Roulette in Reno, Nevada, 1910.
The first theory of how Roulette got its start was when mathematician Blaise Pascal became fascinated with perpetual motion devices way back in 17th century France. Others say that the game was invented by a French monk to help break the daily monotony of monastery life. A third theory also says that the game originated from an old Chinese past time, where players arranged 37 statuettes of animals in a "magic square.” In any event, the game was popular in Europe by the early 1800’s and soon traveled across the Atlantic Ocean to the United States.
These first casinos here added the double zero to the game, further increasing the house odds. Before long, the game gained such popularity that it was often referred to as the "King of Casino Games."
One legend regarding Roulette tells how Francois Blanc bargained with the devil to invent the game. This stems from the fact that if all the number on the roulette wheel (from 1 to 36) are added up, the total equals "666.”
Vintage photo restored by Kathy Weiser-Alexander.