25 Roulette Facts You Should Know

As one of the world’s most iconic casino games, roulette brings together the world of chance and the possibility for various betting strategies in a truly mind-blowing format. We’re about to run down some interesting roulette facts that span the game’s history, its equipment, different variants and odds, and its culture, along with some famous stories about it.

1. The Origins of the Game: Mystery and Speculation  

The actual origins of roulette is a mystery. Sure we love to play online roulette these days, but no one knows where it actually began. Some experts believe it evolved from games played in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome.

2. How Roulette Got Its Name  

Among the most fascinating roulette facts is the origin of the game’s name. It’s derived from the French word for “little wheel”, for obvious reasons.

3. Roulette in 17th and 18th Century France 

Roulette started taking shape in France in the 17th century, with the equipment inspired by Blaise Pascal, a French mathematician, and his experiments with perpetual motion. By the 18th century, the game had evolved into what we enjoy these days.

4. The Numbers on the Wheel Add Up to 666

One of the most famous roulette facts revolves around its supposed connection to the devil. If you add up all the numbers on the wheel, you’ll get a total of 666, popularly known as the number of the beast. This weird coincidence has seen supernatural myths springing up around roulette, even though the 666 outcome is just a mathematical quirk.

5. The Most Popular Number is 17

Among the various facts about roulette, one standout is that the number 17 is the most popular one when it comes to betting. Its position in the middle of the betting table makes it visually appealing, and its prominence in pop culture adds to its allure.

6. Original Roulette Balls Were Made of Ivory

One of the lesser-known facts is that early roulette balls were crafted from ivory. This material, prized for its smoothness and durability, contributed to the elegance of the game in its early days. Modern balls are now made from synthetic materials due to ethical and environmental concerns.

7. It’s Impossible To Cheat at Roulette

Did you know that cheating at the game is virtually impossible? Modern roulette wheels are designed with precise engineering to avoid manipulation, and casinos use advanced surveillance to monitor gameplay. This guarantees fairness, whether you’re playing in person or online.

8. Roulette Uses Different Chips Than Other Games

Unlike many other casino games, roulette uses unique chips colour-coded for every player. This system avoids confusion when multiple players wager on the same numbers. These chips have no cash value outside the roulette table.

9. The Ball and Wheel Spin in Opposite Directions

A key feature of roulette is that the ball and wheel always spin in opposite directions. The dealer spins the wheel one way and launches the ball the other to create unpredictability. This movement ensures fairness and randomness in the game’s outcome. The interaction between the two creates a feeling of suspense, as the ball starts slowing down and bounces before landing on a number. This opposite spin technique is used in both land-based and online roulette to maintain consistency and excitement across every spin.

10. French Roulette Has the Lowest House Edge

One of the main reasons players love French roulette is its low house edge, which stands at just 1.35%. This is due to the rules unique to this variant, like “La Partage” and “En Prison.” These rules provide players with the chance to recover half of their even-money bet if the ball lands on 0, making it one of the most favourable versions of the game in terms of odds. Combined with its storied history and sophisticated style, French roulette remains a top choice for those looking for better value in their casino games.

11. The Myth of Impossible Runs

One common misconception in roulette is the idea of “impossible runs,” where players believe certain streaks or patterns can’t occur. Some people think that if a colour or number has been hitting frequently, it’s less likely to appear again or that the wheel is “due” for a change. However, this is a myth. Every spin in roulette is independent of the last, and the odds remain the same each time. This misconception, known as the gambler’s fallacy, often leads players to make emotional bets. Understanding that every spin is random helps avoid chasing these impossible patterns and makes the game that much more enjoyable.

12. The Nitty Gritty

The roulette wheel itself features 37 or 38 pockets, depending on whether you’re playing European or American roulette. The number of pockets, combined with the betting options and varying odds, creates a game full of possibilities. Despite the fact that roulette is largely based on chance, many players have fun with the game’s strategic element in deciding where and how to place their bets. These finer details contribute to the continuing popularity of roulette, both at land-based casinos and online.

13. Martingale is the Most Popular Roulette Strategy

Roulette players frequently adopt strategies to help them control their betting. One of the most popular is the Martingale system. When you’re using this, you’ll be multiplying your bet by two every time you lose, all in the hopes of recovering all your losses with a single win. While the Martingale is a strategy that does what it’s meant to do (control your betting), it’s vital that you bear in mind that roulette is a game of chance, and strategy won’t affect this. 

Other systems, like the Labouchère or Fibonacci, focus on different betting patterns, but each carries with it its own benefits and drawbacks. The key is to always play responsibly and have a good time playing the game for itself, not spending your time waiting for a particular outcome!

14. The Worst Bet in Roulette

While we’re talking about roulette, it’s good to know that American-style tables may offer a ‘Five’ bet, where you cover squares 1-3 and the two zero squares. This bet gives a 7.89% edge to the casino, making it the worst choice of all.

15. Even Money Bets Aren’t Truly 50/50

An important roulette fact that many people overlook is the one that tells us that even-money bets aren’t really 50/50. In both European and American roulette, these bets, like red or black or odds or evens, appear to give you a 50% chance of winning. But the green 0, or 00 in the case of American roulette, means the odds are actually in favour of the house. You have a 47.4% chance of being correct, not a 50% one.

16. There Are Several Variants

Roulette comes in a variety of exciting versions, each with its own features and odds. 

