Roulette is a casino game involving a spinning wheel and a ball. Players bet on the number they think will come up by placing chips on a betting mat, with specific locations marking each bet type. A winning bet will payout according to its odds. The game has been around for 300 years and is played all over the world, both in land casinos and online. The game is known for its simplicity and the ease with which bets can be placed.
The game was supposedly invented by the 17th-century French mathematician Blaise Pascal, who may have been trying to create a perpetual motion machine. It became a popular game in Paris by the end of the century and eventually spread to other parts of Europe. The game has a unique layout and structure compared to other table games, including the addition of a 0 division on the wheel. The zero is traditionally red while the rest of the wheel is numbered from 1 to 36 in alternating black and white segments. On American tables, there is a second green 0 for a total of 37 or 38 pockets (depending on the game).
Most roulette bets fall into one of two categories: inside and outside bets. The former are broader wagers that cover an entire group of numbers. They are ideal for beginners as they have a higher chance of winning but offer lower payouts. These bets include classics like red or black and odd or even.
Another popular choice is the Dozens bet, which covers 12 numbers in a row on the betting board. The bet pays out 2-1 if the number wins, but the odds are low at just 33%. Players can also make Corner bets, which are a set of four numbers that form a square on the betting board. In most cases, these bets pay out at 6 to 1 but have the worst odds of any other bet in the game.