The invention of European and American Roulette

Whether you play online casino Roulette, or spin the wheel at a land-based establishment, there's no doubt you've seen the different versions – American and European Roulette.

That's right, the wheel varies depending on where you're from, and whilst they have many similarities, the main difference between the two is that the European Roulette wheel only has one green zeropocket, whilst the American has a single zeroand double zeropocket.

With this in mind, join us as we take a brief trip back in time to discover exactly how both European and American Roulette came about, as well as which is best for you to play…

Picture 1 of The invention of European and American Roulette

The first Roulette wheel

Did you know that the Roulette wheel was actually created by accident? That's right – it was in 1655, thanks to French mathematician, physicist and inventor Blaise Pascal, in his attempt to create a perpetual motion machine, that the primitive version of Roulette was born.

Thankfully, Pascal was also an avid gambler, so his failed invention didn't go to waste.

For many years, this primitive version of the game remained popular, until around two centuries later.

Francois and Louis Blanc

Enter Francois and Louis Blanc – French brothers who had grown up around the circus, but found their passion in casino gaming. In the 17th century, the brothers moved to Hamburg, Germany, where they decided to use their talents to help boost the city's economy.

In 1843 the brothers revolutionised Roulette

They did this by removing the green double zero pocket, lowering the house edge from 5.26% to 2.70% - leaving just the single zero pocket and inventing what is now known as European Roulette.

Unfortunately, Louis passed away a few years after, so Francois is more commonly accredited as the creator of European Roulette. This is because it was Francois who went on to work with the struggling monarchy in Monaco at the time, building and opening the first modern casino – the Monte Carlo Casino.

American Roulette

As the popularity of the single-zero wheel grew, word travelled throughout Europe and eventually made it to American shores.

Here, the game wasn't welcomed as much as it had been in Europe, as players and casinos alike decided that they preferred the version with the higher house edge. This later became known as American Roulette, and the single zero variation – European Roulette.

The modern-day

Despite their differences, both variations of the Roulette wheel became a casino staple, featuring in many Hollywood films and television programmes as the game continued to rise in popularity.

Now, you can play Roulette, with even more variations and themed games at online casino sites, making it easier than ever to try your chances.

But which variation is best?

Well, you'll find that most players gravitate towards the European wheel because the lower house edge offers slightly higher winning chances. The European wheel sometimes also plays host to French bets like La Partage and Voisins du Zero, which can lower the house edge even further.

That's why, particularly for beginners, the European wheel remains a firm favourite, both online and at land-based venues.

Samuel Daniel

Update 17 January 2023