Before the dealer spins the wheel, players place bets by putting chips on a betting mat. The precise placement of the chips indicates the bet type. Each table carries a placard that lists the minimum and maximum bets allowed.
Bets can be made on individual numbers, small groups of numbers or large groups of numbers. Inside bets have a lower house edge than outside bets.
Origin
The exact origin of roullete is unknown, although it is thought to have originated in the 17th century France as a result of Blaise Pascal’s search for a perpetual motion machine. It is also a popular theory that the game was influenced by an ancient Chinese board game known as houchan and later spread to Europe by Dominican monks. Other anecdotal evidence suggests that the game may be rooted in Roman and Greek soldier gambling games, English Even-Odd and Hoca, or the Italian board game Biribi.
Until 1900, encyclopaedias referred to the version of the game that had 38 numbers as either French Roulette or European Roulette. The game did not get its modern layout and wheel structure until the late 18th century. It was popularized by French aristocracy and became widely played in casinos and gambling houses.