The game of roulette is pretty much the Marilyn Monroe of the casino world, and even if you’ve never set foot in a casino before, you already know that this game includes a red and black segmented wheel. Same way you already know that diamonds are a girl’s best friend, even if you’ve never watched the movie.

But there’s so much more than meets the eye when it comes to this iconic casino game. But before we get crackin’ on these fascinating facts, one thing we feel you should know is, you can play this exciting game online. And, if you sign up through Bonusmonitor.com, you’re in for some fantastic casino bonuses too!

1. The Odds Are Actually OK

Because the idea of betting on a particular color and losing a fortune has been so widely popularized in mainstream media, newbies might feel a little apprehensive when approaching the wheel, however the odds aren’t as bad as you might imagine.

Before we get into that, keep in mind that any gambling game puts the house at a statistical advantage  – it’s just the way casinos work. If you play for long enough you will lose all your money, (even though the average house edge on roulette is around 0.1%), so knowing when to stop is just as important as feeling lucky.

On the other hand, roulette is a relatively slow-paced game when compared to other popular casino options such as slots. In this case, if you’re concerned about your potential hourly loss, roulette might be an interesting option to consider.

2. There Are Several Variants

The two most common variations of the roulette wheel include American Roulette and European Roulette. The main difference here is the number of segments on the wheel, with the European wheel including 37 pockets and the American 38. This is due to an extra double-zero (oo) pocket on the latter. Because of this, the European wheel comes with slightly better odds at winning when compared to the American one. More recently, we’ve also seen the addition of French Roulette, Mini Roulette, and Lightning Roulette, especially when it comes to live casinos.

3. It’s Not as 50/50 As You’d Think

Even though logic might imply that even money bets e.g. betting on odd or even, red or black, and so on, have an approx. 50% chance of winning or losing and pretty much allow you to break-even with a 1:1 payout. This isn’t completely true. Once the roulette wheel spins, there are 38 possible outcomes – two of those aren’t even featured in any even money bet. We’re talking about the green zero (and possibly double-zero) pockets here, which once again tips the odds slightly in favor of the house occasionally.

4. The Numbers Add Up to 666

Roulette has been called all sorts of names throughout history, but ‘the devil’s game’ is one that stands out the most. This pseudonym originated from the fact that if you had to add up all the numbers on a roulette wheel, you’d end up with 666. This number has often been associated with ‘the number of the beast’ however in more recent times 666 is also considered an angel number – so who knows!

5. Roulette Has Its Own Lingo

One of the major differences between roulette and most other table games is that the dealer is called a croupier. His or her job is to take bets from players and spin the wheel each time. Other roulette jargon includes ‘frets’ or ‘separators’ which refer to the little walls separating each individual pocket, or ‘canoes’ as the croupier would call them. And lastly, the little plastic marker used to indicate the winning number is called a ‘dolly’.

6. 17 Is Roulettes’ Most Played Number

Maybe due to its central location on the roulette wheel, or because it was the number James Bond chose to bet on in ‘Diamonds Are Forever’ but 17 black is the most wagered number on the wheel all over the world. For this reason, it’s almost safe to say that every roulette player will place a wager at least once on 17 – it’s just one of those things.

7. The Ball and Wheel Spin in Opposite Directions

Originally designed as a perpetual motion machine by French mathematician, physicist and inventor Blaise Pascal in the 17^th century, the roulette wheel we know today has retained much of its original design for centuries. Whenever the croupier gets the wheel spinning in a clockwise direction, the ball will always spin anti-clockwise. There are several casinos that will require the croupier to exchange these directions every couple of spins to keep things fair.  

8. Originally, Roulette Balls Were Made Out of Ivory

Originally made from elephant tusks, modern roulette balls are completely vegan. Today, these balls are made from ceramic or plastic, which could potentially manipulate the outcome of the game. Ceramic balls tend to replicate ivory best in terms of weight, however plastic balls tend to be lighter and behave more irrationally on the wheel once it gets spinning. There is also a larger margin of error whenever plastic balls are used e.g. bouncing off the wheel.

9. The Craziest Bet in Roulette History

You’ve often heard about people taking crazy risks at casinos, but nothing comes close to the story of Ashley Revell, who travelled to the Plaza Hotel and Casino in Vegas from the UK in 2004 after having sold his possessions and went ‘all in’ on red on a single spin. By some stroke of luck, the ball landed on a red seven doubling his wealth and taking him from $135,000 to over $270,000. Theoretically, had he wagered on a straight number instead, that could have translated to a win worth $4,725,000!

10. It’s Impossible to Cheat at Roulette

Because cheating at a casino has always been made to look relatively simple in movies, you might be interested in knowing that it’s basically impossible to cheat at a game of roulette. This is because this game is 100% chance based. Apart from that, licensed casinos are regularly required to inspect and audit their equipment to ensure that the entire setup is 100% legit. In a nutshell, once the ball gets spinning only Lady Luck has a say.