Online Roulette Guide 2021 - How to Play, Rules, Tips & More!

Roulette Rules - A Step by Step Guide

Playing roulette in a land-based venue is subject to all sorts of etiquette and traditions, but when you’re playing online, you don’t need to know about any of that! In online roulette casino games, there are just four steps standing between you and success when you hit the tables:

Find a table.
After considering the level of risk you want to take, place your bet(s).
When you’re ready, hit Spin and wait for the ball to land in one of the numbered slots.
If you’ve chosen correctly, you can collect your winnings from the casino!

Roulette Bet Types

Key Roulette Terms You Need To Know

American Roulette: A version of roulette than includes both a green 0 and 00

Column bet: A bet on a column of 12 numbers on the roulette table layout
Corner bet: A bet on four numbers which pays out 8 to 1. Players place the chip at the corner of four numbers.
Croupier: Also known as the dealer, this is the person who spins the wheel and takes bets

D’Alembert: A betting system that involves increasing your bet when you lose and decreasing it when you win
Dolly: A win marker that is placed on the winning number on a roulette table
Dozen bet: A bet on the colour of the slot the ball lands in

En prison: A rule that allows players to leave their bet “in prison” when a zero is hit, with their original bet returned if they are successful on the next spin
European Roulette: The original version of roulette, which includes just a single green 0

Ficheur: A special machine used to sort the chips
Final: A type of bet that covers multiple numbers, e.g. final four covers four, 14, 24 and 34
Finale schnaps: A bet on the numbers 11, 22 and 33

High bet: A bet that the next ball will land on a number between 19 and 36
House edge: The edge that a casino has over the player on a bet or game

Inside bet: A bet made on the numbered “inside” section of the table

Low bet: A bet that the next ball will land on a number between 1 and 18

Martingale: This betting system sees players doubling their bet every time they lose (which can get very expensive very quickly!)

Outside bet: A bet on a 2-1 or even money bet on the “outside” section of the table

Quarter bet: Another term for Corner bet

Roulette wheel: The device that’s spun in order to determine the winning number in each round

Split: A bet on two numbers on the table
Straight bet: A bet on a single number
Street bet: A bet on three numbers on the table

Tips from Our Roulette Experts

Whether it’s land-based roulette, online game variations or live roulette, members of our team have spent countless hours watching that roulette wheel spin. If we could go back and give ourselves tips for starting out, it would be the following:

Think about the odds

There’s an enormous range of bets available on the roulette table, each with their own respective odds and house edge. Proper bankroll management involves considering which bet(s) you’re planning to place before you start playing, depending on your appetite for risk.

Know your variants

There are multiple variations of the game out there, each with their own unique take on the roulette rules. Some versions, most notably French, give players a much better chance of winning than others.

Manage your money

Because players control the speed of the action in online casino roulette, it’s easy to race through your bankroll more quickly than in a gambling venue. Make a careful note of how much you’re spending to ensure that you’re playing at a sustainable rate.

Be wary of betting systems

There are some systems out there that seem completely fool proof and they may even work for you in the short term. Unfortunately, due to betting limits and the volatile nature of the game, there’s simply no betting system that’s guaranteed to work in the long term.

Make use of free online roulette

If you have your heart set on trying out some existing roulette betting systems or want to test out theories of your own, free online roulette offers the best opportunity to do this. There’s no risk of losing large sums of money here.

Know your limits

Gambling more than you can realistically afford or wagering substantial sums of money in quick succession, is never a good idea. As you play, take careful note of how much you’re spending (or winning!) and know when it’s time to stop. Sometimes the smartest move is to call it quits and come back another day.

Playing Different Roulette Variations

Although the basics of roulette - place your bets, spin the wheel and hope you’ve guessed correctly - always look pretty much the same, there are multiple versions of the game with their own take on roulette game rules:

American roulette

With both a 0 and 00 in play, this variant has a higher house edge than European and French versions of the game.

European roulette

The inclusion of just a single 0 means that this type of roulette wheel slashes the house edge of American roulette in half.

French roulette

This game is very similar to the European variant, despite its different roulette table layout and colour, but adds the La Partage/En Prison rule to half its house edge.

Live dealer roulette

With a real croupier, who uses a real roulette wheel, the action here is broadcast to players via webcam. You must place all bets during time allocated by the croupier.

Play Roulette Online

While the question of how to play roulette is one that’s easily answered, the issue of how to win at roulette consistently is a little trickier. Once you’re familiar with the relevant roulette rules for each variation, there’s not much else left to do except hit the tables and try your luck!