Roullete is a casino game in which players bet on the color or number of a pocket on a revolving wheel. Bets are placed against the house (casino bank) and may be made either on a single number or on various groupings of numbers, colors, odds, or evens. The game evolved in Europe from earlier games that involve a spin of the wheel and a roll of a ball, and it is played in many casinos around the world.

Roulette is easy to learn and provides a fun way to pass the time. Players place chips on a betting mat to indicate the type of bet they are making. Bets on six or fewer numbers are called “inside bets” and those on 12 or more are termed “outside bets”. The croupier then spins the wheel, rolling a small ball that will land in one of the compartments that contain red and black numbers numbered from 1 to 36. If the ball hits a 0 or 00, the bets are lost.

While the game may seem simple enough, it is possible to use a roulette strategy to win more. A key element is to set a budget based on your available bankroll. Once this is established, it is important to stick to it regardless of your winning or losing streaks. If you do decide to change your bet size, make sure it is a small change and not a large one. It is also recommended to play European roulette instead of the American version, since it has a lower house edge. Some online casinos offer French roulette, which includes a “la partage” rule that reduces the house edge to 1.35%.

Before the wheel is spun, the croupier will remove all losing bets from the table and pay out winning bets according to the payout table. Once the chips have been paid out, the croupier will start the next round by betting again.

Historically, roulette was a popular game at the gaming tables of the most upscale casinos and gambling dens in Europe. It was derived from the earlier game hoca, and its present form developed in the early 18th century. A fanciful account credits it with being invented by 17th-century French mathematician Blaise Pascal, but other theories abound.

The roulette wheel is a solid wooden disk slightly convex in shape, with metal partitions that resemble frets or dividers. Thirty-six of these compartments, painted alternately red and black, are numbered consecutively from 1 to 36. Two additional pockets, painted green and carrying the numbers 0 and 00 on American wheels, are reserved for the two zeros.

The wheel has a tilted track, and the small ball, which is usually made of ivory, travels on it and stops when it reaches the bottom of the wheel. The track is a series of grooves, and the ball bounces up and down as it travels, jumping from one compartment to another until it lands in a red or black numbered pocket.