The Ultimate Guide to Online Casino Roulette
Roulette is a highly popular game for novice and seasoned gamblers alike. Plus, the game has been popularized by social media influencers such as David Dobrik, who takes his friends to Vegas to bet large sums on red or black.
Unlike blackjack or poker, there isn’t any kind of strategy or real skill involved with roulette. Instead, it comes down to patience and a little bit of math. Just knowing the odds of each bet and managing your bankroll will make you better than someone who only bets on red or black.
At the end of the day, winning comes down to luck. And choosing the right kind of online casino roulette will improve your chances of success.
- What Is Roulette? A Brief History
- Biggest Roulette Payout
- Our #1 Recommended Roulette Online Casino
- How to Play Roulette Online Safely
- Rules for Online Roulette
- Types of Roulette Games Online
- Types of Roulette Bets
- What Is the Best Bet in Roulette?
- Free Play Roulette
- What Are the Odds in Online Roulette?
- Can You Predict the Roulette Wheel?
- Online vs. Brick and Mortar Roulette
- FAQs About Roulette
What Is Roulette? A Brief History
Roulette is a wildly popular casino game, and it’s been around for a long time, even though it has undergone many changes.
The very first instance of the game appears in France in the 18th century. Some people believe that the French mathematician Blaise Pascal created a form of roulette when he attempted to create a perpetual motion machine.
Roulette comes from the French word, meaning “little wheel,” and the 18th-century roulette wheel has largely stayed the same to this day. The game was played in Paris as early as 1796. Eventually, the game gained popularity in most of Europe and North America. Each iteration of the game changed just a little, which created the different variations of roulette we know today.
Fast-forward to the 20th century, when online gambling started to grow in popularity, roulette was on the front lines of online casino games. Roulette appeared on web-based casinos as early as 1996 and has remained a staple of the online gambling community since then. Many online casinos now offer live dealer games, which helps make the online gambling experience more rooted in traditional, land-based play.
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While we’ll sing the graces of Las Atlantis casino loud and clear, there are a few other reputable real money online roulette casinos out there.
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How to Play Roulette Online Safely
Roulette is one of those games that can become high-stakes very quickly, so it’s important that you have a strategy and follow best practice. Nothing is more of a buzzkill than using up your bankroll after a single spin!
- Choose Your Game Wisely – Real money online casinos offer plenty of different roulette variations, but only a few are worth playing if you’re looking to win big. European and French roulette have higher RTPs than American or multi-wheel roulette.
- Manage Your Bankroll – It’s pretty easy to get carried away and bet away your bankroll, and that’s no fun. That’s why you should start betting off small and quit while you’re ahead. If you win a nice sum, you should save most of it and leave a fraction to play with again.
- Avoid Blacklisted Sites – Like we mentioned earlier, not all online roulette sites are reputable. Some have security issues or customer complaints, or worse. Make sure when you’re choosing a roulette venue, you check our blacklist to avoid misfortune.
Rules for Online Roulette: A Quick Primer
When it comes down to it, roulette rules are pretty simple, and playing roulette online is even easier.
The roulette wheel hosts a selection of numbers (which vary depending on which type of roulette you’re playing) and each number is on a red or black square. Players place bets on where the ball will land once the dealer spins the wheel. Players can even continue to make bets while the wheel is spinning until the dealer calls “no more bets.”
Land-based roulette takes longer than online roulette because each player has to place bets, and the dealer waits for these bets to be placed before spinning the wheel.
If you’re playing online, you’ll likely be placed at a table by yourself, so you have full control over when to bet and spin the wheel. It’s worth noting that you should double-check your bets before spinning the wheel; your bets will be locked in after you hit “SPIN.” Roulette has become popular because there’s no strategy to it. It’s all about timing and luck. Online roulette is a good way for you to get acquainted with the game if you want to play it in real life, too.
Biggest Roulette Payout in History
Roulette is one of the best games of chance to play in a real casino, or online, because it has a high return to player percentage (RTP).
For comparison, a slot machine might average anywhere from, 85 to 99% RTP. But European Roulette has a 97.3% RTP, and American Roulette has 94.7%.
One of the largest roulette wins ever, came from the French Roulette table at the Hotel Conrad in Uruguay. Pedro Grendene Bartelle turned a $35,000 bet into $35 million!
Types of Roulette Games Online
The most complex part of roulette is choosing which variation to play. Here’s a breakdown of some of the oldest, and most popular roulette types that real money online casinos offer.
The most common difference between these types of roulette is the prevalence of the zero space. Zero is typically symbolized by a green pocket, and when the ball lands in this pocket, the house takes the lot.
Classic Roulette Types
American Roulette – Roulette was introduced to American audiences in the early 19th century, and the original American Roulette wheels appeared with numbers 1-28 plus a single zero, double zero, and an American Eagle symbol. Both zeros and the eagle represented a house edge. Eventually, the eagle was removed and the number count was increased to 36, leaving the two zero slots as a staple of the American Roulette wheel.
