Roulette is, by far, the one game that is forever linked to casinos. Think about the cliches: picture a slow Mississippi cruiser with six men centered around a casino game. What are they playing? Roulette.
Someone needs you to come up with a logo for their casino. What game do you use for your inspiration? Roulette. No other game has such a seamless mental connection to brick and mortar casinos as roulette.
Then COVID came around, all but decimating the bustling casino industry in places like Las Vegas and Atlantic City. But the roulette wheel has never stopped spinning. Online casinos saw an astronomic boost over the year 2024. Players flocked to online casinos, where they found mask-wearing dealers presenting the games they were missing in physical casinos. One of their favorite games? Roulette.
At Welsh casinos not on Gamstop, you can also take advantage of your chance to play roulette. In addition to this, the online casino will make sure that you are not left without a bonus.
About live roulette in online casinos
In most cases, live roulette in an online casino has the same setup as classic roulette. A dealer sits at a table, collects bets, and spins the wheel before launching the ball in the opposite direction.
The big difference is that every player watches their own interface, where bets are gathered, calculated, and paid out. The dealer never touches any bets, and players only see their own bets.
It follows, then, that a virtually unlimited number of players can join a live roulette table. A Las Vegas roulette table can only allow as many players as can stand around, and rounds will take a lot longer with many more bets on the table. In an online casino, the scrolling list of winners after a round is the only indication that other players are there.
Although the setup is very different, the actual game itself doesn’t differ all that much. US players might be happy to find out most online casinos use a European roulette wheel, with a single 0. Betting is done by selecting the value of a chip and clicking in the desired spot on the digital table.
Differences between online and offline roulette
While the game in its core doesn’t differ that much, there are significant differences between playing in an online casino and a real casino. One of the big differences people experience is a change in atmosphere. The sense of comradery, or even just the buzz of people in the
background, is generally missing at home. Another sense is missing, too: some players report missing the physical chips.
The diversity of online roulette
Perhaps the biggest difference between online and offline roulette, however, has little to do with the senses. The scalability and ease of access of online roulette means casinos have more options in what they can offer. This has already resulted in some interesting roulette versions that have taken the game to a whole new level.
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Jackpots
Some providers of live online roulette have enabled progressive jackpots into their roulette wheels. By replacing one of the regular options (such as the 00) with a jackpot outcome, these roulette games can offer a chance to win a multitude of your original bet.
Higher multipliers
A more common way for a chance at a higher win is by introducing another twist on roulette: multipliers. In these games, random multipliers are released on the wheel, upgrading different numbers. These multipliers replace the traditional winnings of maximally 35x.
Language
Finally, players who prefer playing in their native language (or try to learn a second language) have a much wider choice in tables. Casinos offer roulette in different languages.
Advantages of online roulette
But aside from more variety, there are more advantages to online roulette that no brick and mortar version can compete with.
Lower minimum bets
Due to the scalability of online roulette games, casinos can offer far lower minimum bets. A physical casino often requires a minimum bet of $10 for any table, but this number can be even higher depending on the location. Online casinos offer roulette starting at $ 0.10 a game for virtual versions or $ 1 for live online roulette. This means a casual bankroll takes you a whole lot further in online roulette than at a table.
Try out new systems
As a result, trying out new betting or playing strategies works out a whole lot better when you’re playing online. Trying a new strategy inevitably invites risk, and no matter your bankroll, it’s better to risk $10 for a hundred thousand online spins than $1,000 in a real casino. Once you’ve fine tuned your strategy, it’s time to crank up the stakes – either online or in real life.
Play at a faster pace
Another advantage of online play is that you play faster. This in itself doesn’t have to be an advantage, but it ties in neatly to the last bullet point. Would you rather wait many nights in a casino (at the higher rate) to see how your strategy would work out, or get a significant sample of rounds in a matter of hours?
Availability
This one’s easy. Unless you live right above a casino that’s open 24/7, online casinos have a wider availability. You can always stop by, play for a little bit, and go about your day. Better yet, you can play in your underwear, which is unheard of in most physical casinos.
Fairness
This one may feel counterintuitive. It’s hard to trust a random computer over a physical wheel you see spin. However, as long as the computer is indeed random, online roulette is fairer than physical roulette. You see, physical wheels suffer from wear and tear, making them less reliable over time. The best players can see these biases and exploit them. All others just play on a skewed wheel. In a well-regulated casino, all wheels are fair.
Conclusion
Old-fashioned roulette appeals to all senses. No online version can compete with that atmosphere, but online casinos now offer roulette in ways that no brick and mortar casino could match. The Covid pandemic also forced dedicated players to online casinos. With more languages, chances to win more, jackpot versions, and around the clock availability, the physical roulette wheel may soon just be a nostalgic artifact.