Roulette is a casino game where a ball rolls around a wheel and people place bets on what number it will land on. Its history is a little obscure, but it is believed to have been invented by 17th-century French mathematician Blaise Pascal, and it quickly became popular in gambling houses and casinos throughout Europe.

Before the dealer spins the roulette wheel, players make their bets by laying down chips on the betting mat. Depending on the type of bet, they can choose from inside or outside bets. Inside bets are placed on a specific number or group of numbers and have a higher house edge but pay out more money. Outside bets are grouped numbers on the table and have a lower house edge and payout less.

The dealer then spins the roulette wheel in one direction and rolls a small ball in the opposite direction, around a tilted circular track that runs around the perimeter of the wheel. When the ball lands, the winning bets are paid out and losing bets cleared from the table. The dealer then announces ‘no more bets!’ to signify that play for the next round is about to begin.

Most online casinos offer the European version of roulette, but some also have the American game available. If this is the case, we recommend sticking with the former given that it has a much lower house edge of just 1.35%. In addition, many online casinos offer a “la partage” rule that applies to even-money bets that lose to a zero. This effectively cuts the house edge down to just 2.70%, which makes it the best choice for a roulette strategy. However, this is only true for even-money bets and does not apply to any other types of bet. For this reason, it is important to familiarize yourself with all the bet types before playing.