European Roulette – European is by far the most popular form of roulette because of its higher payout percentage. Numbers range from 1-36 with a single zero slot to give the casino its edge. Betting on any given number gives players a 35:1 for every wager. Plus, the “en prison” rule applies to European Roulette: If you placed a 1:1 bet and the ball lands on the zero, your bet stays until the next spin.
French Roulette – French Roulette is similar to European Roulette, but it institutes the “la partage” and “en prison” rules. La partage states that if the ball lands on the zero, you only have to forfeit half of your bet. The French en prison rule states that if you bet on even or odd and the ball lands on zero, the dealer places your bet “in prison.” If you win your next spin, you get your bet back. But if you lose, the house takes your imprisoned bet. French Roulette, while interesting, isn’t popular outside of French online casinos.
Other Types of Online Roulette
European, American, and French might be the most classic of the roulette types. But the game has been expanded upon and—some might say improved—by the advent of digital roulette. Online roulette allows developers to easily build upon the original game.
Stunning graphics, immersive camera angles, and new ways to play all make online roulette popular. Here are some of the most interesting online roulette variations.
- Multi-Wheel Roulette – This variation adds traditional roulette wheels, sometimes allowing players to spin up to six wheels at a time. You can place safe bets, and the odds of landing on your number are increased!
- Multi-Ball Roulette– This wacky variation adds in more balls that spin at the same time, usually up to three balls. You can place more bets to accompany your additional balls, and your winnings are divided by the number of balls used.
- Mini-Roulette – Just like it sounds, roulette, but mini. This wheel only has numbers 1-12 and a single zero instead of the traditional 1-36. Because the number count is lower, your chances of hitting zero are higher. To counteract this, online casinos have adopted the French “la Partage” rule, where half your stakes will be returned to you should the ball land on zero.
- Spingo – This neat game is a combination of bingo and roulette. The Spingo wheel is numbered 1 to 10, with three different colors. The bingo portion of the game comes in when the wheel starts spinning. The bingo balls fall randomly onto the wheel one the spin starts, changing up the color/number pairings every spin!
- Penny Roulette – Similar to penny slots, penny roulette allows much smaller bets. This rendition of roulette isn’t for the big-and-fast players, but it’s a good primer to higher bet roulette games.
- Live Speed Roulette – Each round of this roulette lasts for only 25 seconds! Bets are placed while the wheel is spinning, leaving no down time between spins. It’s the blitzkrieg of roulette!
There are many other kinds of real money online roulette available. Some add additional colors, higher bets, and much more!
Make sure you always read the rules before you play a new online roulette version, however, because some are better than others. Some casinos are instituting a third zero on their wheels, so avoid those games.
Types of Roulette Bets
The most adrenaline-inducing part of roulette is placing your bet. And like the rules, placing bets are fairly straightforward. There aren’t a lot to keep track of, but you should know which bets are high or low risk.
- Outside bets are bets made on several groups of numbers: These bets pay less but are also less risky.
- Inside bets are made on the numbers themselves: These bets have higher risks and pay more.
| Outside Bets | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bet Name | Payout | Description |
| Column Bet | 3:1 | Betting on one of the three columns on the betting table |
| Dozen Bet | 3:1 | Betting on either 1-12, 13-24, or 25-36 |
| Even/Odd Bet | 2:1 | Betting on even or odd, zero loses |
| Red/Black | 2:1 | Betting on Red or Black |
| Low/High | 2:1 | Betting on either low (1-18) or high (19-36) |
| Inside Bets | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bet Name | Payout | Description |
| Straight Up | 36:1 | Betting on one number. High risk, high reward |
| Split Bet | 17:1 | Betting on one of two adjacent numbers |
| Street Bet | 12:1 | Betting on a row of three numbers from the betting table |
| Corner Bet | 8:1 | Betting on one of four numbers in a sequence |
| Double Street | 5:1 | Betting on two rows of three numbers form the betting table |
What Is the Best Bet in Roulette?
There isn’t a hard-and-fast “best” bet in roulette. It’s all subjective. The bet with the highest payout is the Straight Up bet. Say you bet $50, you could end up with $1,800, but you also only had a 2.6% chance of success.
Playing it safe with outside bets can increase your winning potential, but you’ll net a lot less in winnings. When first starting out with roulette, place outside bets to get your bankroll up slow and steady, then you can risk more with inside bets.
Social media and gambling culture have made it popular to bet large sums on either red or black. While your odds are greater than if you’re placing an inside bet, you still have less than a 50% chance of success. Be prepared to lose it!
One bet we have yet to mention is the basket bet, sometimes called the five-number bet. This bet is only possible with American Roulette, and it’s arguably the worst bet in roulette. You’re betting on numbers 1, 2, 3, and both zeros.
The house edge (the percent chance the casino has of winning over your bet) is normally 2.6% for European roulette and 5.3% for American Roulette.
