| Updated: October 2, 2024A true casino mainstay, roulette has been dominating the floors of gambling halls worldwide for centuries. Today, the game is available to players at the click of a mouse button in hundreds of online casinos where you can find it in a number of enticing variations, some old, others – new and unconventional.
This is the reason why we, at BonusInsider, decided to create this page. Here we share our knowledge about the game of roulette, including its rules and the bet types it supports. We also introduce our readers to the top software vendors that supply roulette games to trusted online casinos.
On this page, you get to learn about the best variations of the iconic game you can find on the web. Additionally, we feature explanations about the most popular betting systems applicable at the online and landbased roulette tables. Let’s get you started with a brief walkthrough of roulette’s key rules.
Roulette Bets
Before we proceed any further, we would like to warn you there is no way to change the odds of winning in this game. The odds of any given number hitting always remain the same (1 to 35 on single-zero wheels) because roulette is based on independent trials, i.e. the past does not impact the future and previous results bear no effect on the outcomes of trials to follow.
Having gotten that out of the way, roulette bets fall into main categories. Check them out below, along with the payouts they yield when luck smiles upon you.
Outside Bets
Inside BetsOutside Bets
The chips for outside bets are posted outside the main betting area on the cloth-covered layout. The category comprises several wagers that cover whole groups of numbers or number properties like parity and color. These stand higher chances of winning at the expense of lower payouts.
- Bets on number properties like red/black, odd/even, and high (19 through 36)/low (1 through 18) return even money (1 to 1) and lose when the ball settles in the green zero pocket unless the La Partage and En Prison rules are in place.
- Column bets comprise three groups of 12 numbers each, positioned in the vertical columns on the table layout. For example, a bet on the middle column comprises numbers 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 23, 26, 29, 32, and 35. A winning column bet offers a payout of 2 to 1. It loses when zero hits as neither 0 nor 00 belong to any of the three columns.
- Dozen bets cover 12 numbers as the layout is divided into three dozens. The first dozen features numbers 1 through 12, the second dozen spans numbers 13 through 24, and the third one – numbers 25 through 36. Under each dozen, there is a betting box where you post your chips. Respectively, the betting boxes are marked 1st 12, 2nd 12, and 3rd 12 for each of the dozens. These pay 2 to 1 and also lose to zero.
- The snake bet comprises the following 12 numbers – 1, 5, 9, 12, 14, 16, 19, 23, 27, 30, 32, and 34. It borrows its name from the zigzagging pattern the included numbers form on the layout. This bet is not available at all roulette tables but when it wins, its overall payout is 2 to 1.
Inside Bets
Inside bets are made either on individual numbers or on combinations of several numbers. The chips for them are placed in the center field of the layout which contains numbers 0 through 36. You post your bet either in the box corresponding to your individual number or on the intersections of your chosen numbers. The inside bet combinations can comprise two through six numbers.
- The straight up bet is the highest payer in roulette. It is made on any one of the individual numbers 0 through 36. If your number hits, you collect 35 chips for every chip you have staked.
- A split bet covers two numbers of your choice. The chips for split bets are posted on the line that divides two adjacent numbers on the table layout, for example, 6/5, 6/9, or 8/11. A winning split bet pays 17 to 1.
- A street bet covers three horizontal numbers like 1, 2, and 3, 4, 5 and 6 or 7, 8 and 9. The chips are posted on the borderline of the first number in your chosen row. When the ball lands on any of the three numbers, your street bet wins at house odds of 11 to 1.
- The double street bet includes six consecutive numbers, positioned in two neighboring rows on the layout like 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. With this bet, the player posts their chips on the intersection between the two rows. It pays 5 to 1.
- The corner bet comprises four numbers whose boxes on the layout share a common corner like 1, 2, 4, and 5. You post the chips in the center where the horizontal and vertical lines of the betting boxes intersect. You win a payout of 8 to 1 if any of your four numbers hits.
- The basket bet comprises the zero and numbers 1, 2, and 3 in single-zero variations of the game. With this one, you place the chips on the intersection between 0 and 3 or 0 and 1. This bet offers the same payout as the corner bet, or 8 to 1, and wins if the ball lands on 0, 1, 2 or 3. A similar bet is featured on the double-zero tables where it covers five numbers, 0, 00, 1, 2, and 3.
