How Roulette Became One of the Most Iconic Casino Games in the USA

Roulette has been one of the staples in the casino world for centuries. When we think about the traditional casino floor, one of the scenes that always pops up is the spinning roulette wheel with a bouncing ball. The game was part of the old casinos’ glamour, instantly gaining popularity in gaming lounges across the United States.

Even though many people today play roulette on online platforms like Stake, it’s important to know its origins. To better understand the thrill of the game, we need to look at its history, its arrival in America, the changes it went through, and why it continues to attract players today.

The Origins of Roulette in Europe

The game’s origins stem from 17th century France, when French mathematician Blaise Pascal was studying perpetual motion. For this, he came up with a wheel that eventually became a gambling game a century later, known as Roly poly. French casinos quickly adopted the game, and roulette soon became one of the elite’s favorites.

The original game had one zero which gave the house a bit smaller edge. Later, this design was referred to as European roulette, and the casinos across the continent kept its original concept. The French Riviera made roulette the core of every casino, as wealthy folks rushed to Monte Carlo to try out their luck on the wheel.

The Roulette in the United States

Roulette made its way across the pond in the 19th century, a time of massive immigration to the land of the free. It first appeared in New Orleans when French settlers introduced the game to the lively port and one of the first gambling spots in the country. Soon after, roulette traveled upstream Mississippi, spreading across northern territories.

Even though the game kept its original wheel with one zero, Americans made their own version of the game to increase the house edge. Operators across America added another spot on the wheel, the double zero, which stayed to this day and is known as American roulette. If you’d like to play roulette on Stake today, there are three versions: French, European and American. The French game also uses La Partage or En Prison rule, meaning that if a ball lands on zero, the players get back half of the original bet.

Roulette in the Old West

In the 1800s, roulette fit right into the culture of cowboys, miners, travelers and settlers from all over the world. The Old West was riddled with saloons, bars and gambling hubs where games of luck were the most popular form of entertainment.

Roulette was always the centerpiece in these establishments because the game was simple, fast and had a great potential for winning. Even though Americans increased the odds of a house with double zeros, people still liked their chances. This period laid the foundation for roulette’s place in the American gambling scene.

The Rise of Las Vegas

At the turn of the 20th century roulette was already a well known game across the country. However, the legalization of gambling in Nevada in 1931, and the rise of Las Vegas, a casino town in the middle of the desert, really brought roulette into the limelight.

Casinos started popping up across the city, creating a glamorous appeal of the gambling world. The roulette wasn’t just a spinning wheel, but it became the whole show that drew in massive crowds. The sound of the ball bouncing, the crowd cheering, and the tension of waiting for the outcome made it one of the most dramatic games in the casino. Soon, roulette became part of the Las Vegas identity, featuring the wheel in movies like James Bond, travel brochures, commercials and photos for various purposes.

In the mid 20th century, roulette became a staple in every Las Vegas casino. Everyone went to casinos to take a few spins, making the roulette wheel one of the most recognizable motifs of the city.

The Role of Atlantic City

The West Coast was developing rapidly with the golden era of Hollywood and the rising gambling center in Nevada. However, the East Coast was lagging in entertainment, so the people of New Jersey came up with their own fun hub in Atlantic City. In 1978, the state legalized gambling, becoming the second largest spot in the United States.

Players on the East Coast finally had their own gambling haven, instead of taking the trip across the country. Roulette, just like in Las Vegas, was one of the most popular games in some of the most recognizable casinos like Bally’s and Caesar’s. And just like that, it spread across the eastern states, establishing roulette as a truly national casino game.

American vs. European vs. French Roulette

One of the distinctive features of American roulette is the double zero. The European version has only one spot with a single zero, while the American version has one spot for a single zero and another for a double. This increases the house edge from about 2.7% in European roulette to around 5.26% in American roulette. Regardless of the lower odds, people still love spinning the wheel as part of the casino fun time.

French roulette has a single zero and uses the La Partage or En Prison rule. La Partage, meaning “to divide”, is in play only for even money bets. These bets are the high low, even odd, or red black wagers, all of which pay off at even money. When the La Partage rule is in effect, here’s what happens: when the ball stops at zero, the dealer immediately divides all even money bets in half, keeping half for the house and returning one half to the player. This diminishes the house edge to only 1.35% which is one of the reasons that this version is generally difficult to find in today’s casinos.

En prison, “in prison” in French, is similar to La Partage, so this is only applicable for even bets. If the wheel stops at zero, the dealer places a marker next to the bet. At the next spin, if the ball stops at an even number the player gets his original bet back, but if it stops at an odd number, he loses everything.

