The history of roulette
The first casino (in the modern sense of the word) was opened in 1765 in Paris. The first Minister of France, Cardinal Giulio Mazarini ordered to open the casino thereby replenishing a scant treasury of Louis XIV. At that time, the world learned that there was a game of roulette in addition to the usual card games. According to one legend that goes among the players, roulette was invented by French mathematician and philosopher Pascal, who did not intend to create a device for gambling, his friends who did not have scientific but commercial flair simply took advantage of his invention. According to another legend, Parisian Francois Blanc sold his soul for the devil’s secret of roulette. The proof of this incredible version is the fact that the sum of all the numbers on the roulette wheel is 666.
Fashion in the casino was spreading instantly and houses, where the game was played, were gaining popularity successfully throughout Europe. Roulette wheel ceased to rotate only in 1789, when during the French Revolution the Government issued a decree that banned all the gambling. After Napoleon had come to power, gambling houses were opened again. But business flourished only for a short time - in 1839 all gambling houses were closed in France. But by that time roulette rush had spread throughout the world.
In 1861, the victim of diabolical temptation, Francois Blanc opened the first casino in Monaco. And when in 1873 many European gaming houses were closed, Monaco became the official capital of gambling. A huge gambling palace was built in Monte Carlo, and crowds of players from all over the world rushed to Monaco to try their luck. And, despite the fact that today there are casinos in every capital city and at many resorts, Monte Carlo keeps the title of the most prestigious gambling place. A lot of members from royal families came here. VIP-person played in a special room, one on one with the dealer who personified destiny. So far Monte Carlo casino traditionally gives players a hundred-percent guarantee against any fraud.
In Russia at the court of Catherine II roulette tables were not only in luxurious palaces halls they could be found even in the kitchens where courtier cooks enjoyed overseas game when they had a free minute. After learning about the existence of roulette from the captured French, Turkish Sultan Selim III sent their masters abroad so that they learned to produce “wheel of fortune” there. And Hindus got to know about this game from British diplomats.