There are few casino games as iconic as Roulette, with its distinct central wheel and table layout. It’s been a staple of land-based casinos for centuries, and was one of the first casino games to make the jump to online play in the 1990s.
Today, we’re going to focus on the online Roulette format, as an increasing number of players are accessing games online. So, without further ado, let’s dive into the ins and outs of online Roulette, from its basic mechanics to the various variants available.
The very basics of online Roulette
The most basic thing to understand about Roulette is the aim of the game. Before the spinning of the wheel, players wager on where the spun ball will land, whether that’s a specific pocket number, a group of potential numbers or even a more general characteristic of the pocket.
While there are a couple of different Roulette wheel designs – we’ll get back to that later – they all involve an alternating pattern of red and black pockets around their rim, as well as the green zero. The distribution of numbers is specifically spread to ensure fair odds across potential wagers.
In almost all online Roulette games, the wheel is represented digitally – unless it’s a game of live Roulette, which features a live dealer and physical game components.
Variations of Roulette
There are three major types of Roulette, any of which players may encounter online. Each of the three has slight differences, which all slightly affect the relative odds and house edge.
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European Roulette
This is the most common format of Roulette, with plenty of other online variants based on its framework. In European Roulette the wheel features a total of 37 pockets, one of which is the green zero. The house edge here is around 2.7%.
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American Roulette
The second most common of the major formats, American Roulette only really differs in one key way. It has a total of 38 pockets on its wheel, having added the green double zero to increase the overall house edge to 5.26%.
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French Roulette
Very similar to its European cousin, French Roulette also features a wheel with 37 pockets. Its distinguishing feature are some additional rules that apply if the ball lands in the zero pocket. These also have the effect of reducing the house edge as low as 1.35% on even-money wagers, such as black/red or odd/even.
Any other variant of online Roulette is most likely based on one of these three major formats, with most drawing on the European format.
Wagering options in online Roulette
The options available to players are set out on the table layout and are split into the categories of inside and outside bets.
Inside bets are placed on single numbers or small groups of numbers as set out in the layout’s numbered grid. These have higher payouts, but that’s because they also have lower odds of landing.
Outside bets relate to broader categories or groups of numbers, such as dozens, high/low or red/black. These have higher odds of landing but that means lower relative payouts.
Online Roulette offers a wide variety of options to players, whether they prefer the single zero of the European and French Roulette wheel or American Roulette with its two green pockets.
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