The Number of the Beast: Why Is Roulette Called the Devil's Game?

Roulette is a casino favorite that first originated in the 1700s in France. But despite these solid origins, there are quite a few myths floating around about how this game came to be.

For instance, you may have heard roulette being called "the devil's game."

So why and how did roulette come to have this nickname? Read on to find out more.

French Mathematician Blaise Pascal

To understand the origins of this name, we need to first look at the French mathematician Blaise Pascal. He was on a quest to build a Perpetuum Mobile, which is something that generates energy all on its own. Although he wasn't successful in creating such a machine, he did manage to invent what we know as the roulette wheel today.

For some reason, there were rumors that Pascal made a deal with the devil to get this fantastic gambling invention. In other versions of this story, it was Francois Blanc who made the deal with the devil. Francois (along with his brother Louis) were the ones who designed the roulette wheel with a single 0, which quickly became popular in France.

But that's not all that contributed to this casino game earning this nickname. Keep reading to see what other factors make this game so creepy.

Monk Inventor

Here's another murky origin story that's definitely made its rounds.

This is how it goes: supposedly, a monk developed roulette on his own. But he got obsessed with figuring out a way to cheat at the game. In the end, he drove himself insane, and for whatever reason, carved a "666" on the wheel.

For those of you who didn't know, according to the Bible, 666 is the number of the beast, or the devil. 

Numbers on the Roulette Wheel

This may be a very compelling reason why this casino game is named "the devil's game."

On a standard roulette wheel, there are the numbers 0 through 36. What do all these numbers add up to on roulette? 666!

In addition, there's a math trick that gets you the number 6 as a result. If you add any 3 numbers together horizontally or diagonally, they'll result in the number 6.

For example, take 34, 35, and 36; their total is 105. Take 105 (1+0+5), and you'll get a 6.

This is most likely why people believed Pascal or Blanc made a deal with the devil; that in order to make an immensely popular and successful game, he'd have to let the devil leave his mark on it somehow.

Try Your Hand at the Devil's Game

After reading this article, you now know why roulette is called "the devil's game." With these fun facts, you can impress your friends the next time you're at the casino with them or spinning the wheel online.

Whether you've played roulette before or have never given it a try, one thing's for certain: it can provide hours of entertainment and you may even hit the jackpot!

Are you ready to try your hand at the roulette wheel? Then be sure to check out our list of the top online casinos!