It’s time to get the ball rolling in an intense gaming of online roulette! In this fully comprehensive guide, our casino game experts have compiled everything you need to know about roulette. We’ll be giving you some insights about the most common roulette rules and how to apply them.
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Roulette Rules
Roulette rules are easy to understand once you’ve mastered the game. That said, you need to remember that roulette is not only a game of chance, but also a casino classic that requires skill and good strategy just like Blackjack, Poker, Baccarat and even slots. Not sure where to start? Don’t fret! That’s why we’re here to help. Onto the roulette rules.
The objective is simple: the roulette ball needs to land on your chosen numbers. Bear in mind that the roulette betting table offers both inside and outside betting options, so you have quite the variety of bets to choose from. Once the ball lands on the wheel, it will fall in a red or black pocket. To place your bets, you need to use roulette chips. As soon as the ball lands on a pocket, the croupier, or the dealer, will announce the winning number with a device known as the dolly. Since you’re reached a thrilling stage of the game, more roulette rules will come into place. At this stage, you cannot place, remove or collect bets from the roulette table. Once the dealer announces all losing and pays winnings bets, the winner can then collect the winnings. And with that, a new round starts. Not so difficult right?
European and American Roulette Rules and House Edge Variations
When you first learn how to play roulette, you also need to keep in mind that there are different variants. So, what roulette game should you play; the European or the American version? In this section, we’re going to highlight a couple of differences between the two. First of all, the same roulette rules apply to both versions. However, there are a couple of differences in the layout and the house edge. Let’s take a closer look below.
Differences in the Layout
European Roulette
European Roulette features 37 numbers. Numbers vary between from 1 and 36, featuring a single zero. Here’s a closer look at how they look like on the wheel:
0, 32, 15, 19, 4, 21, 2, 25, 17, 34, 6, 27, 13, 36, 11, 30, 8, 23, 10,
5, 24, 16, 33, 1, 20, 14, 31, 9, 22, 18, 29, 7, 28, 12, 35, 3, 26
American Wheel
American Roulette is played with 38 numbers. Since we have a 0 and 00, the house edge is slightly higher. We’ll be delving into more detail about this soon. Until then, here’s how the numbers are spread out on the wheel:
0, 28, 9, 26, 30, 11, 7, 20, 32, 17, 5, 22, 34, 15, 3, 24, 36, 13, 1,
00, 27, 10, 25, 29, 12, 8, 19, 31, 18, 6, 21, 33, 16, 4, 23, 35, 14, 2
The House Edge
Onto the differences in the house edge. It’s important to note that you have several opportunities to win, however, there’s one tiny detail you need to keep in mind – the house edge. Roulette is indeed a game of chance, so it can go either way; you either win or the house wins. There is no in between.
A good definition for the house edge is the mathematical advantage that online casinos have over the players. Additionally, it will give you some insights into the average loss to the original stake, as well as an estimate of the losing bets.
As far as roulette rules go, we advise you to always go for European roulette. In this case, the house edge on the wheel is just 2.70%, whilst it is almost double the amount in American roulette since it increases to 5.26%. This is due to the 0 and 00 pockets that are found on the American roulette wheel. Let’s put it this way, if you do opt for American roulette, just make sure you are aware of what you’re doing. Although it obviously offers larger payouts, you have to make sure that you know the game and roulette rules like the back of your hand.
Roulette Layout
The key to understanding roulette rules lies in understanding the logic of the game and its design. Rest assured that casino operators don’t present the current layout just for fun; the numbers are presented in the way they are for reason. Let’s take a closer look at the roulette table and the wheel:
Roulette Table
The roulette table pretty much looks the same in all variants of the game. The roulette rules remain the same, with the only exception being that the American version has a 0 and a 00. Additionally, American and French roulette display inside and outside bets very clearly, and the numbers correspond accordingly.