Today, we can mostly see one zero on the wheel in Europe, and two spots for zeros in the American version. French is only found in a few casinos on the old continent.

Roulette in Popular Culture

Roulette went beyond casinos. It became a fixture in American culture as part of the numerous Hollywood movies where the hero of the film makes one crucial spin and wins big. It’s also a recognizable picture in many advertisements, TV shows and music. The saying “put it all on red” has become part of everyday lingo when people want to emphasize the risk in a particular situation.

All of this combined made roulette an inseparable part of the American lifestyle. The iconic wheel is known even by people who never stepped into a casino, but they still know what the game looks like and how it’s played.

The Psychology of the Game

The main reason why roulette became so popular in the USA is its simplicity. The rules are very straightforward, pick a color, a number or a range, wait for the dealer to spin the wheel and see instant results. Unlike poker or blackjack, there’s no strategy or complex rules to master.

On the other hand, there’s immense suspense in the game. Players watch the wheel spin, the ball bounce, and the tension grows until it finally lands. A simple game packed with adrenaline is a simple recipe for a fun night at the casino.

Even though the rules are simple, there are still some variations in the game that can be used to improve the odds. Outside bets, which are placed outside the wheel, allow players to bet on red or black, odd or even, and range from 19 to 36, and are generally safer. Almost half of the wheel is automatically scratched, significantly increasing the players’ odds. Contrary to this, there are inside bets where players bet on a single number, thus lowering their chances to win while significantly increasing the payout if they do.

The Role of Casinos in Marketing Roulette

Casinos in the USA have always promoted roulette as one of their star attractions. The game is always placed in the center of the floor since it’s one of the main attractions in the traditional casinos.

Almost a century ago, Las Vegas was using the roulette wheel in ads to portray the city as exciting and fun. Not much has changed. Today, online casinos still use the roulette wheel as part of their marketing campaigns and logos. It’s the ultimate sign of the thrill of playing, and the anticipation of hitting the winning number.

Since the wheel can be seen in every casino commercial, the operators have ensured that the game remains one of the first things people think about when they imagine gambling in the USA.

Roulette in Online Casinos

Online casinos gave the traditional game a new platform to expand its popularity in the US. Gambling regulations are still not perfectly clear in most states, but players are not waiting around for regulators to sort out new laws. Many who never went to a traditional casino, found online platforms to be more convenient but equally fun. There are even the options of playing roulette with live dealers spinning the real wheel in the studio while broadcasting it live for online players. This made going to the traditional casino obsolete, since there is no hotel and no travel expenses.

The excitement of roulette continues to expand over several generations. Younger players can now play roulette, watching a human spin the wheel, from their homes, just like their ancestors did almost a hundred years ago in Las Vegas saloons.

The Social Aspect of Roulette

Roulette is also a social event. Unlike table games where every player is for themselves, in roulette, players cheer each other on, celebrating the wins together and grumbling when they lose. Even though they play separately, there’s a sense of teamplay when they gather around the wheel in anticipation of the outcome.

Players of roulette are loud, cheerful and generally in a good mood. There is an adrenaline rush when everyone holds their breath in hopes they hit the win. Otherwise, the game is lively, dynamic and vibrant.

The lack of strategies and extensive planning of the next move, like in poker or blackjack, is just another benefit of roulette. Most people who come into the casino, online and traditional, are looking to unwind and have fun, not get more stressed over game tactics. And this is exactly what roulette is about. Pure joy, a good laugh, a sense of belonging, and possible winnings.

Roulette and American Regulations

For decades, gambling was only allowed in Nevada, which added a certain dose of exclusivity to casino games. Later, New Jersey joined in, but casinos still stayed isolated fun activities for which you needed to take long trips. For this reason, roulette became part of the fun trip, bachelor parties, girls only fun trips, spa weekends, and so on. A part of the overall experience and an inherent part of every casino getaway. In recent years, more states have legalized casinos. Every time a casino opens up, roulette is one of the first games on the menu. This trend has allowed the game to become even more widespread, building up its popularity and prestige.

Why Roulette Still Thrives Today?

The simple answer would be tradition. Can you imagine a casino without roulette? No one can. It’s part of history, fame, tradition and glamour. Casinos heavily rely on their popularity, and the game never disappoints. The crowds are still drawn in by the sound of the ball bouncing around the wheel surrounded by people with high stakes and high hopes.

For now, roulette shows no signs of fading away. On the contrary, players still very much enjoy the wheel with its fast rounds and the potential for a massive payout. Its mix of history, culture, fun and being a social event rather than a stern table game, ensures that it will remain one of the defining symbols of American casinos for years to come.