Roulette is an actual French word, which means “little wheel”. We don’t exactly know who invented the game: Some historians think it is invented by Blaise Pascal, the famous mathematician, some others think that it is invented by Italians. What we know is, roulette first appeared in 1796, in Paris. Contrary to the popular belief, the first version of the roulette wheel contained two zeros, instead of one. However, it was a different era: After some mathematicians pointed out two zeros gives the advantage to the bank, casinos removed one of them from the wheel. This rule still applies today, and roulette games with one zero are called “European roulette”. For some reason, aristocrats of France loved the game, and the famous Monte Carlo casino quickly listed roulette as one of its services.
When the game first introduced in the United States, casino owners decided to add the second zero to the wheel once again. The reason for this was simple: Second zero gave the advantage to the casino. However, it took a long time for roulette to grow up in the US. This was mostly because the sum of all numbers on the wheel is 666, which is known as the “devil’s number”. The United States was a very conservative country back then, and people claimed that roulette was the devil’s game itself, since it contained the same numbers. After the game began to be offered in Las Vegas casinos, it became insanely popular. This is still the case today, roulette is one of the most popular table games in all casinos and it can be found almost everywhere. However, the version you will find in the US contains two zeros and is called “American roulette” for this reason. You must prefer the European version since it offers higher RTP rates. In fact, the European version has an RTP rate of 97.30%, while the American version offers 94.74%. This means you have a higher chance of winning in the European version.
Simply put, it is the online version of the game you can play at online casinos. It is a software, but the rules and the winning chances are the same. You just play the game by using your computer and/or mobile device. Online roulette games can be played against the computer or a real dealer. The advantages of choosing online roulette games are:
Theme Support. While the rules remain the same, online games are more fun because they can be based on certain themes such as pirates and tropical islands. They look better, and they are more fun to play.
No Need to Waste Time. Online roulette games are faster. You can play more rounds in a short period of time.
They Are Practical. No need to drive to a casino: Just sit on your computer and/or mobile device and start playing.
They Are Helpful. Online games contain detailed statistical information on the screen. You can see the results of previous spins and use a strategy more efficiently. No need to use a pen and paper to record the results: The game does that automatically for you.
You Can Still Socialize. Many live roulette games offer the option of multiplayer. This means you can chat with other players while playing. It is just like sitting on a real table.
You Can Find Rare Variants. As we will mention below, some exotic variants such as En Prison/French roulette give much higher winning chances. However, most terrestrial casinos do not offer these variants. At online casinos, however, you can find many rare variants which will give the advantage to you and play them anytime you want.
As you probably already know, this is a game where players try to guess the outcome of a ball. There are 37 numbers on the wheel (38 on American), and each one is in red or black color. The ball can land on any number/color. This creates a lot of betting options for the game. If we simply list them:
|
Name |
Explanation |
Payout |
|
Straight |
Single number bet |
35 : 1 |
|
Split |
Two numbers bet |
17 : 1 |
|
Street |
Three numbers bet |
11 : 1 |
|
Square |
Four numbers bet |
8 : 1 |
|
Six Line |
Six consecutive numbers bets |
5 : 1 |
|
Low/High |
Bet on 1 to 18 or 19 to 36 |
1 : 1 |
|
Even/Odd |
Bet on the outcome will be an odd or even number |
1 : 1 |
|
Red/Black |
Bet on the colors, not the number |
1 : 1 |
|
Column |
Bet on the first, second or third column (12 numbers in total) |
2 : 1 |
|
Dozen |
Bet on a dozen numbers |
2 : 1 |
Please note that there may be additional bet types depending on the variant. For example, it is possible to bet on 5 numbers in American roulette, but this is considered as one of the worst bets for players.
Now, players place their bets before the wheel starts spinning. You can place a bet for more than one options but remember that each table has a betting limit. If the ball lands on one of your bets, you get paid according to the paytable which we showed above. If not, good luck in the next round. Oh, and here is a tip: Speaking loudly after the croupier says “no more bets” is considered as “rude” if you are in a terrestrial casino. This game is still seen as “the choice of aristocrats,” and players are expected to act civil.
Roulette payouts are based on the odds of that specific outcome. For example, straight bet pays more because the likelihood of that outcome happening is pretty low. In this regard, there are three betting options which offer a winning chance of 48.64%. This is because you are betting on 18 different outcomes at once. These options are even/odd, low/high, and red/black. If you are a beginner, we highly advise you to choose one of these options, at least in the beginning.
To be fair, most of the online casinos do not offer a separate bonus for roulette games. You can find bonuses for table games in general, but not specifically for roulette. However, this does not mean that you cannot use regular bonuses. On the contrary, it is possible to use almost all of the bonus offers for roulette too. For example, the bonus amount you get with the welcome bonus can be used to play these games. While evaluating a bonus, always check that it can be used for all games or not. A bonus offered mainly for slot machines can apply to roulette games too. We also recommend:
Check the withdrawal requirement of the bonus and learn that how many times you need to wager before withdrawing your winnings.
Check if there is a country restriction for the bonus. Even if you can join the casino freely, some bonuses may still be subject to geographical restrictions.
Check if there are any additional restrictions on your account until the withdrawal requirement is met. For example, some casinos limit your maximum bet amount and/or limit withdrawal operations.
Since all tastes are different, it is hard to prepare a “best of” list. However, we believe that the games on the table below can satisfy all needs in terms of gaming & gambling. Start your journey with one of the following games, especially if you are a newcomer:
|
Name |
Developer |
Ruleset |
|
Mini Roulette |
Netent |
Special, 12 numbers only, 2 : 1 payout |
|
Monopoly Hot Properties |
Barcrest |
American |
|
Multi Wheel |
Microgaming |
European (8 wheels in total) |
|
American Mobile |
Play’n GO |
American |
|
Super Wheel |
Play’n GO |
Special, 4 numbers only, 23 : 1 payout |
|
Astro |
1x2 Gaming |
Special, 12 numbers only, 35 : 1 payout |
|
English Roulette |
Play’n GO |
En Prison/French |
|
Spingo |
Microgaming |
Special, 32 : 1 payout |
|
Reely |
Leander |
Special, slot & roulette hybrid |
In general, we highly recommend trying to find exotic variants such as En Prison. The house edge drops below 2.7% in these games, which gives the edge to players. This rule applies to live dealer games too: never play the American version with real money. Always prefer the European version and be on the lookout for rare variants. Roulette can be a very profitable game if you know which variant to play and how to bet. Use the free versions of the game for practice: The rules and the winning chance is same in these versions, but they do not cost a penny. To learn the game, to see the effect of a particular strategy and to have fun, always start with playing the free versions. Switch to real money roulette games when you fully understand the rules and the betting system. Use our website for this goal: We provide free games as well as reviews of online casinos. Practice here, find the perfect casino by reading our reviews, and continue your journey anywhere you want. Come back often to see the newly added free games to our collection. Good luck and may the ball lands wherever you want!