Ryan's Thoughts"Roulette has been popular for centuries because of its low-house edge. When you play Roulette, you feel like you can really win. This is why online casinos have gone to great lengths to offer fantastic versions of this classic table game. "
Roulette is one of the most popular games in the gambling industry worldwide. Studies have shown this game of chance to be the third most popular game at land-based casinos after slots and craps. The game has 3 major variants that we will discuss in detail later:
- European roulette
- American roulette
- French roulette
Top 10 Roulette Casinos – Where To Play Roulette
These are online casinos that actually allow their bonuses to be used on Roulette. We indicate the percentage of each stake that will contribute to the Playthrough requirement.
Brief History of Roulette
There is some ambiguity surrounding the origins of roulette. What we do know for certain is that the term 'roulette' is French, and stands for 'little wheel,' which is clearly a reference to the wheel used in the game.
The most accepted theory credits the development of roulette to the French scientist, Blaise Pascal. The story goes that, after Pascal went on holiday to a French casino in 1657, he became fascinated by the games of chance he saw there. The result was the devlopment of the roulette wheel, which some say came about in an effort to build a perpetual motion machine.
Another theory credits the game to a monk living in a French monastery around the same time.
One of the first versions of roulette, as we see it today, is the English game 'Roly-Poly,' thought to have originated around 1720. The first modern-day roulette wheels were made towards the late 1700s. These wheels feature the red and black slots for the ball to land in. Another interesting note: the European single-zero roulette game was invented only in 1842 by the Blanc brothers, Louis and Francois Blanc.
Roulette was brought to the USA by French immigrants landing in New Orleans in the 19th Century. The game evolved towards the double-zero version in the US, which is why the double-zero wheel is also called the American wheel.
Types of Roulette Games
There are roulette games offered at every land based casino, and possibly every online casino. The types of roulette games continues to grow with each software provider having their own version. Some of these games are listed below:
- European Roulette
- Monopoly Roulette Tycoon
- Double Bonus Spin Roulette
- French Roulette
- American Roulette
- English Roulette
- 3-Wheel Roulette
- Multi-Ball Roulette
- Live Dealer Roulette
- Premiere Roulette Diamond Edition
- Mini Roulette
- Spingo
Another form of roulette that is available is California Roulette. It has been played since the State of California legalized it. Unlike other roulette games, you play with cards instead of slots in the roulette wheel.
Of the roulette games listed above we discuss American, European and French roulette in a little detail here.
European Roulette
European roulette is a very popular version of roulette that uses a single zero (0) wheel and has 37 slots for the numbers 1 to 36 and another for the single 0. The presence of just a single zero gives this variant of roulette a house edge of 2.63%. The standard roulette rules and bets apply to this game, and you get announced bets as well.
There is one special rule in European roulette that you do not see in American roulette – the En Prison rule. This rule ensures that a player does not lose his bet if he makes an even money bet and the ball lands on zero. Instead, the bet is held till the next spin. If the player lands the ball on the number corresponding to his wager he wins his money back, otherwise he loses the bet. If a player opts to use the En Prison rule he can bring the house edge down from 2.63% to 1.35%.
American Roulette
American roulette is another variant of roulette that employs a double zero along with the standard single zero. This means there are 38 slots for the ball to land in: the single zero, the double zero and the numbers 1 to 36. As a result of the presence of the double zero, the house edge in this game is higher than European or French roulette, at 5.26%.
French Roulette
French roulette is another roulette variant that is quite popular among players. It is a spinoff of European roulette and has the same layout and even-money bets. This game also has a 2.63% house edge and one additional advantage: apart from the En Prison rule you also find the La Partage rule.
The La Partage rule kicks in when the ball lands on the single zero: all even money bets for the round are split into 2, which means you get half your original bet amount back. With the La Partage rule in action, the house edge for the game drops, like for the En Prison rule in European roulette, to 1.35% from the standard 2.63%. Like European roulette, the announced bets work in French roulette too.
How to Play Roulette: Objectives, Rules and Bets
At a land-based casino a maximum of 8 players can play at a roulette table. An online casino does not have this limitation as the game is between the player and the dealer and not between players. At land-based casinos, each player gets a different coloured chip to minimise confusion and ensure smooth and seamless play. The basic objective of roulette is to predict where the ball will land once the wheel stops spinning and place wagers to cover different possibilities.
The first step in roulette is to place a wager. You place the bets at the different sections on the table, depending on which numbers and number sets you want to cover. Once all the bets are placed, the wheel is spun and the ball rolls around the wheel. The ball finally stops at a number and you get your payout depending on the bets you have placed.
The following are the main types of bets in roulette:
Outside bets
The different outside bets available include:
- Red/Black
- Odd/Even
- High/Low
- Columns
- Dozens
Inside bets
The different inside bets available include:
- Straight Up
- Split
- Street
- Corner
- Line
- Five-Number Bet
- Basket
- Snake Bet
Call bets
These bets are available only in European and French roulette. They include:
- Voisins du Zero
- Jeu Zero
- Tiers du Cylindre
- Orphelins
- Neighbours
Final bet
This bet is also available only on European and French roulette and requires you to make a wager on the final digit. For example, a final 7 bet covers all numbers on the table ending with 7.