However, the basket bet, paired with the American Roulette rules, increases the house edge to 7.9%. In short, never play the basket bet. It’s just not worth your time. If you want to play a similar bet, play a Corner Bet or a Double Street.
Free Play Roulette
If you’re ready to take your roulette knowledge and put it to the test, but not ready to spend real money yet, we’re here to help. Here are a few free play versions of roulette for you to enjoy and practice with!
European Roulette
American Roulette
What Are the Odds in Online Roulette?
The odds for different bets change based on the type of roulette you’re playing. There’s a subtle difference between American and European roulette odds. But if you’re playing a game with multiple balls or wheels, or small wheels, your odds will be different.
For reference, here are the odds for each bet for both American and European roulette.
| Bet | American Odds | European Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Straight Up | 2.6% | 2.7% |
| Split | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Street | 7.9% | 8.1% |
| Corner | 10.5% | 10.8% |
| Double Street | 15.8% | 16.2% |
| Column | 31.6% | 32.4% |
| Dozen | 31.6% | 32.4% |
| Even/Odd | 47.4% | 48.6% |
| Red/Black | 47.4% | 48.6% |
| Low/High | 47.4% | 48.6% |
You’ll notice that the 50/50 outside bets aren’t actually a 50% chance of success. That’s because the zero doesn’t count as low number, a color, or an even number. It represents the house edge.
Can You Predict the Roulette Wheel?
There’s no surefire way to succeed at roulette. Because every spin is different, there’s no pattern to where the ball will land, thus, no way to predict it either.
The closest you can get to having a strategy when playing roulette is to play it slow, know the odds for each bet, and choose the right online roulette for you.
Some people love playing American Roulette (and frankly, some people don’t know the differences) but European roulette gives the player higher chances of success.
Just like slot machines, you can research the RTP of each kind of roulette, so you can leverage it to your advantage.
Previously roulette was only played in land-based casinos, or other gambling establishments. But now that much of the world’s gambling is done online, roulette variations don’t strictly stick to a region. That being said, some types are less popular in certain areas.
American Roulette isn’t played much in Europe because European Roulette is popular there. American Roulette is gaining playership in Asia, however. And French Roulette is almost exclusively played in French-facing online casinos.
Online Roulette vs. Brick and Mortar Roulette
We touched on this a bit earlier, but there are a few key differences between online casinos for roulette and land-based roulette tables.
First off, online roulette is often faster that land-based roulette. If you’re playing single player, computer-dealer roulette, you can choose when to spin the wheel. No waiting around for other people to place their bets.
You have much more variation of roulette types when playing online. Certain roulette games don’t appear in brick and mortar casinos because they’re too complex or have features impossible to replicate in real life.
The one thing that in-person casinos offer is the betting table experience. The tactile sensation of touching your chips, seeing the ball spin, being around other players—all of these things are gone for online players.
Roulette FAQ
Are Roulette Wheels Rigged?
While rigging roulette wheels was a problem in the game’s infancy, today, it’s no longer a problem. Computer-dealer roulette is powered by a random number generator (RNG), like slot machines. And live dealer formats often rotate dealers frequently.
Why Do Casinos Keep Track of Previous Spins?
Sometimes, you’ll see a board that displays the previous bets, and it’s entirely for the casino’s benefit. It’s a mind game, really. Players who see the previous bets start to make assumptions or follow trends, and that’s how the casino gets an edge over inexperienced players. Each spin of the wheel is unique and is not influenced by previous spins.
What Is the Most Profitable Bet in Roulette?
Like we mentioned earlier, there isn’t a hard-and-fast method to winning roulette. The best practice to increase your profitability is to play slow and safe. When starting out, place smaller outside bets, get a feel for the game, then increase your bets or place an inside bet.
Why Can’t I Play Roulette With My Deposit Bonus?
Most real money online casinos don’t come out and say it, but roulette is one of the least profitable games they offer—European Roulette, especially. And if you use your deposit bonus to only place bets, the short-term variance will favor the player over the casino. It’s not a very profitable decision for the casino to let players bet on roulette with “free money.”
I See a Lot of People Chasing a Trend When They Bet. Should I Be Doing This?
No. This is pure superstition at play here. The fact that casinos keep track of the last 15-20 spins on the board only serves to help the house, as players look for a streak to either follow or try to buck. The bottom line is that each spin of the roulette wheel is its own independent event, with the previous results having no impact on future results. So, if you see that the last 12 spins have come up with a red number, there are no different odds that the next one will continue to be red, regardless of what someone tells you.
Is There a Bet Amount That I Should Make to Be the Most Profitable in Roulette?
The short answer to this is no. Realistically, you should only be betting what you can afford to lose – when betting on roulette, you can get carried away quickly, and before you know it, you could have a few hundred dollars on the table in bets each spin. Play within your limit and think of your chips as a series of units. Playing a strategy where you hedge your bets a little can help limit the damage but won’t end up with you a winner unless you get a little lucky along the way.
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