European roulette is one of the most popular, featuring 37 pockets, including a single 0, and offering the lowest house edge at 2.7%. American roulette, on the other hand, has 38 pockets, including a 00, which increases the house edge to 5.26%. French roulette is very similar to European roulette but includes extra rules like “La Partage” and “En Prison,” which help reduce the house edge even further to 1.35%. 

Mini roulette is a smaller version of the game with just 13 pockets, including a single 0, offering a faster-paced game with slightly higher odds. Multi-wheel roulette allows players to bet on multiple wheels simultaneously, ramping up the thrills and potential payouts. Finally, live dealer roulette provides an immersive experience by letting you join real dealers at physical tables via live streaming, combining the best of both online and land-based casinos. 

These different variants cater to a broad range of preferences, from the ones seeking better odds to those looking for quicker action or a more authentic casino feel.

17. Roulette is Misrepresented in Pop Culture

Roulette is often misrepresented in movies and pop culture, creating unrealistic expectations of the game. A famous example is Casablanca, where the protagonist, Rick, plays roulette in a tense casino scene. In the film, the roulette wheel spins, and Rick encourages the couple to make a risky bet that ultimately lands a big payout. This scene implies that Rick can manipulate the wheel or predict results, but in reality, roulette is entirely based on chance, with no way to guess where the ball will land.

18. Ashley Revell’s All-In Bet That Made History

In 2004, Ashley Revell made headlines with an extraordinary roulette bet that became part of the history of the game. The British gambler sold everything he owned, including his car, clothes, and even his house, and took the entire sum, around $135,000, to the Plaza Hotel in Las Vegas. There, he placed it all on a single spin of the roulette wheel, betting on red. The wheel started spinning, the suspense built, and the ball eventually landed on red 7, winning Revell a massive payout of $270,000.

19. Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Addiction

Fyodor Dostoevsky, the famous Russian writer, had a well-documented addiction to roulette, which affected much of his work. His obsession with the game led him to spend vast amounts of money on bet combinations, chasing the excitement of winning big. At the roulette tables in Europe, he would frequently make reckless bets in an attempt to recover losses, even using the money meant for his writing projects. His experiences with gambling, especially at the roulette wheel, are reflected in his novel The Gambler, where he talks about the psychological effects of addiction. Dostoevsky’s personal struggles with roulette highlight the dangerous element of the game and how it can consume even the best minds.

20. California Plays Roulette Using Cards

In California, a unique variation of roulette is played using cards instead of the traditional spinning wheel. Known as “California-style roulette,” this version uses a deck of cards with a blend of red and black suits to determine the result, rather than a wheel. It offers the same betting options as classic roulette, but with a different twist, making it sought after in some land-based casinos. The change in format doesn’t alter the odds but adds a fresh approach to the game.

21. France Loves Roulette

Thanks to La Partage, the RTP for this specific bet is a high 98.65%. RTP is the percentage of the total money wagered that you can expect to win back over time. So, if you play consistently and place bets on black/red, odd/even, or low/high, you can expect to recover about 98.65% of your wagered amount on average.

It’s important to note that this RTP applies only to these particular bets. For other types of wagers in French Roulette, the RTP is slightly lower, at 97.30%, which is the same as European Roulette. Therefore, while “La Partage” enhances the odds for certain bets, French and European Roulette offer similar wins for all other wagers.

22. Joseph Jagger Became Immortalised in Song as ‘The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo’

This song was published in 1891, but it’s based on events that unfolded in 1875. In this fact about roulette, an English engineer, Joseph Jagger, spent time just watching roulette wheels spinning in the Principality of Monaco. He noticed some minor defects in the wheels that made it possible for him to predict exactly where the ball was going to land. His observational skill netted him a total of two million francs in the eight days he spent in Monte Carlo, breaking the casino’s bank, so to speak, and providing inspiration for a music hall song.

23. In 2009, Derren Brown tried and failed to accurately predict the correct number on a roulette table

In 2009, the English mentalist and illusionist Derren Brown became the centre of the casino world’s attention when he made an official attempt to guess the correct number on a roulette table. Famous for mind-bending achievements throughout his career, Brown tried to use his considerable skills to influence the outcome of a game, claiming that he could predict where the ball would land. 

He did not manage to do it, however, and the world was once again reminded that roulette is a game based on luck, and absolutely no one knows in which pocket the little metal ball is going to end up.

24. The Ritz Gang

When we talk about the Ritz Gang, we’re speaking about a notorious swarm of gamblers who successfully managed to manipulate the game of roulette as it was played at the Ritz Casino in London, England. They used a technique called bias betting, which exploited the flaws found in some roulette wheels that allowed them to correctly predict where the ball was going to land. They eventually made off with £1.3 million, a considerable amount of money. 

25. James Bond and Roulette

James Bond, the iconic secret agent, is often associated with high-stakes roulette in popular culture, especially in films like Casino Royale and Dr. No. The facts about roulette in these films highlight Bond’s use of the “James Bond strategy,” a betting system designed to cover more than half of the roulette table in an attempt to increase his chances of winning. 

The strategy involves placing a large bet on high numbers (19-36), a smaller bet on six numbers (13-18), and a modest bet on zero. While this strategy works well for Bond in the movies, it’s worth noting that in real life, no betting system can overcome the house edge in roulette.