- High Stakes Roulette
- Low Limit Roulette
- Fibonacci Roulette System
- Parlay Roulette System
- Martingale Roulette System
- Inside Bets
- Outside Bets
- Roulette Rules
- Roulette Strategies
- American Roulette
- French Roulette
- European Roulette
- American and European Wheel Sequences
- Roulette – From a Perpetual Motion Machine to a Casino Landmark
- Roulette Basics and Rules of Table Conduct
- Roulette's Bet Types
- The French Roulette Layout
- Independent Trials, Odds, and Casino Edge in Roulette
- En Prison and La Partage
- Taking Your Roulette Game to the Next Level with Call Bets
- The Many Faces of Roulette – Interesting Variations to Try
- Progressive Roulette Systems
- Reading Biased Wheels and Other Predictive Methods
- The Master of the Wheel Gonzalo Garcia Pelayo
- Improving Your Roulette Game
- Dispelling Roulette Myths
- How to Protect a Roulette Bankroll
- Software Providers of Online Roulette
- Roulette Games with Progressive Jackpots
- Live Dealer Roulette
- Roulette Goes Mobile
- Roulette in Literature, Film, and Television
Popular Roulette Games
Roulette Software
Industry frontrunners like the software studios listed below all offer online variations of the legendary game of chance. The roulette games supplied by these vendors are all striking in terms of graphic presentation, not to mention they boast a number of extra features to further improve online players’ experience. The graphics are sharp, with many of the variants being optimized for play on desktop and mobile.
Playtech Microgaming NetEnt BetsoftPlaytech
Playtech leads the industry when it comes to providing authentic online roulette variations. The studio has so far created a huge variety of roulette games that play on single-zero and double-zero wheels, with some of the most prominent examples being New AR Roulette, Diamond Bet Roulette, Spread Bet Roulette, and 101 Roulette. The studio has also launched live HTML5 roulette, giving players instant in-browser access to its sophisticated live tables.
Microgaming
Microgaming is yet another reputable studio that boasts a versatile catalog of online roulette variants. This is easily the most experienced software vendor in the world (est. 1994). The expertise of its developers truly shows in games like Multi-Player Roulette, Multi-Wheel Roulette, and Premier Roulette. You can play against Microgaming’s dealers at the branded Playboy live tables.
NetEnt
NetEnt is a leading Swedish software studio that was founded back in 1996. This vendor may not boast such an extensive range of options for roulette fans as the previous two suppliers on our list, but compensates with superior quality in terms of gameplay, compatibility, and graphics presentation. The most popular variants on NetEnt’s roster are American, European, and French Roulette alongside Roulette Advanced.
Betsoft
Betsoft is a major European online casino software developer that specializes predominantly in 3D slots. Nevertheless, the studio has launched several bespoke roulette variations that deserve a mention because of their playability, nice visuals, and great interface. Check out Betsoft’s Zoom Roulette and Common Draw Roulette. Chances are you won’t regret it if you are a fan of this casino staple.
Roulette Variations
There are dozens upon dozens of roulette variations, available for real-money and practice play on the web. This makes it difficult for one to separate the wheat from the chaff, especially if they lack experience with playing the game online. We have tested virtually all roulette variants one could possibly imagine, so trust us when we say these are the 6 must-try variations all die-hard fans of the game would play.
Multi-Wheel Roulette Progressive Roulette Double Ball Roulette Spread Bet Roulette Mini Roulette Common Draw RouletteMulti-Wheel Roulette
Multi-Wheel Roulette is one of the less conventional versions of roulette you can find online. There are two different variants, though. The one supplied by Microgaming uses eight wheels you can activate and play at the same time while that of Playtech features a total of six wheels. Each wheel you activate will cost you an extra bet, which is something to keep in mind.
Progressive Roulette
Progressive jackpots are no longer reserved exclusively for slot players. Roulette fans now have the chance to snag a pooled jackpot prize thanks to the progressive roulette variations developed by Microgaming and Playtech. Huge pots drop in Roulette Royale, Frankie Dettori’s Jackpot Roulette, Dragon Jackpot Roulette, and Age of the Gods Roulette. Some variants require you to contribute a small optional side bet to qualify for winning the pot.
Double Ball Roulette
Double Ball Roulette offers double the fun and action as it plays with two balls instead of one. Software supplier Felt has produced one such variant where even-money bets win when both balls land on the same property. The game supports unconventional wagers like Red and Black where you win even money when a ball lands on each of the two colors. If both land on the same color, you win at odds of 3 to 1.
Spread Bet Roulette
Playtech’s Spread Bet Roulette is interesting in that it offers a broader scope of betting options. This is made possible through the addition of a gilded inner wheel that allows you to experiment with side bets and earn up to 400x your initial stake.
Mini Roulette
Mini Roulette is yet another creation of Playtech that strays from the conventional version of the game. It follows the same rules but plays on a smaller table layout and uses a wheel which contains only numbers 0 through 12. The payouts for straight up, split, corner, and dozen bets are reduced to accommodate this peculiarity of the game.
Common Draw Roulette
Software supplier Betsoft adds a social element to the online game with the introduction of Common Draw Roulette. This is a multi-player version that features a chat box where you can converse with other participants. Because of this peculiarity, you have 32 seconds to post a new bet between coups.