| Updated: October 2, 2024Being the most iconic chance game of all times, roulette has now moved to the online gaming market and is available across most web-based casinos. Players are offered a highly authentic betting experience with roulette games streamed in real time.
You are greeted by gorgeous, amiable, and competent human dealers who are always happy to chit-chat with the players. The action is broadcast in high definition over the internet so that you can immediately see the winning number. In this article, we share our knowledge about live dealer roulette alongside some valuable insights on how to find the best live tables.
Gaming controls
Live roulette uses the following gaming controls to accommodate bettors.
Traffic Lights
Chip Tray Undo Double Repeat/RebetTraffic Lights
The Traffic Lights indicate the present status of a given round, informing players when they can post wagers. A green light means the table is currently open for betting, the yellow light shows you betting time is almost over, and the red one indicates bets are no longer accepted for the round.
Chip Tray
The Chip Tray enables you to select the value of the chips you are looking to bet. The live roulette variants powered by Evolution Gaming enable you to pick only chip denominations that can fit into your current balance. For example, if you are left with a balance of $25 only, higher denominations like $100, $500, and $1,000 remain inactive until you refill your account.
Undo
The Undo button enables you to clear your bets before the start of a round. If you have posted multiple wagers, you can click it repeatedly to remove your bets one by one in reverse order.
Double
The Double button gets activated after you have already made a bet. Each successive click of this button automatically doubles your bets until you reach the maximum allowed limit. This comes in handy if you use the Martingale betting system.
Repeat/Rebet
The Repeat/Rebet button is useful to flat bettors as it repeats all wagers they made during the previous round. It gets deactivated if you post any chips manually.
The Technology that Makes Live Roulette Games Tick
Live roulette takes place in authentic settings with communicative and skilled dealers. The action is streamed back to players’ desktop or mobile screens with the help of sophisticated technology. Every element in the live casino’s infrastructure is equally important. Below are the components that make live roulette tick:
Cameras OCR (Optical Character Recognition) Game Control Unit MonitorsCameras
Cameras are essential for live dealer roulette as they capture everything that is going on at the tables. Most software suppliers install at least three small cameras per table, which enables the players to see the action from different angles.
OCR (Optical Character Recognition)
OCR (Optical Character Recognition) is utilized for the conversion of information into electronic format. It tells the game’s software what number has hit so that the software can pay out the winners. Without it, you would simply watch a regular video stream. Interaction between the dealers and the players would have been impossible without the OCR.
Game Control Unit
The Game Control Unit is one of the most crucial components in live dealer roulette. This piece of equipment encodes the information about the game and provides the live dealer with virtual support, enabling them to seamlessly service the table.
No bigger than a small box, this device operates in conjunction with the Optical Character Recognition software. It encodes the live stream captured by the HD cameras so that it reaches the players in real-time without any lags or interruptions.
Monitors
The monitors serve as a bridge between the players and the live dealers. They provide the dealer with vital information about the game, including the number of players that have joined the table and what they see on their computer or smartphone screens. This information enables the dealers to do their job in a professional and friendly manner.
- 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
- Roulette Goes Mobile
- Roulette in Literature, Film, and Television
Key Player-Oriented Features in Live Roulette
Live roulette games are user-friendly for the most part, offering players a variety of handy features they can customize and control their gameplay with. These vary depending on the software studio powering the live roulette games, but the features listed below are usually readily available across most live casinos.
Statistics panel Autoplay Multi-tabling Live Chat Multiple cameras Dealer tippingStatistics panel
The statistics panel shows trend bettors a diagram of the winning numbers during the past several hundred rounds. This gives them an accurate idea about the distribution of results, allowing them to identify hot and cold sectors on the wheel.
Autoplay
The Autoplay feature enables players to automatically repeat a previously selected wager or wagers for a given number of rounds. You can either stop it manually or choose how many rounds it ends after.
Multi-tabling
Multi-tabling is a suitable option for roulette players who are looking for more betting action. You can join several different roulette tables simultaneously. Evolution Gaming’s platform, for example, allows you to play at up to four tables at the same time. We recommend you use this feature in full-screen mode so that everything is clearly visible and you can place your bets accurately.
Live Chat
The Live Chat feature gives you the chance to communicate with your dealer and other players who partake in the game. The dealer checks their monitor to see what players are typing and responds to them verbally.
You also have the option to deactivate and hide the chat if it distracts you from your gameplay. The chat is sometimes used for announcements, for instance, to warn the player the action will be interrupted for several minutes to clean the roulette wheel.
Multiple cameras
Multiple cameras are used to ensure a fully immersive roulette experience, giving players the chance to toggle between several camera views. Some roulette tables by Evolution Gaming provide a choice from three different options, Immersive, Classic, and 3D view.
Dealer tipping
Dealer tipping is possible at live roulette tables powered by Ezugi and Vivo Gaming. Tipping is optional and whether you do it or not depends on where you come from. Dealer tipping is expected at American casinos, which is why most US players are accustomed to giving gratuities. Brits, on the other hand, are not in the habit of tipping their dealers because this practice was illegal in their local casinos until recently.
