- History of roulette
- Roulette rules
- How to play roulette online
- Best online casinos to play roulette
- Roulette strategy
- Live roulette
- Mobile roulette
- Conclusions
Roulette is a traditional casino game that has been played in casinos across the world for over two centuries. Even if you have never played it before, you probably know the basics of the game thanks to its glamorous reputation, and because it has been featured in timeless Hollywood films such as Casablanca and Croupier. Roulette only takes a few minutes to understand, but it offers endless entertainment for casino players who are seeking high-speed, non-stop gambling action.
Roulette players love the game because they can bet on almost anything they like depending on how big of a risk they are willing to take. You can play it safe and bet on red or black, or go for a much heftier win by placing your chips on individual numbers. Anything can happen when the croupier shoots the ball down the roulette wheel – while you can only cross your fingers and hope that it lands in one of your lucky numbers.
In this roulette guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about the game. Roulette is entirely based on luck, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t implement certain strategies that suit your play style. Understanding the roulette wheel and the available bets is an essential part of enjoying the game. We will also guide you to the best online casinos for roulette, whether you want to play the computer versions or try your luck against a real dealer in a live casino!
The history of roulette
Roulette has a long and detailed history, but the early versions of the game were quite different from the game we have today. The earliest type was invented in France in the 18th century, but some believe that a more primitive version has been around since the 17th century. The version that we enjoy today was introduced in Paris in the 1790s, and the word “roulette” is French for “little wheel”. It quickly became one of the most popular games in casinos across the country. All of the early roulette wheels had two zeros – one red zero and one black double zero, but they got their iconic green colour a bit later to stand out from the other numbers.
The single zero roulette game that most of us play today was invented in Germany in the 19th century. The house edge is cut in half when there is only one zero on the wheel, so it quickly became the preferred variation of the game. The 19th century was also when roulette became an international hit, rapidly spreading to casinos all over Europe and in America. It is now one of the most famous casino game in the world, and it goes under several nicknames such as the Devil’s game – as when all the numbers on the wheel are added up they amount to 666.
Today, you can play roulette on almost every casino on the internet. It was one of the first casino games that were brought to the internet when the first online casinos started to pop up a couple of decades ago. The online version of the game works exactly the real game, but the betting is done by placing virtual chips on the table. Thanks to the speed of the internet, it’s possible to play many more rounds in a shorter period than in real casinos, and you can usually find tables with much higher betting limits. Live casino games revolutionised online roulette, and the majority of seasoned roulette players prefer playing against live dealers on the internet. We will come back to the different variations of online roulette a bit later in the guide.
Roulette rules
As we mentioned earlier, roulette is quite easy to understand. A European roulette wheel has 37 slots, numbered from 0 to 36. Each number is coloured either red or black, except for the zero which is green. At the beginning of each round, the players place their chips on the numbers or sections they want to bet on. There are not many limitations in place, and several types of pre-selected bets are available. You can place your chips on 50/50 bets selections such as black or red or odd or even, or you can go for a more volatile bet by betting on individual numbers or specific sections. Once all bets have been placed and accepted, the croupier starts the game by shooting the ball down the wheel.
The payout of each round is determined by where the ball lands. If you bet €10 on an even bet such as red, you will double your money and win €20 if the ball lands on one of the 18 red numbers of the wheel. A win on a straight up number is worth 36 times the money, which means that a bet of €10 will result in a nice win of €360. Of course, hitting one specific number is much more difficult than winning on red or black which has close to 50% chance of landing. The croupier then calculates the wins and pays the winners before the next round begins shortly after. In classic online roulette, everything is automated and you can use as much time as you’d like to place your chips on the table.
In roulette, the casino has a slight edge over the player because of the green zero. Although the chance of winning on an individual number is 1 in 37, the payout for the win is only 36 in 1. In the case of outside bets such as red/black or even/odd, the casino always wins if the ball lands on zero. Remember that the zero is green, and it is neither even or odd. In other words, the house has a 1 in 37 edge on these bets. You can combine bets and bet on many numbers and sections simultaneously, but the edge is always in the casino’s favour in the long run. However, roulette has one of the highest RTP percentages of all casino games, and most online European roulette games have an RTP of 97.31%. This percentage is much higher than the RTPs of casino games such as slots. Although the RTP stays the same, it is the choices you have as a player that makes roulette stand out from other games. You can choose to play it safe by betting on a significant section of the board, or use a “high risk, high reward” strategy by only covering a few of the numbers.
