Roulette, according to studies, is said to be the third most popular game at land-based casinos, just behind slots and craps. It is also hugely popular at online casinos among players across the world. The term means ‘little wheel’ in French and players place bets on where the ball that is put in motion with the spinning of the wheel will come to rest. There are 3 major variants:
- European Roulette
- American Roulette
- French Roulette
Top Roulette Casinos
We list for you the top roulette casinos available for African players. At these casinos you can use the bonuses available to play this wonderful game. The list we have compiled contains the name of the casino along with the contribution towards wagering requirements.
Roulette: A Brief History
Common belief is that the precursor to the game of roulette came about thanks to Blaise Pascal, a French mathematician, as he worked on inventing the perpetual motion machine. The origins can be traced back to the end of the 18th century in France. There are other theories as well: supposedly a monk at a French monastery was the one to create this game.
The early versions of roulette bear resemblance to Roly Poly, a game played in England around 1720. The first wheels for modern roulette were manufactured towards the end of the 18th century, with the wheel having red and black slots in which the ball could land. The first European single-zero (0) roulette was invented by Louis and Francois Blanc in 1842.
Roulette traveled to the USA from France through French immigrants in the 19th century, arriving in New Orleans first. The double-zero (00) version came about in the USA, which is why this version is also known as American roulette.
Different Types of Roulette Games
We have already listed out the 3 main types of roulette games; they are:
- European Roulette: This variant is the most popular of all variants and comes with a single 0 on the wheel. There are 37 slots for the numbers 1 to 36 and the single zero. All standard roulette bets apply to this variant, along with the announced bets. This variant also has the En Prison rule: you do not lose your even money bet if the ball lands on the zero; instead the bet is pushed to the next spin of the wheel. This rule reduces the house edge from 2.63% to a low 1.35%.
- American Roulette: This variant has an additional double zero (00) along with the single zero on the wheel. This means the wheel has 38 slots – 36 for the numbers 1 to 36 and one slot each for the 0 and 00. The house edge is high for this version because of the extra 00, at 5.26%.
- French Roulette: This is a variant of European roulette with the same even money bets, the 2.63% house edge, the En Prison rule, and the layout. The difference is the extra advantage in the form of the La Partage rule: if the ball lands on a 0 all even money bets are split, giving you half your wager back. The house edge drops for this game too from 2.63% to 1.35% thanks to the La Partage rule.
There are of course a number of other cool variants that have been created by the different software providers offering roulette games to players. These include, among others:
- Multi-Ball Roulette
- Mini Roulette
- Premier Roulette Diamond Edition
- Double Bonus Spin Roulette
- Monopoly Roulette Tycoon
- English Roulette
- 3-Wheel Roulette
- Spingo
- Live Dealer Roulette
- California Roulette
Of all these variants, the one that is most different is California Roulette, a game that has been available since it was legalized by the State of California. This game is different because you play with cards instead of slots in the wheel.
Roulette Objective and How to Play the Game
The objective of playing roulette is to bet on where the ball is likely to stop at the end of a spin of the roulette wheel. The game is simple to play. The number of players at a roulette table at a land-based casino is 8 usually. At an online casino it doesn’t matter. This is how you play the game online:
- Sign up or sign in at your favorite roulette casino.
- Choose the roulette game you want to play from the games available.
- Click the chips shown to select your wager amount and then drop them on the different sections of the table depending on the bets you want to place.
- Click the Spin button. The wheel spins and the ball falls on one of the slots on the wheel.
- You get paid out based on the bets you made.
Bet Types in Roulette
There are 2 main bet types in roulette:
- Outside bet: The different outside bets include:
- High/Low
- Red or Black
- Odd or Even
- Columns
- Dozens
- Inside bet: The different inside be9ts include:
- Straight Up
- Split
- Corner
- Street
- Line
- Snake Bet
- Basket
- Five-Number Bet
- There is another category of bets that you find only in European and French roulette. These are the call bets and include:
- Voisins du Zero
- Jeu Zero
- Tiers du Cylindre
- Orphelins
- Neighbours
Other bet types in roulette include the final bet and the full/complete/maximum bet. The final bet is available only in European and French roulette and allows you to place a bet on the final digit. For instance, a final 8 would cover all numbers on the betting table that end with 8. The full/complete/maximum bet is seen mostly in high roller casinos. It enables you to place all the inside bets on a single specific number.
Roulette Betting Systems and Strategy
Strategy doesn’t have much of a role to play in roulette as this is a game of chance. Given that there are 2 colors – red and black – the probability of the ball landing on either of these colored slots is 50:50. That is not, of course, the only parameter to consider; there are loads more. Despite this being a game of chance, there are numerous strategies that players adopt to enhance their chances of winning regularly at this game. We just list out the major systems for you below:
- Martingale System
- Fibonacci System
- D’Alembert System
- Labouchere Roulette System
- Parlay System
- Pivot System
- 2 Up 2 Down System
Table Games FAQs
The major difference between European and American roulette is the presence of the additional double zero (00) in American Roulette. This automatically impacts the number of slots on the wheel. European Roulette has 37 slots for the numbers 1 to 36 and the single zero, while American roulette has 38 slots for the numbers 1 to 36, the single zero (0), and the double zero (00).
In today’s online casino environment it really does not matter whether you download the software to your computer or play directly in instant play mode. The quality of graphics and animations is equally good in both. The game range is also unaffected unlike in earlier times, when the download version had the full complement of games while the instant play version was lighter.
Baccarat does not require skill; this is a game of chance. A bit of basic strategy, like bankroll management and the need to get up and walk once you have reached your maximum budget, does help in reducing the chances of losing a bit. A fair idea of which makes for a good betting option – the player, the banker, or the tie – also goes a long way in helping you win, and none of this is skill.
Usually, there is a 5% commission payable to the casino if you win the banker bet. The reason for this is simple: this is a bet with a lower house edge and the chances of the banker winning this bet stand at approximately a maximum of 3-4 times.