Full Complete/Maximum/Complete bet
This bet is seen in high roller casinos and places all inside bets on one number.
How Payouts Work
| Bet Type | Payout |
|---|---|
| Straight-up bet | The maximum payout for this bet, which allows you to bet on a single number, is 35:1. |
| Two-number bet: | This bet covers 2 numbers and the maximum payout for it is 17:1. |
| Three-number bet: | Also called the street bet, the maximum payout for this bet is 11:1. |
| Four-number bet | This bet is across 4 numbers and is also called a corner bet. The maximum payout for this bet is 8:1. |
| Six-number bet: | This is a bet across 6 numbers and has a maximum payout of 5:1. |
| Outside dozen/Column bets | The maximum payout for this bet is 2:1. |
| Outside even money bets | The bets covered include Red/Black, High/Low and Even/Odd. The maximum payout is 2:1. |
Roulette Bonuses
Every casino offers bonuses to its players as an incentive to sign up and play the different games available. There are bonuses available for playing roulette as well. However, because of roulette's low house edge it is rare for a casino to offer these bonuses.
The house edge is already low in European and French roulette at 2.63% (1.35% for even money bets in French roulette); bonuses and comp points can help the player lower it further.
Whilst some casinos offer bonuses for roulette, there are strict terms and conditions attached to them. The wagering contribution for European and American roulette is quite low compared to slots: 10% to 20% compared to 100% for slots. The wagering requirement can be quite steep too, depending on the casino. Many casinos also offer roulette bets that cover only specific types of wagers.
There are quite a few casinos that offer different kinds of bonuses to players to help them play roulette. You can pick these casinos from the list of top roulette casinos we listed earlier.
Roulette Strategy and Betting Systems
Roulette is a game of chance. There is no way to accurately predict the number the ball will land on.
At a very basic level, in terms of the colours on the slots, the chances of the ball landing on a red or black slot are 50:50. However, there are a number of other factors to consider and an extensive range of bets. This is why you find quite a few popular roulette strategies and betting systems designed to help players win more.
We list the top strategies here and will discuss them separately on our individual pages on betting strategy:
- Martingale System: This is the most commonly used strategy for roulette and other games with fixed odds.
- 2 Up 2 Down System: This is a basic roulette strategy system and works well for beginners as it's easy to grasp.
- Fibonacci System: This is based on the Fibonacci number series created almost a millennium ago by Leo Piano, an Italian man whose nickname was Fibonacci. It is one of the oldest systems and also among the most advanced for roulette.
- D’Alembert System: This system was developed in the 18th century by the philosopher and mathematcian, Rond D’Alembert. It is one of the older strategies for roulette.
- Labouchere Roulette System: This is a sophisticated roulette strategy system that is also known as the Split Martingale and Cancellation system.
- Parlay System: This strategy system is one of the simplest for roulette and needs more of luck than skill. It is also known as the Let It Ride system.
- Pivot System: This is one of the newer roulette strategy systems. It mixes a good dose of luck with good old mathematics to improve your odds.
The most basic roulette strategy, however, is to manage your bankroll smartly. Work out the roulette game you are going to play, how you are going to play it, the bets you are going to place, and more. It is also important to know each roulette bet thoroughly. We cover these aspects in our page on basic roulette strategy.
Roulette FAQs
The following are 5 commonly asked questions about online roulette.
The major difference between American and European roulette is the presence of the double zero (00). American zero has an additional slot for the 00, while European roulette has just the single 0. As a result there is a significant difference in the house edge for the games. The house edge for American roulette is 5.26%, which is higher compared to the 2.63% house edge for European roulette.
The house edge is the advantage that the casino holds over the player when it comes to winning. The house edge in roulette depends on the type of game you are playing. The lower house edge of 2.63% in European and French roulette is one of the main reasons for more players opting to play these versions compared to American roulette.
Roulette is a game of chance and therefore it is not possible to guarantee a win using a roulette system. However, the systems work in the sense that they give you perspective on the kind of game to play, and the wagers to place, to ensure you have a fair chance of winning.
It is not possible to influence the position that the ball lands on at the end of a spin. Studies and research have shown that there is a difference even in the velocity with which the ball is thrown. It is not possible to influence that whether you play at a land-based casino or at a live dealer casino. At an online casino this is even more impossible as they use a random number generator that has been tested and certified for fair play by reputed third party agencies.
At an online casino, which is a better option for playing roulette, download mode or instant play mode?
The mode of play you choose – download or instant play – depends on you completely. Downloading the software takes up computer memory, but otherwise there is no difference nowadays in terms of quality or number of games available when compared to the instant play mode. More and more casinos are moving towards the instant play option, though software providers like Microgaming still provide a download option.