Whether you’re the kind of gambler who likes to play games on https://casino.betfair.com/c/slots or you’re a dedicated attendee of the luxurious, resort-style casinos favoured by Las Vegas and Macau, there are a few games that are going to be your go-to games. The games that you are drawn to and always want to play first when you’re having a go at trying your luck. And for many people, that first game is going to be roulette. The quintessential casino game, no strategy, no trick, just simple luck as you wait to see what the results of your bet are. But how well do you know roulette? For instance, do you know about all the different elements that make up the wheel?

Starting from the top, we have the height adjuster – this is hidden underneath the turret, the ornate center piece of the wheel. Keeping the height set to the right level is vital for ensuring that the wheel remains unbiased. Moving on down, you reach the ball track, this is actually a fairly uniform element for all roulette wheels, the ball is run down the track so that luck will randomise where it eventually lands. There are edges to the track that will knock the ball off as it goes around and force it onto the spinning wheel in order to randomise the result as thoroughly as possible. In the past, some tracks had a wooden lip that (if the ball hit it badly) could knock the ball onto the wheel in a predictable manner, but the modern design has fixed this.

Past this you’ll find the numbers and the slots that the ball is designed to drop into – the design of this wheel will remain very similar but there are two major versions that you’ll see being played. The European version with a single zero and the American which has two. The American version with two zeros is widely believed to be the original, the single zero variation is considered the invention of two German brothers who fled to Monaco once roulette was banned in Germany in the mid 19th century. The improved odds of the single zero wheel was considered a selling point in their newly adopted hometown to draw in players and has been Monte Carlo’s ever since.

For more roulette facts, check out this infographic!