Roulette is a casino game that features several types of bets. A player can choose to bet on a single number, various groupings of numbers (odd or even), or the color red or black. The house edge of roulette bets is a little higher than other casino games, but lower than craps.

A roulette wheel is a solid wooden disk slightly convex in shape with a metal perimeter that contains 37 compartments, or pockets, painted alternately red and black and numbered nonconsecutively from 1 to 36. There are also two green compartments on American-style wheels that carry the ‘0’ and ’00’ symbols.

The earliest records of roulette are vague, but it rapidly gained popularity in France’s illegal gambling dens after the addition of the single-zero pocket. This greatly increased the winning probabilities of the game, allowing it to spread expeditiously throughout Europe and beyond.

Despite the fact that there are no definitive proofs of its origin, several theories have been put forward. One is that it was invented by the 17th century French mathematician Blaise Pascal. Another theory is that the game was developed in China and then brought to France by Dominican monks.

Roulette is available in a variety of variations, including double ball, mini and multi-wheel. However, European Roulette is the most popular variant both in physical casinos and online platforms. It’s a great option for beginners as it has a comparatively low house edge of 2.7%. This makes it the best casino game for novice players.