European Roulette

Roulette is one of the quickest casino games to learn how to play, and new players are not burdened by having to learn complex European roulette rules or terminology in order to be able to enjoy it. Wagering strategies can be as straightforward or as complex as you want to make them, and there are interesting variations of the game that you can enjoy.

How to play European Roulette

Roulette has been played for more than 300 years, and the rules and how you wager have remained largely constant since this time, although there have been some different variations of the game introduced over the years, not least the creation of online versions.

When you play European roulette online, the key elements are the wheel and the table. The wheel in European roulette has 37 pockets numbered from 0 – 36 that are either red, black or green (number 0). A ball is spun around the wheel, with players betting on which number pocket the ball comes to rest in.

Bets are placed on the table, which is divided into several different sections. As well as individual numbers, there are a number of other ‘outside’ bets available, all of which offer different odds; you can bet on a single number, on the first 12 numbers, on red/black, odd/even, etc.

French roulette also has 37 numbers, while an American roulette wheel has 38 pockets, which includes the numbers 1 – 36 as well as 0 and 00.

Online European roulette is played in the same way as in a land-based casino, with the table being laid out in the same way and the same range of bets. However, when you play European roulette online there is the added advantage of it being a much faster game as you don’t have to wait for other players to place their bets.

European roulette vs regular roulette

The online casinos that we recommend generally offer three main varieties of roulette – European, French and American.

As above, European roulette rules dictate that there are 37 numbers (including 0) on the wheel and the table, with 0 placed closest to the wheel at the top of the table and the remaining numbers arranged in order 1 – 36. These are either red or black.

Players can bet on single numbers, odds/evens, red/black, etc., with the odds being a reflection of the probability. For instance, betting on black pays even money, while betting on a single number pays 35-1.

French roulette is very similar to European roulette, in that the wheel has 37 pockets—numbers 1-36 and 0—but although the table is set out in the same way, the numbers are all the same color. The main difference is that French online roulette features the la partage rule where, if the number 0 is spun, outside bets such as red/black or odds/evens receive half the stake back.

The differences between European and American roulette are, however, more significant, as the latter features a wheel and table with 38 pockets, the extra one being for the number 00.

Playing roulette online

Playing online European roulette at the casinos that we recommend has several advantages for both new and experienced players.

At many of our sites, games can be played in Flash mode without the need to download casino software or, in many cases, even to sign up for an account. This means you can enjoy a European roulette free game in demo mode to get a better understanding of the game and to experiment with different wagering and bankroll management strategies.

In addition, we also recommend online casinos that offer players generous Welcome Bonuses. Although there are very few bonuses geared specifically towards roulette players, and roulette rarely makes a 100% contribution to meeting the playthrough requirements, there are nevertheless opportunities to pick up signup offers that enable you to play with casino money.

Tips for playing online roulette

Despite the fact that it’s a game of chance and there is no European roulette strategy that can predict which number is going to be hit, there are nevertheless strategies that can be used to manage your bankroll to get as much value as you can.

These include the D’Alembert System, which is based on making even money bets and requires players to increase or decrease the size of their wager depending on the outcome of the previous spin. A variation of this is the Martingale System, where you double your stake after a winning spin, and then return to the original bet size after a win.

Some other popular examples of European roulette strategy include: the Inside Bet System, where players bet only on odd/even or red/black using a system of multiple bets; the Parlay System, where payers set themselves a target they are trying to win and bet so they reach the desired win total in as few spins as possible; and the Adrenotrends System, which aims to profit from runs on the same color.

Whichever system you decide to use (or if you go for none at all), it’s important to understand the probability and odds of any bet, and how these compare between European roulette and other versions of the game.

The key to this is the inclusion of 00 in American roulette, which increases the House Edge to 5.26%, as opposed to only 2.63% in European roulette. Likewise, when you make outside bets (i.e, red/black, odd/even, etc.) although both versions of the game pay out even money, the probability of a win in the American variation is 46.37%, while in European roulette it is higher at 48.6%. Therefore, European roulette can be seen to provide significantly better odds overall than the American version of the game.