There’s no denying the booming popularity of Roulette amongst keen gamblers, most of whom adore the thrill of the spinning Roulette wheel and eagerly observing the position in which the ball lands. However, the game of Roulette hasn’t always been the one we are familiar with today, and in fact has evolved through several adaptations throughout the years. Interestingly, it started out as a three game (at least) combination before transitioning into today’s Roulette that we know and love.
Stick with us as we delve into the origins of this highly popular casino table game.
HOCA
Back in 17th century Europe, the very first games rooms were born in order to keep the bourgeoisie entertained with enjoyable pastimes, including gambling (before laws were enforced to ban such activities). In France, a game called HOCA began to increase in popularity; this game featured a circular table upon which a ball was rolled. The table had wedged divisions on its surface and spun around, with the ball landing in one of the sections. Players had to predict which section the ball would come to a halt on, and would be rewarded for correct predictions.
It’s evident how this basic game was a predecessor to today’s Roulette; however, there were further European games that contributed to and heavily influenced the modern version of the one of our favourite table games.
Even-Odd
In the 1770s, in Italy, another gambling game was proving to be ultra-popular. This was called Even and Odd; and was another game featuring a ball and a spinning wheel, but rather than numbers, the wheel had a series of the letters ‘E’ and ‘O’ etched over it in sections. Players had to guess which letter the ball would land on; the dealer spun the wheel and players who had guessed the correct letter were paid a reward. Due to its clear similarities in gameplay features, It is highly likely that the traditional game of E-O was also an ancestor of Roulette.
Biribissi
Moving forward to the early 1800s, and European gamblers had begun to enjoy a game of Biribissi (although illegally at this point). Similar in style to Bingo or lottery games, the game of Biribissi consisted of 36 slots, each filled with a number drawn onto cloth. 36 numbered balls were collected randomly from a bowl, and players who matched numbers would win 36x the total stake; a rule which was later used in modern Roulette.
Roulette Casino Game
The three games detailed above are highly likely to have been significant ancestors of the popular table game of today. Thanks to the keen players of the 17th and 18th century, Roulette has continued to develop and remains a prominent feature of most casinos and online casinos today. If we wish to play, we don’t even need to step out of the door and head to a brick and mortar casino; instead we have the option of playing online Roulette, such as 20p Roulette at popular online casinos.
