Historians and scholars have found artifacts that suggest that games of chance—including some games that closely resembling the casino games we enjoy today—have been popular for thousands and thousands of years. The formats of these games has changed since they were first created, but it’s not hard to imagine that members of ancient civilizations used to play games and place wagers for many of the same reasons that we enjoy similar activities today; to relax and socialize while engaging in friendly competition. Although many of the casino games you’ll find a casino today are relatively recent inventions, roulette wheels have been around for quite some time. Roulette’s sophisticated reputation, in fact, comes from the game’s history, as playing live roulette games was once an activity reserved for royal and extremely wealthy players.

Today’s roulette games, however, are widely available in both online and offline formats, and roulette tables are standard features of most casino gambling establishments. Casino roulette games are played on a table with a roulette wheel, marked with alternating pairs of odd and even numbers (alternating in color between black and red), and three columns of twelve betting options corresponding to the thirty six numbered and colored spaces on the wheel. The croupier, who represents the house, waits for all players (up to eight may play at one table) to place their bets and then spins the wheel, sending a ball in motion. Play is complete when the ball lands in a number’s slot, and the croupier pays winning bets accordingly.