How to play online roulette
Now that you know the rules of roulette, it’s time to learn how to play it. Roulette is a thrilling and fast-paced game, and each round usually only takes about one or two minutes to complete. One of the best things about the game is that it caters to all types of players. There are tables where you can bet as little as a few pennies, and there are high roller tables that let you bet thousands of euros per round. The important thing to remember is choosing a table that suits your gambling budget. Each round in roulette is completely random, and you could suddenly experience a “cold streak” where it takes many rounds before your numbers finally drop in.
Once you have found a suitable game, you simply place your virtual chips on the sections or numbers you want to bet on. There are 37 numbers including the zero, and you can manually put your chips on the numbers you prefer. If you want to cover a bigger part of the wheel with a single bet, you can bet on any of the sections that are available. These are the most common roulette sections:
- Red
- Black
- Even
- Odd
- High
- Low
- Street bets
- Zero section
- Tier section
- Voisins section
- Orphelins section
By using a combination of individual number betting and the available sections, you can quickly place your favourite bets. It is also possible to place chips in the middle of two or four numbers to cover all of them with one single bet. Once you have placed your bets, the wheel is ready to start spinning. One of the advantages of classic computer roulette is that you play solo against the casino, which means that you get to set the pace of the game and choose when to begin the rounds. Most online roulette games have advanced tools to help you keep track of the gameplay and the number history, a feature that many seasoned roulette players appreciate.
In the end, how you play roulette is completely up to you – and that is the magic of the game. Everyone has a strategy or favourite numbers that they swear by, but anything can happen thanks to the randomness of the game. You might be someone who prefers betting on the date of your birthday, or only on black or red, and both options are viable strategies. Many online roulette games offer a demo mode that you can practice on before you start playing with real money, but you will quickly learn how to play online roulette after observing a few rounds.
Best online casinos for roulette
In this part of the guide, we want to focus on the best casinos for playing roulette. If you are new to the exciting world of online gambling, you might not know where to begin or which casino to play on. There are hundreds of casinos on the internet, but not all of them have the games or features you might be looking for. A big part of our website is guiding our readers to the best and most trustworthy casinos, so we have created a short list of some of the things you should look for when choosing your next place for playing online roulette.
- Welcome bonus: Most online casinos offer new players a welcome bonus on their first deposit. Playing with a great welcome bonus will give you more bang for your buck and increase your chances of winning. However, not all deposit bonuses allow players to play table games such as roulette. Always make sure to read through the bonus terms and conditions to see if roulette is permitted, as you might want to skip the bonus if you are not interested in playing slots.
- Roulette games: When you visit a new casino, you should start by checking out the games selection in the lobby. Most casinos have a wide selection of roulette games, including high-quality computer versions of American roulette, European roulette, double ball roulette and more. If you like to play other casino games such as slots, you should also look out for your favourite game providers.
- Live roulette: Live roulette is the most exciting version of online roulette, and many of us prefer playing against real croupiers in a realistic casino setting. Thankfully, the majority of casinos offer live tables with popular games such as roulette and blackjack. If you want to play live games, you should check out the live casino lobby before signing up.
- Mobile casino: Roulette is the perfect game to take on the go. The rounds only take a few seconds each, and you can easily put the phone down if you need to focus on something else. Thanks to mobile gambling, you can enjoy your favourite casino game whenever you like, wherever you are. Make sure to pick a mobile casino that has the games and features that you are looking for.
- Payments and security: To play roulette with real money, you need to make a deposit at the casino you want to play on. Most sites accept common payment methods such as credit cards, bank transfer, Skrill and Neteller. When it comes to withdrawal times, you should try to pick a casino that processes payments quickly so that you don’t have to wait days or weeks for your winnings to show up in your bank account.