The French roulette table stands out because it has a few differences in the layout and the bet names since they are in French. That said, these are minor details since the fundamentals remain the same and most importantly, they do not affect the RTP (Return to Player) percentage.
Roulette Wheel
Who would have thought that the roulette wheel was originally meant to be a perpetual motion machine? As luck would have it, Blaise Pascal’s invention ‘went south’ and ended up being one of the most popular casino games in the world. That’s not too bad at all right?
Overtime, the roulette wheel gained a number of nicknames. One of which includes the English version of roulette – little wheel. Other interesting ones include The Devil’s Game since the numbers on the wheel totaled to 666 – the mark of the beast.
As far as the layout goes, the wheel underwent many changes before it established the roulette rules it has nowadays. Naturally, the red and black pockets are what make roulette wheels iconic. Irrespective of the roulette game you play, you’ll find these compartments on every roulette wheel or table.
Just like the roulette table, there are a few noticeable differences when we look at the different types of roulette games. European, French and American Roulette all employ pretty much the same roulette rules, but as discussed in earlier sections of this review, the placement of numbers differs from one another.
How to Bet in Roulette – Allowed Bet Types
Bet types also play an important part in learning how to play roulette. You may have heard about a straight up bet or an Even Odd bet, but we’ll be passing on all the information right here anyway in case you’re new at this.
What you have to keep in mind is that all roulette games have two different types of bets – inside bets and outside bets. These are then broken down into more than 20 bets such as an announced bet, that you can wager on the roulette wheel.
Before we explain announced bets, we’re going to delve into more detail about the two main bet types in order to gain a better understanding of the roulette rules. For more information please, check out our Roulette Odds page.
Inside Bets
As the name stands, inside bets are bets that you can place on the inner section of the roulette wheel / table. Simply put, if you place your chips on a single number, this is considered to be an inside bet. You can also place bets on multiple numbers or split it vertically or horizontally. The bad news with inside bets is that you have less chances of winning. That said, we’re not saying you shouldn’t place them; we’re just saying that inside bets are more suitable for seasoned players who know the game well. Let’s take a closer look at the most popular inside bets:
| Bet Type | Description | Placement |
|---|---|---|
| Straight Up | Wagering on a single number | Center |
| Split | A bet that stands between two bordering numbers | Edge |
| Street | Three successive numbers on a horizontal line | Outside Edge |
| Corner | Four numbers forming a square | Common Corner |
| Six Lines | Six numbers that form two horizontal lines | Outer Corner |
Outside Bets
Just as inside bets are located on the inner part of the wheel, outside bets are located on the outer part. So, what’s so special about them? Although an outside bet pays less, you stand a better chance of winning. In fact, if you don’t like to take chances, this is a great strategy to keep in mind especially if you’re new to the scene and you’re still learning how to play roulette.
For example, if you play the French version of the game, you are allowed to make full use of the la partage and the en prison roulette rules. In fact, you can earn a fraction or even all your money back if the ball lands on zero after the wheel stops spinning.
What you also need to keep in mind is that outside bets are based on certain numbers, rather than specific ones. Here’s a closer look at the outside bet types you can place on the roulette wheel:
| Bet Type | Description | Placement |
|---|---|---|
| Column | Wagers on a specific column | Bottom |
| Dozen | A bet that is placed on 12 numbers of the same group | On the pockets of a group of 12 |
| Low/High | 1-18 / 19-36 | Corners (Outside betting area) |
| Even/Odd | Wagers on odd or even numbers | Respective sections labelled Odd or Even |
| Red/Black | Wagers on red or black numbers | Center (Outside betting area) |
Announced Bets
Announced bets are generally used by high rolling players. They allow you to place wagers that generally take stakes in larger portions on the roulette wheel. Just like any other bet, there is a wide range of announced bets that you can place on the different pockets and connected sections of the roulette wheel.
