The casino classic, Roulette, has been spinning into play since 1655, after French mathematician and inventor, Blaise Pascal, tried to create the world’s first perpetual motion machine, yet ended up inventing the blueprint for the first Roulette wheel instead.
Since its accidental birth, the Roulette wheel has seen some highs and lows in its lifetime, with players trying to predict where the ball will land at the end of the game.
With this in mind, we wanted to take a look at just some of the biggest wins the Roulette wheel has witnessed and created on both the physical and virtual casino floors.
This way, the next time you step up to the table, whether that be within an online casino setting or a physical brick and mortar establishment, you’ll know that anything is possible and only the wheel and ball can determine the outcome.
Of course, no win is ever guaranteed when playing any kind of gambling game, so always play responsibly and as the famous saying goes – ‘when the fun stops, stop’.
However, let’s take a look at just some of the biggest wins in Roulette history, showing you that sometimes, just sometimes, the wheel can spin a big win.
Charles Wells
Winning amount – Around two million Francs
When – 1891
One night, in 1891, Charles Wells headed to one of the world’s most famous casino establishments, the Monte Carlo Casino Resort, and began to play Roulette.
On this night, Wells seems to have played the game of a lifetime, winning 23 out of 30 of his games. He won so much that night that he managed to actually break the bank, meaning the table was completely out of money and was no longer available to play.
Wells won close to a million Francs that night, and inspired the song ‘The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo’.
However, this big win wasn’t enough for Wells, who later decided to try his luck again. He headed to the Roulette section within the Monte Carlo Casino Resort, and began to play once again. This time, Wells managed to win over a million Francs.
Despite his dodgy reputation as a scammer, both these big wins were down to pure luck and chance. After some investigation by the casino, they didn’t find anything dishonest about his gameplay or how the game session unfolded.
Despite these two big wins, Wells died in 1922 penniless, with no one truly knowing what happened to his fortune.
Ashley Revell
Winning amount – $270,000
When – 2004
This win is in the history books, not because of the winning amount, but how the win came about.
Ashley Revell decided to sell all his belongings, including his house, car and watch and took what he had made and his entire life savings to Las Vegas.
Once in Vegas, Revell headed to a Roulette table and placed everything, $135,000, on red. As the wheel began to spin, all Revell could do was hold his breath.
The ball finally landed in pocket seven. Seven is a red pocket.
At that moment Revell went from having essentially nothing to doubling his wagering amount to $270,000!
—
With so many more big wins in the Roulette history books, do you have a favorite?
