What to look for in an online roulette casino

The choice of online roulette depends on personal taste. Here are some key points we consider when choosing an online roulette casino:

Roulette variations and games

Consider what variations of roulette the casino offers. Most casinos have American and European roulette. Variations spread rapidly from here. You can find French roulette, multi-reel games, mini-wheels designed for smartphones, progressive jackpot roulette games, multiplayer games and live dealer options. Graphics quality will also vary between games, with some featuring 3D effects and realistic betting surfaces.

Bonuses and promotions

Casinos in regulated states often use free play bonuses to attract new players. You should also compare the welcome (deposit) bonus, promotions and loyalty programs. The best casinos strive to reward loyal players well. If your current casino doesn't offer regular promotions, it's time for a change.

Mobile games/applications

For the best smartphone experience, you should download the casino app. There are huge differences in the number of roulette games available on these apps compared to the options on desktop/web casino sites. You can also try responsive web casinos on your phone; many will work perfectly after automatically adjusting to the screen size.

Legal and regulated

Although many people choose to play at unregulated casinos, you get little protection or options in case your money or bonus is gone. This gives regulated casinos a big advantage. You'll know that your money is safe and that you have the ability to take action if you feel you've been treated unfairly.

Customer support

It's worth checking the reputation of any online casino or casino with sweepstakes support before you play. Casinos offer phone support, instant chat options and email. Friendly and helpful staff to help with deposits, questions and withdrawals can make the difference between a good casino and a great one.

Free online roulette vs. real money roulette

You can enjoy free online roulette. It could be to learn how to win at roulette by practicing different betting strategies – or just for fun. When you switch to real money roulette, spinning the wheel becomes much more exciting. Even with the smallest stakes, having real money on the line adds interest to your spins.

Advantages of free roulette games:

• Play the classic casino risk-free.
• Try different betting combinations.
• Try different roulette betting strategies. Popular strategies include the Martingale, D'Alembert and Fibonacci systems.
• Find out which variation of roulette suits you best.

Advantages of real money roulette games:

• The chance to win big adds excitement to your spins.
• Use the casino bonus to your advantage.
• Enjoy variations of live dealer roulette online.
• Participate in promotions and receive loyalty rewards.

Which type of online roulette has the best odds?

The odds in roulette change depending on the type you play. In fact, the house edge of one version of the roulette game can be nearly twice that of one that looks almost identical.

The difference is in the number of green segments on the wheel. These are zeros and double zeros.

European roulette

With one zero slot on the wheel, European Roulette has a house edge of 2.7%.

American Roulette

American roulette has zeros and double zeros, which increases the house edge to 5.26%.

French roulette

French Roulette uses a European single zero wheel and has an added convenience. Every time the ball ends up in the zero slot, you get a return of 50% stakes placed on 50/50 outcomes. The effect on the house edge depends on what percentage of your bets are on outside odds compared to single numbers and combinations. If you only bet on 50/50 odds, then the house edge is very small, only 1.35%.

Bonuses for online roulette

Many online casino welcome bonuses offer a match of 100% on the first deposit – sometimes over multiple deposits over a period of time. Match amount varies. The largest welcome bonuses can reach or exceed $1,000.

It is important to look at the terms of bonus offers. There are significant differences covering the wagering requirements, the type of games you can play to claim the bonus and how long you have to complete in total.

Here is a checklist for roulette players:

• Is roulette allowed? Some casinos completely exclude roulette from the games allowed for clearing bonuses. Others will only allow part of the wager to count towards clearing the bonus. This is called game contribution.
• What are the turnover requirements? All casino bonuses specify how many times you must turn over the bonus money before you can withdraw it. This can vary significantly.
• How is roulette weighted? Slots contribute with 100% towards clearing your bonuses. Roulette can be anything from 25% to 2% - depending on the casino. This can make a huge difference.
• Are certain bets excluded? Many casinos will state that covering too many outcomes is "bonus abuse" and will void your welcome bonus. An example is covering both red and black (with a small bet on zeros). Watch out for brands that don't allow out-of-table bets.
• How long will the bonus last? When you combine the rotation requirements with the weights, the requirements you have to meet can be extensive. This makes the time allowed to complete your bets a key factor. Avoid roulette bonuses that expire quickly.