The most important thing you need to remember is where to lay down you bets, since some announced bets are slightly more difficult than others. Let’s take a look at some of the information below:
| Bet Type | Description | Placement |
|---|---|---|
| Jeu zero | Seven numbers in the sequence of 12-35-3-26-0-32-15 | Bottom |
| Voisins du zéro | Seventeen numbers that are close to zero: Numbers that range between 22 and 25 to create 22-18-29-7-28-12-35-3-26-0-32-15-19-4-21-2-25 | On the pockets of each group of 12 |
| Le tiers du cylindre | Twelve numbers opposite to zero: Numbers between 27 and 33 in the sequence 27-13-36-11-30-8-23-10-5-24-16-33 | Corners (Outside betting area) |
| Orphelins | Eight numbers in two non-connected and opposite sides of the roulette wheel: Numbers between 17-34-6 and 1-20-14-31-9 | Respective sections labelled Odd or Even |
Tips when Playing Online Roulette at Canadian Casino Sites
Now that the basics are out of the way, we thought it would be a good idea to recap a few tips and tricks on how to play roulette at Canadian casino sites.
The number one rule you have to remember is that roulette strategies aren’t infallible. On the contrary, it takes a fair amount of skill, knowledge of the game and mathematical calculations to truly master the game. For more information about roulette strategies, please click on the link.
Additionally, we strongly advise you to always opt for European Roulette rather than American Roulette. As discussed at an earlier stage of this guide, European Roulette has a house edge of just 2.70%, whilst it increases to 5.26% in the American version. In line with this, always go for outside bets. Although they payout less winnings, they are safe bets, as opposed to inside bets.
Since you have the opportunity to play for free, we highly encourage you to test out the demos when you’re still mastering all the roulette rules on how to play roulette. More so, you can also take full advantage of the welcome bonus if you agree to the wagering requirements listed on the terms and conditions page of your chosen casino.
That said, we do encourage you to dabble in cracking versions of real money roulette such as the thrilling Lightning Roulette from Evolution Gaming. You know they have truly mastered the art of live casino gaming, so you shouldn’t have a problem when it comes to playing live roulette. In fact, there are also more versions available, including Speed Roulette, Live Roulette, Immersive Roulette and many more.
Roulette Rules FAQs
🏩 What is the difference between American and European Roulette?
The fundamentals of the game remain the same, except for a couple of differences. First off, American roulette has 38 numbers on the wheel, whilst European Roulette has 37 numbers. In this case, the American variant features a 0 and 00, whilst the European version has just a single zero. This is important because it makes all the difference in the house edge. In fact, European Roulette has a house edge of just 2.70%, whilst it increases to 5.26% in the American version.
🤓 What is the best way to play roulette?
It’s fairly easy to master the basics of roulette if you employ the right strategy. Always opt for European roulette since it has better odds and a lesser house edge. Furthermore, we highly advise you to opt for outside bets since you are guaranteed a payout even though they pay less than inside bets. Most importantly, always play responsibly!
🧐 How do you bet on Roulette?
It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3! Once the ball is dropped on the roulette wheel, you need to guess on which red or black compartment it will fall into and place your chip. Simply put, if you guess the number, you win! It’s that easy! That said you need to have a fair amount of knowledge of the game and the necessary skills in order to choose the numbers where the ball is most likely to land on.
⚡ Can I play Live Lightning Roulette from Canada?
Absolutely! Canadian players can play Evolution Gaming’s stellar version of Lightning Roulette at multiple online casino providers, including Jackpot City Casino, Dream Vegas and Party Casino.
Kayleigh reviews online casinos and sportsbooks while coordinating training initiatives for new recruits at Casimoose.ca. She excels at sharing her love for the iGaming industry and puts her past experience to good use. With a background working for the biggest gambling brands online and a strong analytical ability, Kayleigh developed a natural gift in breaking down each component of online casinos, betting sites as well as their offerings and hasn't looked back. Outside of Casimoose, she's a proud Ontarian with a love of sports and entertainment.