, its core concept has stayed largely the same. The main difference is that players can now access an even wider range of Roulette variants through online casino platforms.
Whether the wheel is spun by a live dealer or an RNG, the outcomes of the game remain entirely unpredictable and down to random chance.
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