- Casino license: One of the things you should check before registering an account is the casino’s gambling license. Casinos that operate under trustworthy licenses are required to follow strict regulations, and that means that you can safely deposit and play while knowing that your personal information and payment details are secure. You can see the license info in the footer of the casino’s website. The most common casino licenses are from the MGA, Curaçao, and the UKGC for casinos operating in the UK.
Navigating through the jungle of online casinos can sometimes feel a bit overwhelming for new players. Our guide features only trustworthy and licensed casinos with fantastic bonuses and game libraries, and you can use it to find your next gambling home.
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Roulette strategy and randomness
Certain casino games such as blackjack and video poker have an element of skill to them, as players need to know how to play the game optimally for a better chance of winning. Roulette is entirely based on luck, and you don’t need any prior knowledge or advanced strategies to win. Seasoned roulette players could tell you that although it may seem like patterns of numbers and colours occur frequently, it’s not really the case – if you observe a roulette wheel for long enough, you are bound to see the same number or colour appear several rounds in a row at some point. Additionally, licensed casinos are required to have games that are based on Random Number Generators, ensuring that the roulette games you play are random and fair.
Although roulette is fully random, there are a few tips and tricks you could follow to enhance your gameplay. Some players swear by their favourite numbers or sections, and some adjust their betting sizes depending on the numbers of the previous rounds. Regardless of how big or small you like to bet, it’s all about finding something that works for you. If you are about to begin your roulette journey, you might want to know about some of these tips and tricks.
- Choose your volatility: Roulette is all about volatility. If you bet on low variance selections such as colour or streets, you’re going to win much more often than if you bet on just a handful of individual number. But if you place your chips on fewer numbers, you might be rewarded with much bigger wins. Go with the playing style that suits you the best, and don’t be afraid to mix numbers and sections if you want to cover more of the wheel.
- Don’t cover too many numbers: Betting on many numbers might be tempting since your chances of winning increases with each number you have covered. However, there is a tipping point where placing chips on too many numbers might make the risk of losing bigger than the possible reward. Remember that the casino has a 1/37 edge, so if you bet on 30 numbers, you are putting a lot of money on the line for a small profit.
- Stick to European roulette: The first roulette wheels had two zeros, and the game is still played with double zeros at most casinos in America. Most online casinos offer European roulette with only one zero, and you should try to stick to these games since the house edge is lowered substantially.
- Try games with La Partage and En Prison rules: Some casinos let you play roulette or live roulette games with the La Partage or the En Prison rules. These rules kick in when zero comes while you are betting on outside bets (odd/even, high/low and red/black). In La Partage, you will get half your bet back when the ball lands on zero. En Prison means “in jail”, and this rule keeps your bet on the table until the next round for a chance of hitting your win a second time when the ball lands on zero.
- Play with a budget: The number one thing to keep in mind while playing roulette is playing with a budget. Roulette can be an incredibly fun game when you are on a winning streak, but losing streaks can happen just as easily. Set your loss limit before you enter the game, and never chase your losses if you are unlucky and lose.
- Learn the wheel: This is a tip to make the game even more exciting. By learning the layout of the wheel, you can easier predict where the ball will land when it’s bouncing around the wheel near the end of the spin. If you like to bet on specific numbers, you can follow the ball and see if it’s getting close to your jackpot number. Chances are that you will learn part of the wheel automatically as you play anyway!
There are many famous roulette strategies, some of which you might have heard of. The most well-known roulette strategy is probably Martingale. This is a betting strategy where you start by betting small on black or red. If you win, you keep the winnings, but if you lose, you double the bet and play again. Repeat the process and double the bet until you win. There are several other strategies such as D’Alembert and Fibonacci which are also betting strategies that depend on the outcome of previous rounds.
Although these strategies can be fun to try out, they don’t decrease the house edge or increase your chances of winning. When taking probability into account, long losing streaks on “coinflip” bets can occur quite frequently – and doubling your bet several times in a row could quickly become costly.
Live roulette
If you want an authentic casino experience without having to visit a real casino, nothing beats live casino games. Virtually every prominent online casino offer live versions of popular table games such as roulette, blackjack and baccarat, and these games are the closest you’ll get to the real deal without taking a seat at an actual casino table. Live roulette works similarly to standard roulette, but with one major difference: the games are played in live studios with professional croupiers and real roulette wheels. The action is live-streamed directly to you so that you can follow the game and place your bets in real-time.
