Roullete, also known as roulette or the French game of chance, is a casino gambling game. A small ball is released in the opposite direction of a revolving wheel and bets are placed on which red or black numbered compartment the ball will drop into as it slows down and comes to rest. The wheel has thirty-six metal or plastic compartments numbered alternately in red and black and an additional green compartment, labelled 0 on European wheels and 00 on American ones.
The ball, traditionally made of ivory but now often of synthetic material resembling ivory (ivorine), is released on the spinning wheel. The ball’s size, weight and material have a considerable effect on the game. A light ceramic ball will make more revolutions on the wheel track and jump more unpredictably before it comes to rest than a larger, heavier ivorine ball.
A winning bet is paid out by the house according to a predetermined paytable. The player’s original bet chips, however, remain their property and may be re-staked on the next spin.
Although fanciful stories exist about the origin of roulette, it is most likely that the game emerged from other earlier gambles such as hoca and portique. In its modern form, it was developed in the 18th century and quickly became a popular game in the casinos of Europe.
Players place bets by laying down chips on a betting mat, the precise location of the chip indicating the bet being made. Bets on six or fewer numbers are called Inside bets and bets on more than 12 are Outside bets. In most casinos the bets are staked with a colour-coded chips, with those in red being higher value and those in black lower value. The table’s layout and rules are shown on the betting mat. The chips are then spun in the direction of play and, when they reach the roulette wheel, the croupier places the ball into one of the 35 numbered pockets on the wheel.