Online casino roulette applications

The best casino apps allow you to access their games through apps or websites. The web-based versions will automatically adjust to your screen size, enabling mobile gaming. On the casino app, you can be sure that the roulette games on it are optimized for smaller screens.

If you're using an Apple device, you'll need to download from the Apple App Store. For Android roulette players, you will need to install the app from the Google Play Store.

If you are not in a state with regulated online casinos, then casino sweepstakes apps are a legal alternative. These games turn casino games into mini-sweepstakes. They stay legal by offering free games and giving you "free" entries (chips for real casino options) when you buy game chips.

Roulette odds: the truth in numbers

Roulette has a built-in house edge of 5,26%. This is true in the long term, but because of the variance, anything can happen in the short term.

The holding percentage is naturally higher than the house edge. This is because players don't have the bankroll or time to beat the casino in the long run.

Furthermore, roulette offers opportunities to win many times larger stakes, such as three, eight or even 35 times the player's initial stake. But players can also quickly lose those winnings. While other table games have specific bets within them that are (in terms of expected value) worse for the player, roulette is generally known in the gaming community as one of the less friendly games for a player's bankroll.

A very important point is that all possible bets are equally unfavorable for the player. A $10 bet on 00 or RED or EVEN will carry the same negative expected value of -$0.526 (fifty two cents six).

House advantage on roulette

Before we get into the concepts of gambling fallacy, independent events, and mutual exclusivity, it helps to establish a clear thesis that the only way (legally) to affect a casino's edge is to play only classic European roulette. (There is only one green zero on the table.)

Fair moto can be less zero, the better. Standard roulette today, sometimes distinguished as American roulette, has a zero and a double zero. If there are 38 numbers on the table, but a bet on the correct number pays 35-1, the casino has a house edge of 5,26% in the game.

It's a bit of simple math - don't worry:

• Odds of 35-1 mean there are 36 total parts.
• 36/38 = .9474
• 1 – .9474 = .0526
• = 5,26%.

You can see how on one roulette wheel the house edge is 2.7%. On the unlucky Sands Roulette, it's 7.7%. Bottom line: don't play three-zero roulette.

It is important for gamblers to understand that each roulette spin is an independent event. This means that previous spins do not affect the odds or probability of the casino in the future. On a typical double zero game, there are 38 possible outcomes. Eighteen are red, 18 are black, and two are green.

There is an 18/38, or about 47.4%, chance that the ball will land on a red or black number. What is the probability that the ball will land on a red number if the last 10 spins have all landed on red? What if the last 12 spins were black? It is always 47.4%, regardless of any previous or future spins.

Wheel bias

The author, his host and sponsors clearly and absolutely condemn any form of fraud. On the other hand, it would be unfair to ignore in historical context how players gained an advantage by recording the bias of the wheel.

After all, roulette wheels are man-made. While today's wheels are made with computational precision, in a bygone era, the most resourceful gambler might have been able to note and exploit some of the smallest biases in the wheel's imperfections.

Online Roulette FAQ

Which online roulette game has the best odds?

If you find a French roulette site, that should be your main game. This variant uses a European wheel with one green zero. If you hit that zero, you get half your stake for every 50% (black/red or even/odd). Some variations of French Roulette hold your bet for another spin. The online roulette odds are as follows:

• American wheel (double zero): 5.26%
• European wheel (single zero): 2.7%
• French Roulette: 1.35% (for 50/50 bets only) otherwise 2.7%

Some live casinos are now introducing "triple zero" games. This offers poor odds and should be avoided whenever possible.

Can you make money playing roulette online?

Many systems claim to beat roulette games. They use progressive betting, often with complex schemes. While these systems can reduce variance in the short term, they cannot beat the house edge over time. Casinos would not offer a winnable game.

You can enjoy bonus money and promotions while playing roulette, which can improve your chances of winning for a while. Over time, the house edge has been built into this game. Play for fun and enjoy the wins whenever they come.

Is online roulette rigged?

A great reason to stay with regulated/legal casinos is that you can be sure that the outcome of the wheel spin is fair. This is controlled by the random number generator software - which is regularly reviewed as part of the license requirements in all states with legal gambling.

Games like roulette are tested over millions of spins to ensure that the outcome is random.