Games that are Similar to Roulette

Roulette is one of the most popular games in the world, certainly for people looking to have a flutter. It was developed in the Western Hemisphere, but there are many similar games that people play all around the world either for fun or to bet on. Let’s take a look at some of them:

Here’s a list of 10 games from around the world that are similar to roulette in concept, gameplay mechanics, or association with perpetual motion machines:

Games with Spinning Wheels or Betting Mechanics

Big Six Wheel (USA/Global)
A large vertical wheel divided into segments with various payouts. Players bet on the segment they think the wheel will stop on. Similar in concept to roulette’s wheel and betting outcomes.

Teetotum (Europe)

A gambling game involving a spinning top with marked sides (usually numbers or instructions).

Bets are placed on the expected outcome, akin to roulette.

Pachinko (Japan)
While not a direct betting game like roulette, it involves balls falling through a vertical machine with pins and landing in pockets, offering outcomes tied to chance and numbers.

Wheel of Fortune Game Shows (Global)
Inspired by carnival games, these involve spinning a wheel for a prize. Though less complex than roulette, the mechanics are similar.

Crown and Anchor (UK/Maritime)
Played with a spinning dice wheel or board, players bet on symbols that might come up. The randomness is similar to roulette’s spin mechanics.

Number-Based Betting Games

Sic Bo (China)
A dice-based game where players bet on numerical outcomes of three rolled dice. Though dice replace the spinning wheel, the betting matrix resembles roulette.

Boule (France)
A simplified version of roulette that uses a ball and a wheel with numbers 1 to 9. The mechanics are nearly identical to roulette.

Keno (China/Global)
Players select numbers and win based on matching draws, much like betting on specific numbers in roulette.

Hoca (Italy)
A historical precursor to roulette, involving a spinning wheel and betting on the outcome, often linked to gambling houses in Europe.

Roly Poly (England)
A 17th-century wheel-based game where players bet on where a ball will land on a spinning wheel. This is considered one of the ancestors of roulette.

Connection to Perpetual Motion Machines

Roulette itself, with its spinning wheel, has often been compared to perpetual motion concepts due to the illusion of constant motion when the wheel is spun. Similarly, games like Boule and Roly Poly mimic this idea with their design, creating a sense of endless spin-based randomness.