Casinos that offer live roulette usually have many different variations and table limits, and the games are running 24 hours a day. Both high rollers who enjoy betting thousands per round and regular players who play roulette casually can find a table that suits their play style, and since an unlimited number of players can play in each game, you and the other players will play on the same table and cheer on as the ball zooms down the roulette wheel. You can even use the in-game chat to communicate with the dealer or the other players at the table.
There are several live casino providers, but the two leading providers are NetEnt Live and Evolution Gaming. Most online casinos have live games from either or both of these studios. NetEnt hosts tables in several different languages and variations, and their live games are known for being of high quality. Evolution Gaming is by far the biggest live casino provider on the market, having hundreds of employees in many offices around the world. Evolution is behind popular live roulette games such as immersive roulette and speed roulette, and their unique Lightning Roulette game became an instant fan favourite when it released in 2017. This electric version of roulette features multipliers that can boost your winnings to up to 500 times your bet.
To play live casino roulette, you just need a PC or a smartphone and a stable internet connection that can handle video streaming. Once you have found a game with the betting limits you are comfortable with, you will be able to join in as soon as the next round begins. Since there are many players around the table, there is a time limit for placing bets – so make sure to put your chips on the virtual table before the timer runs out. Most roulette tables have extra options such as lowering the stream quality and checking your betting history. If you have any questions about the game, you are always welcome to chat with the friendly croupier!
Mobile roulette
Mobile devices changed the casino landscape more than a decade ago, and many of us gamble primarily on our phones these days. Whether you like playing a few rounds on your daily commute or on your tablet while relaxing on the couch, mobile casinos let you play roulette whenever and wherever you want.
Mobile casino roulette is just as fun as the desktop version of the game. A round of roulette can take less than a minute, making it perfect for bite-sized game sessions when you’re on the go. Virtually every casino game on the internet is available on mobile, and that includes most of the roulette varieties from prominent game providers. When looking for a mobile casino to play at, you might want to have a quick glance at the game lobby and make sure that your favourite roulette versions are available.
If you prefer live casino roulette, you will be able to play it at most online casinos. The high-quality live games from providers such as NetEnt Live and Evolution Gaming are completely compatible with modern smart devices, and the games work really well on the smaller screens. In order to play live roulette, you just need a phone or tablet that can handle live video streaming. Since live casino games have a betting time limit, it might also be a good idea to be on a stable internet connection – if you don’t place your chips within the time limit, you will have to wait until the next round. Mobile roulette games are designed to handle disconnections, so if you suddenly get dropped from a game, you can always open it again to continue where you left off.
Conclusions
Roulette is one of the oldest casino games in the world, and it has remained popular since it was introduced in the 18th century. The game was invented in France but quickly spread to casinos across the globe, and today you can play it from the comfort of your own home thanks to the internet. Nearly every online casino has a wide selection of roulette games to choose from, letting you enjoy the game the way you like it.
The rules of roulette are incredibly easy to understand. Players place their chips on the numbers they want to bet on before the ball starts spinning down the wheel. The payouts depend on the bet – on European roulette, a win on an individual number is worth 36 to 1. A bet on an outside section such as red or black pays 2:1, but it naturally has a far greater chance of winning than bets on numbers. In roulette, you decide how much risk you are willing to take.
For a more immersive roulette experience, you should try out live casino roulette. These games are played with real roulette wheels and trained croupiers. Thanks to HD live streaming, you’ll get to follow the ball as it spins around the wheel, just like you would in a real casino. There are many variations of live roulette, including the popular Lightning Roulette from Evolution Gaming and auto roulette from NetEnt.
Getting started with roulette only takes a minute, and since it’s a game that is based entirely on luck, anyone can win on it without needing to learn any advanced strategies or tactics. Before you can start playing, you need an account at a trustworthy online casino. We listed a few of the things you should take into consideration when looking for a casino a bit further up in our guide, so check it out to find the best roulette casinos to play at. May the wheel spin in your favour!