How to Play Live Roulette
Live roulette is a popular online casino game that's offered by hundreds of casinos around the world. The game offers the potential for large payouts while keeping a moderate house edge, making it an appealing option for risk-takers and conservative players. The rules of roulette are easy to learn and take little time to master, making it one of the most accessible games in live casinos.
What is live roulette?
Roulette is a casino table game where players bet on where they think the ball is going to land in the wheel. Once all bets have been placed, the croupier spins the wheel and the ball; once the ball stops in one of the 37 or 38 pockets, depending on the variant, all winning bets are paid out.
Live roulette is played with real equipment and is managed by a professional croupier, giving you an authentic casino gaming experience.
How to play live roulette
Live roulette is an easy game to play as, unlike other live casino games like poker or blackjack, it requires zero player interaction; once you've made your bet, your involvement is finished. If you're new to playing roulette, we've created a helpful guide that walks you through the process step by step.
- Take a look at our list of recommended live roulette casinos and pick a place to play.
- Visit the site and create an account.
- Make a real money deposit using one of the available payment options.
- Scroll through the list of live roulette options and choose a game to play.
- Look through the rules of the game to understand the odds and payouts.
- Click the chip symbols to select your bet size.
- Wait for the next round to begin.
- Place your bets by clicking on the interactive game board.
Once the dealer has called "No more bets," the betting round is over. The roulette ball will continue to spin until coming to a stop in one of the pockets. If you have a winning bet, you'll automatically receive your winnings.
If you have any questions about the rules of the game or the potential payouts, you can use the live chat feature to speak with the dealer in real time.
Live roulette bets
One of the benefits of live roulette is the variety of betting options that it offers. Each of these games offers different payouts and chances of winning, allowing you to choose the best option for your personal risk tolerance.
Roulette's betting options can be split into three distinct types:
Inside bets
These bets are made on the "inside" of the table, hence the name. They typically offer the highest rates of return, but also come with the highest risk levels.
| Bet | Explanation | Odds of winning | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight up | This is a bet on an individual number; e.g. 17. | 1/37 | 35:1 |
| Split | A bet that covers two adjacent numbers; e.g. 1 and 2. | 2/37 | 17:1 |
| Street (row) | A bet that covers three numbers in a row; e.g. 1, 2, and 3. | 3/37 | 11:1 |
| Corner | A bet that covers 4 adjacent numbers; e.g. 4, 5, 7, and 8. | 4/37 | 8:1 |
| Line | A bet that covers two adjacent streets; e.g. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. | 6/37 | 5:1 |
| Basket | Only available in American Roulette, this bet covers 00, 0, 1, 2, and 3. | 5/38 | 6:1 |
Outside Bets
Outside bets, as the name suggests, are placed on the outside of the table. These bets will pay out more often but offer lower rates of return.
| Bet | Explanation | Odds of winning | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red or black | A bet that the ball will either land on a red or black number. | 18/37 | 1:1 |
| Odd or even | A bet that the ball will either land on an odd or even number. | 18/37 | 1:1 |
| High or low | A bet that the ball will either land on a high (19-36) or low (1-18) number. | 18/37 | 1:1 |
| Dozens | A bet that covers the first, second, or third dozen numbers. | 12/37 | 2:1 |
| Column | A bet that covers all numbers in the first, second, or third column. | 12/37 | 2:1 |
Call Bets
So-called as they used to require a player to call out the bet to the croupier, these bets cover a set of neighboring numbers that are in close proximity on the roulette wheel. They strike a balance between risk and reward, coming in more frequently than inside bets but offering better returns than outside bets.
| Bet | Explanation | Odds of winning | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Voisins du zero | Covers 17 numbers going from 22 to 25; consists of 5 split bets, 1 street bet, and 1 corner bet | 17/37 | 8:1 to 17:1 per unit |
| Tiers du cylindre | Covers the 12 numbers roughly opposite to the voisins du zero bet; consists of 6 split bets | 12/37 | 17:1 per unit |
| Orphelins | Covers the 8 bets not covered in either voisins du zero or tiers du cylindre; consists of 4 split bets and 1 straight up bet | 8/37 | 17:1 to 35:1 per unit |
| Neighbors | Covers two bets on either side of your called number; e.g. 13 neighbours covers 13, 36, 11, 27, and 6 | 5/37 | 35:1 per unit |
| Finals | Covers all numbers that end in the same digit; e.g. 3, 13, 23, and 33 | 4/37 or 3/37 | 35:1 per unit |
The "odds of winning" and "returns" of these bets are calculated using the European Roulette wheel with only one 0 pocket, with the exception of the "basket" bet. The odds of winning will vary depending on the specific game you're playing.
Live roulette variants
Over the years, many different versions of live roulette have been created, building on the original. These games shake up the traditional gameplay, offering a unique experience. Popular variants of live roulette include:
- Lightning roulette – With random multipliers on specific numbers, Lightning Roulette offers the chance for even greater rewards. Before each spin, anywhere between 1-5 randomly selected numbers can receive multipliers of 50x, 100x, 200x, 300x, 400x, and 500x. These multipliers replace the original payouts; if you land on a 200x number, you'll receive 200x your bet. All non-multiplied straight up bets are paid out at 29:1.
- Double ball roulette – This game has two roulette balls in play, giving you double the chance of winning your bet. Outside bets require both balls to be successful for a winning bet, and the payout of inside bets is cut by around 50% to account for the presence of the extra ball. Each pocket has enough space for both balls; if this happens to your number, you'll receive a bonus jackpot payout of 1,300x your bet.
- Mini roulette – This game uses a smaller roulette wheel with only 13 numbers, including zero. Outside bets are paid at 0.94:1 and straight up bets are paid out at 11:1.
Pros and cons of live roulette
While there are a number of benefits that come with playing live roulette, there are some downsides to consider as well. To help you make an informed decision, we've highlighted the key advantages and disadvantages below:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Live dealer roulette is played with real casino equipment, providing greater transparency over the outcome. | As the game is played with legitimate equipment, live roulette is considerably slower than the animated version. |
| Many live roulette games are optimized for mobile play, allowing you to access these games on multiple devices. | The betting limits of some high-roller games far exceed those of traditional games, limiting the options for low-budget players. |
| Live roulette offers a live chat feature that allows you to interact with the croupier and other players. | Online casinos do not offer free versions of live dealer games due to their increased running costs. |
| The presence of a professional croupier and an authentic roulette wheel gives you an immersive gaming experience no matter where you are. |
Conclusion
To sum up, live roulette is an appealing game thanks to its moderate house edge and variety of betting options. These options allow you to mix up your bets, letting you choose between high-risk/high-reward bets or low-risk/low-reward wagers. Many live casinos offer multiple versions of roulette that change the rules and the payouts of the game, creating a more engaging experience.
Live roulette FAQ
