Online roulette 101: Here are the variations you want to play

Online roulette games have long been one of the top games to play at an online casino. After all, everyone knows roulette since anyone can guess which number will come up at the wheel.

But even casino customers may not realize there are a lot of choices out there when it comes to roulette games at the online casino. Each of them has its pros and cons, too.

While a lot of people are now signing up to play for free with no deposit bonuses and similar promotions, others prefer the unsurpassed thrill of a bet on roulette.

So when it’s time to play for real money, check out this complete roulette guide.

Traditional games

For the most part, casino customers will opt for traditional roulette games at the online casino.

European roulette is the type of roulette most commonly available on such sites. In this form of the game, there are spaces on the wheel for numbers one to 36, plus one green slot for zero.

The name of this form of roulette comes from the fact roulette’s history is rooted in Europe, with the game first thought to have been played in France.

American roulette is the other main traditional roulette game that can be played at online casinos. The difference with American roulette is that there are usually two spaces for zero.

What this means is that there is a much larger house edge for the casino site when players opt for American roulette instead of European roulette. In European roulette, the house edge is more than 2.5 per cent, which is still quite high compared to games like blackjack and baccarat.

But for American roulette games with two green spaces for zero on the wheel, the house edge retained by the online casino rockets to more than five per cent. This makes American roulette one of the worst value games that can be played at the online casino. However, American roulette games on a lot of sites now only have a single green space for zero, so check closely.

Completing the set of traditional roulette games is French roulette, which is very similar to European roulette. The layout of the board may be slightly different but the bets are the same.

Modern forms of roulette at the online casino

Many online casinos have introduced new forms of roulette into their offerings in a bid to attract more people to opt for this game instead of alternative options like slots and online poker.

Mini roulette is a popular modern type of the game, with a smaller wheel used. In mini roulette, there are usually just 13 spaces on the wheel, with six red, six black and one green zero.

Naturally, payouts are different in this slimmed-down type of roulette. Betting on a number to come up will pay out 11:1 instead of 36:1, so the chances of winning are much improved.

Mini roulette can certainly be a fun alternative to European roulette for those online casino customers who want to try something different on their next visit to their favourite site.

Casinos now often offer a multi wheel roulette option too. This is a good choice for those who like the action to be fast and furious. 

Variations in multi wheel roulette are numerous but there can sometimes be as many as six different wheels in play. Bets have to be played on each of the wheels in this form of the game.

Thinking outside of the box, players could even get their roulette fix in Grand Theft Auto.

GTA Online has a casino in-game where players can try their luck out at the roulette wheel.

Live games a rising trend at online casinos

Live casino games are available on most sites nowadays and live roulette is also growing in popularity as more people turn to this option.

Among the benefits of choosing a live roulette game is the fact that there is plenty of interaction between the dealer and players who take a seat at the table. The live casino is therefore the closest experience that is available online to visiting a real bricks and mortar casino.

With a lot of these casinos having had to close their doors as a result of the coronavirus crisis, live roulette games might be as close as players can come to that real-life experience.

Anyone concerned about whether online casino games are fair should be assured by live roulette games, given they can watch a physical wheel spin and come up with the result.

Which alternative type of roulette game are you excited to try out at the online casino first?