American Roulette

The facts about American Roulette.

The game of roulette originated in France sometime during the 18th Century. At some point, this popular gambling pastime made its way to the shores of America and was soon available to local gamblers. The problem for many American casinos, however, was that they felt that the game had a house edge that was too low for their liking. The only way to increase that house edge was to add an extra number on the roulette wheel and – hence – American roulette was born.

American roulette consists of numbers 1-36 plus the numbers 0 and 00 (the latter being the extra number added). You will thus find thirty-eight slots on this roulette table, each with its own slot. You will note that the numbers on the wheel alternate pairs of even numbers with pairs of odd numbers, as well as alternate between red and black. The two O options on the wheel are colored green.

Before the wheel is turned, you need to place your bets on the roulette table. You have various betting options to choose from in the inside and outside bets and I strongly advise you to familiarize yourself with the different alternatives before putting your bets on the table.

At a traditional casino, the dealer will spin the wheel a certain direction and throws a small ball in the opposite direction into the turning wheel. When the wheel eventually comes to a standstill, the ball will have found its way into one of the numbered slots and the winnings will be determined according to the bets on the roulette table.

This form of roulette is played in almost every casino in the United States today, as well as at online casinos that are aimed at U.S. gamblers. The odds of this game are approximately 5.3% and it remains one of the most popular choices among gamblers today.