Roullete is a game of chance in which a small ball spins around a wheel and gamblers place bets on the number or color it will land on. The game offers glamour, mystery, and excitement to casino-goers and has been enjoyed worldwide since the 17th century. The rules are simple enough for casual gamblers to learn and understand, but it also offers a surprising depth of strategy for serious betters.

The simplest bets are placed on individual numbers or groups of numbers. These are known as Outside bets and usually pay 2-1 odds of winning. The Dozens bet, for example, is placed on the first, second or third dozen of the numbers on the roulette wheel. Other bets, such as the Columns bet, are made on groups of 12 numbers and have a higher chance of winning (but lower payouts). The croupiers at the roulette table are ready to take your bets after they clear away the losing chips from the previous round.

A roulette wheel consists of a solid disk slightly convex in shape with metal partitions or frets that are divided into compartments. Thirty-six of these compartments are painted alternately red and black and numbered 1 to 36. On European wheels a 37th compartment, painted green, carries the number 0. Two additional green compartments on opposite sides of the American roulette wheel carry the numbers 0 and 00.

When the croupiers are done placing the bets, the dealer spins the wheel and the ball drops into one of the compartments. The croupiers then make a bet on the winning number or color by placing chips in designated areas of the table.

If the player has correctly bet on the winning number or color, they will collect their winnings from the croupiers. They may choose to take their winnings and leave, or they can stay at the table and continue betting with a predetermined budget that doesn’t include their winnings.

The roulette wheel was invented by Blaise Pascal in the late 17th century as he worked to create a perpetual motion machine. He later adapted the wheel to his new game of chance and it became popular in Europe. Today, professional roulette balls are made from materials such as resin and Teflon. They are lighter than the old ivory ones and bounce more unpredictably when spinning on the roulette wheel.