A Few More Pointers before You Join the Live Dealers
Before you dive into the exciting action of live roulette, there are several other things you need to be aware of. Aspects like device compatibility, internet connection speed, table limits, and versatility have a direct impact on your playing experience. It would be best to consider them prior to joining the live roulette dealers.
Software provider Table limits Your device's parameters Look for a decent selection of live tables Supported banking options Native dealersSoftware provider
Live roulette games are supplied by various software companies, with each platform offering distinct features and gaming set. Players who insist on having a more versatile choice are recommended to register with Evolution Gaming-powered casinos since Evolution provides the largest selection of live roulette games.
Check the reputation of your software studio of choice and which regulator oversees its product offering. Playing at casinos powered by reputable software providers guarantees a high-end, safe live roulette experience.
Table limits
When you compare the limits of live and RNG-based games, you may notice the former are sometimes more expensive to play. The live tables often have higher minimum limits because they cost more money to run. You have to pay salaries to the dealers, the pit bosses, the technicians, and so on.
However, some live platforms feature a diverse selection of tables with different limits. If you are playing on a shoestring budget, we suggest you look for Evolution Gaming-powered casinos. Many websites using this software have roulette tables with minimum bets of $0.10. High rollers are also taken into consideration, with upper table limits stretching as high as several thousands of credits.
Your device's parameters
Live roulette games are more demanding because the action is transmitted to your screen in real time. Older devices often lack the RAM and processing power needed to handle live-streamed games, which leads to a poorer playing experience with frequent lags and freezes.
You also need a decent internet connection to enjoy live roulette seamlessly. Broadband, wireless and 4G (on mobile) connections will do. If your connection is good enough for YouTube videos to load smoothly, it most likely will do for playing live roulette as well.
Look for a decent selection of live tables
It is always a good idea to register at a live casino that offers you a choice from multiple roulette tables. You are less likely to get bored when you have more options. To our knowledge, Evolution Gaming provides the most extensive collection of live roulette tables, including European, French, American, and Auto Roulette. Some of the single-zero tables support the La Partage rule.
Supported banking options
Different live casinos offer different methods of banking. You better check what’s available before you register to ensure you will be able to top up your account and play live roulette for real money.
This is essential since live roulette, unlike its RNG-based cousins, is typically unavailable for free play. Your casino of choice should conduct financial transactions safely, encoding them with SSL encryptions to protect your money.
Native dealers
Your playing experience will be ruined if language is a barrier. You will be unable to understand anything your roulette dealer says. The good news is major suppliers of live casino solutions like Evolution, Playtech, and Ezugi offer country-specific roulette tables manned by native dealers. If English is not your biggest strength, they will service you in languages like Italian, German, Spanish, Russian, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, and Greek.
Types of Live Roulette Games to Check
Most roulette games hosted by live dealers follow the same rules, regardless of what variation one is playing. They play either on single-zero or double-zero wheels offering the typical set of outside, insider, and call wagers.
The payouts are largely the same, although there are some live variants where players will benefit from multipliers on their winnings. We did our best to bring all types of live roulette variations that are worth checking out in one place.
Live Roulette Streamed from Landbased Casinos Live Roulette with Progressive Jackpots Live Roulette with Two Balls Live Speed Roulette Live Slingshot/Auto Roulette Live Roulette Games with Multipliers or Side BetsLive Roulette Streamed from Landbased Casinos
Software providers like Evolution and Authentic Gaming give roulette players a glimpse inside some of the most luxurious casinos in the world by streaming the action directly from their landbased floors.
This also works to the advantage of landbased gambling operators because it gives them more exposure and helps them establish an online presence. HD cameras are installed above and around the table so that the dealer can do their job seamlessly and without interruptions.
You can see players on the premises posting their bets and collecting chips after winning coups. The quality of the stream is just as good as that of studio-based live games. Below are some of the software suppliers that offer HD streams from landbased roulette tables.
- Evolution Gaming streams Dual Play Roulette from Malta’s Dragonara, London’s Hippodrome, and Bucharest’s Grand Casino.
- Authentic Gaming specializes in the provision of roulette games broadcast from landbased casinos, with live streams from Italy’s Saint-Vincent Resort & Casino, Bulgaria’s Platinum Casino, Georgia’s Casino International, and Romania’s Casino Bucharest.
- Ezugi brings players closer to the action with OTT (Over the Table) Roulette, streamed from the floors of Portomaso, the Oracle, and Royal Casino.
- Extreme Live Gaming offers live roulette from the floors of Gibraltar’s Casino Admiral.
Live Roulette with Progressive Jackpots
Games with progressive jackpots are starting to gain traction among roulette mavens, thanks to major software studios like Playtech. The studio was the first to release a progressive version of live baccarat. Rival developer Evolution Gaming took notice of the game’s huge success and followed suit with the launch of progressive Casino Hold’em, Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker, and Caribbean Stud.
However, Playtech remains the only software studio to supply live casinos with a progressive version of roulette. Four progressive prizes can be won in its Age of the Gods Live Roulette, with 1% of each bet being added to the uncapped pools.
