Why Are Roulette Numbers in That Order?

Most people don’t think about why roulette numbers are in the order that they are. They just know that the game exists and that’s how it’s played.

However, there is an interesting story behind the order of the numbers on a roulette wheel.

The game of roulette was invented by French physicist Blaise Pascal in the 17th century. Pascal was trying to create a perpetual motion machine and he came up with the idea of a spinning wheel with a ball that would eventually come to rest in one of 37 numbered pockets.

The first roulette wheels had red and black numbered pockets, but Pascal decided to add a green zero pocket to increase the house edge. The single zero design quickly spread to other European casinos and then to America.

The double zero wheel wasn’t introduced until much later, in 1843 by French brothers Francois and Louis Blanc. They added the extra zero to increase the house edge even more and it quickly became popular in America as well.

So, why are roulette numbers in the order that they are? It all has to do with history and tradition. Pascal originally designed the wheel with red and black pockets because those were the colors of the two teams in his favorite game, horse racing.

The addition of the green zero was simply a way to increase the house edge. And, finally, the double zero wheel became popular in America because it gave the casino even more of an advantage over players.