The Origin of Roulette

Who is the inventor of Roulette? This is an oft asked question. Was it the Russian soldiers, was it the monks returning from Tibet or was it a French Mathematician? We are often told that the Russian soldiers invented it, while spinning chariot wheels. A French Mathematician who was searching for the secret of continuous motion is often given the credit for this invention. The actual game is largely said to be French in origin and in french the term Roulette means “small wheel”. The European version of the game with a single zero is known as French Roulette, sometimes. The most likely origin of the game seems to be definitely French, though some roots can also be traced to the UK and its future as it has turned out is now in the U.S.