The Ultimate Super Power jackpot is the largest of the four. It seeds at the amount of €100,000 and yields an average win of over €660,000. Handsome prizes can be randomly won on any round, even one that otherwise results in a loss. Betting the maximum is not a requirement for qualification although placing larger bets increases your chances of success.
Live Roulette with Two Balls
If one ball cannot satisfy your cravings for more intense roulette action, maybe live Double Ball Roulette will. To the best of our knowledge, Evolution Gaming is the only provider to supply a live version of the game, although you can find RNG-based variants developed by other studios.
In this innovative game, the live dealer pushes a button to release the two balls from a tube on a patented device. Compressed air is used for the propulsion of the balls, which produce two winning outcomes instead of one.
Respectively, the game offers enhanced betting opportunities and different payouts. It pays more frequently, with the largest odds of 1,300 to 1 being awarded when both balls choose the same number.
Keep in mind that if you are betting on the outcome of one ball only, you will be paid at shorter odds. For example, winning straight-up bets with one ball pay only 17 to 1 instead of the standard 35 to 1. The rules for outside bets are also adjusted. Outside bettors receive a payout when both balls produce the same outcome.
Live Speed Roulette
Live roulette is less dynamic which is good because you make fewer bets per hour and the house edge eats up your bankroll at a slower pace. Regardless, some players prefer a quicker game. Major providers of live casino content cater to this demand with live dealer variations of Speed Roulette. But who offers the fastest live roulette variation?
- In Evolution Gaming’s Speed Roulette, the duration of each round is cut in half as the ball takes only 25 seconds to determine the winner. There is no dead time because wagers occur only during the spin.
- NetEnt’s Rocket Roulette is significantly slower since the time between spins is 42 seconds, including a betting window of 15 or so seconds. In contrast, a standard live roulette game produces between 48 and 60 spins per hour. We are not particularly impressed with this variation in terms of speed. The Swedish supplier compensates with an interesting studio setting and dealer ensembles, though.
- Playtech’s version of Speed Roulette delivers a relatively fast experience with a spin-to-spin timeframe of 34 seconds. Playtech markets the game as “the fastest hand-dealt roulette” although Evolution wins the race where speed is concerned. Other than that, the game uses a single-zero wheel and plays under the European rules.
Live Slingshot/Auto Roulette
This is a live-streamed roulette variation which, interestingly enough, lacks a human element in the form of a dealer. Instead, the tables use innovative, fully-automated wheels with compressed air initiating the spins and releasing the ball. This allows for faster gameplay and more bets per hour, which is not necessarily something to rejoice about as we previously explained.
The absence of a human dealer renders the gameplay a bit monotonous and reduces the level of interactivity in live roulette. On the positive side, unlimited players can join the game simultaneously.
- Evolution Gaming offers Slingshot Auto Roulette both at its mainstream and VIP tables. The game is capable of producing between 60 and 80 spins each hour and is available around the clock.
- Ezugi provides Auto Roulette live tables with dealer tipping, multi-camera view, and comprehensive history of hot/cold numbers and previous winners. The automated action is streamed from the supplier’s European studios.
- Extreme Live Gaming has launched an automated version of live roulette which enjoys popularity among players looking for a faster experience and do not care about dealer interaction. The game uses a single-zero wheel and European rules.
Live Roulette Games with Multipliers or Side Bets
Roulette is a game of many betting opportunities but live solutions suppliers have come up with smart ways to further enhance the action. Some live tables give you the chance to pocket additional payouts with winning side bets. Others award multipliers on your profits. Here are several of the most notable examples of live roulette games with extra winning opportunities:
- Lightning Roulette by Evolution Gaming revolutionizes the way the traditional wheel-based game plays. Set in an Art Deco environment, this variation combines the live casino experience with RNG gameplay, offering players more chances to win with one to five Lucky Numbers on each round.A Lucky Number can yield larger payouts with multipliers that range between 50x and 500x. The downside is the game compensates for the large multipliers with shorter odds of 29 to 1 for winning straight-up bets.
- Book of Ra Roulette by Extreme Live Gaming combines classic roulette with slots. The game supports special side bets on symbols from the Book of Ra slot which can earn you up to 80x your stake. Low-value symbols offer payouts of 18 to 1. The house edge of these side bets is higher as usual and goes a little over 10% for some of the available options.
- Live Lucky Ball Roulette by Authentic Gaming also offers an exciting twist by intruding a collection of side wagers with top payouts of 120 to 1. The side bets are color-based, with purple paying at odds of 60 to 1, orange paying 75 to 1, blue paying 100 to 1, and green yielding the top prize of 120x the bet. The house edge for the bonus side bets ranges between 4.05% and 6.08%. The game is streamed in real time from Georgia’s Casino International.
- Live Spread Bet Roulette by Playtech offers 7 additional bets that can potentially earn players a top prize of 400 to 1. The live table uses two concentric wheels with random numbers 0 through 36. The payout of the spread bets depends on the total of the two numbers the ball chooses.For example, if it settles under numbers 16 and 24 for a total of 40, you earn even money but if it chooses numbers 32 and 34 for a total of 66, you win at odds of 7 to 1. As usual, these side bets are not player-friendly. They come with an increased house edge of up to 6.94%.