How To Play Roulette
Roulette is one of the most popular and exciting games you can find at online casinos in the world. You will find roulette games at most top online casinos, with hundreds of different spins being put on the classic formats. The game is constantly evolving, but the basic principles remain the same, and therein lies its beauty. In this roulette guide, we will take a detailed look at how to play roulette, the rules of the different formats, the types of bets you can place, their odds, payouts, and more. You can also watch our full roulette video tutorial on YouTube.
Roulette Video Tutorial
Playing Roulette Step-by-Step
Getting started with online roulette could not be easier. The game is simple to play. All players need to do is follow these steps to get the wheel spinning:
1. Choose your stake
You will first need to select your stake. This is typically done by clicking on the chips at the bottom of the screen. Once you have done this, you can place your chips on the roulette board. The options will vary from casino to casino.
2. Confirm your Bets
Double check you have placed the correct bets, and then you can hit the spin button. Make sure you have covered all of the inside and outside bets that you want to place. You can check the payout of these bets using the game’s paytable.
3. Hit Spin and Cross Your Fingers
Once you have confirmed everything, you can hit the spin button. The game will then use a random number generator (RNG) to determine the outcome of the spin.
4. Find Out if You Are a Winner
The ball will spin around the wheel and land on a spot. The game will then show you where the ball has landed and let you know if you have won the spin or not. Any winnings will then be paid out.
Rules & Objectives
The beauty of roulette lies in its simplicity. The game has endured for centuries because anyone can quickly learn how to play it and start betting. Let’s take a look at the basic principles and rules of online roulette.
- The objective of roulette is simple - to correctly guess the number or colour that the ball will land on. The more precise your choice, the higher the potential payout will be.
- In the game, you are presented with a selection of inside and outside bets. Inside bets cover a smaller range of numbers, while outside bets will cover much big options.
- You are free to bet on as many numbers as you like in a game of roulette.
- Roulette is a game of chance. As such, neither players nor the casino have any impact on where the ball lands.
- The odds for each game can be found in the paytable. The version of the game you are playing will determine the potential payouts, with European and American Roulette using a different amount of numbers.
Types
You will find many different roulette types at online casinos, and it can all appear quite daunting for newcomers to the game.
French Roulette
On the face of it, there is virtually no difference between French Roulette and European Roulette. The two games feature the same amount of numbers and betting options. However, there are some differences in the French Roulette rules. In the game, players will receive half of their bet back if the number lands on zero. This is known as La Partage. There is also ‘En Prison’, which is where players get the option to take half their stake back or spin again if it lands on zero.
American Roulette
American Roulette is largely the same as European Roulette, only with one major difference. There is an additional zero space on the wheel. The 00 is next to the standard 0. This tips the odds more in the favour of the house. The rules of the game, however, remain exactly the same.
European Roulette
European Roulette is the most classic form of roulette. In the game, the roulette wheel has 36 numbers and one zero. The aim is to guess which number the ball or colour the ball is going to land on. This features all of the standard rules and odds of roulette.
Roulette Bet Types
Roulette bets are split into two main categories - inside and outside bets. We have broken down each betting type and all of its bets below. You can find out more by checking out the roulette betting type guide.
What is an Inside Bet?
Inside bets are bets placed on the inside of a roulette board. These are typically placed on just one number or a small selection.
| Straight Up | A bet on the exact number the ball will land on. |
| Split Bet | A bet on two adjacent numbers on the roulette board. |
| Street Bet | A bet on three numbers on the roulette table. |
| Corner Bet | A bet placed on a square of four numbers. |
| Basket Bet or 5-line | A bet on five numbers on the wheel. |
| Line Bet or 6-line | A bet on two adjacent lines of three numbers each. |
What is an Outside Bet?
Outside bets are bets not focused on individuals or a smaller amount of numbers. Instead, these are focused on larger amounts and have smaller payouts. They are placed around the outside of a roulette board.
| Columns | A bet on the ball landing one of three columns, each made up of 12 numbers. |
| Dozens | A bet on the ball landing on one of three sets of 12 on the grid. |
| Even-money | This refers to any type of bet in roulette that pays out 1:1. |
| Odd or Even | A bet on whether the ball will land on an odd or even number. |
| Red or black | A bet on whether you think the ball will land on red or black. |
| High or low | A bet on whether you think the ball will land on any number between 1-18 or between 19-36. |
Odds & Payouts
Roulette is a game that provides plenty of different betting options for players. You can find odds and payouts to suit your own betting strategy, with some players preferring outside bets to inside and vice-versa. You can find out more about roulette odds and payouts here.
To get started, let’s take a detailed look at all of the roulette bets you can place and their payouts in each format of the game.
| Bet Type | Bet | European Odds & Payout | French Odds & Payout | American Odds & Payout |
| Inside | Straight Up | 35:1 | 35:1 | 35:1 (Odds of 37:1) |
| Inside | Split | 17:1 | 17:1 | 17:1 |
| Inside | Street | 11:1 | 11:1 | 8:1 |
| Inside | Corner | 8:1 | 8:1 | 8:1 |
| Inside | Basket | N/A | N/A | 6:1 |
| Inside | Line | 5:1 | 5:1 | 5:1 |
| Outside | Red/Black | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| Outside | Odd/Even | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| Outside | High/Low | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| Outside | Column | 2:1 | 2:1 | 2:1 |
| Outside | Dozen | 2:1 | 2:1 | 2:1 |
Tips & Strategies
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How to play roulette FAQs
Here are the most common questions we get asked about how to play roulette.
