Roulette: "History"

Roulette, translated as "small wheel" is the most popular game of chance in Europe. A very primitive version of roulette was introduced in the 17th century by the French scientist, Blaise Pascal.

It is said that this was a by-product of his perpetual motion devices. Frenchmen Francois and Louis Blanc invented the single "0" roulette game in 1842. Because gambling was illegal in France during this time, the game was introduced in Hamburg, Germany where it became very popular and replaced an earlier version that featured higher odds.

At a later date, Francois and his son Camille were responsible for bringing the game of roulette back to southern France for the Prince of Monaco, Charles III. As a result, the lavish, world-famous resort of Monte Carlo was developed. When roulette came to the U.S. in the early 1800s, the improvements were deleted, and a double "00" returned. The game became popular in the old west of America during the California Gold Rush.