Roulette is a game that you’d expect to be much the same the world over. Play in England, play in America, play in India. Why would it change? It’s fundamentally about a wheel and a ball and your own good fortune. And yet, especially in today’s technology-infused world, roulette has many variations and is not quite as simple as it looks from the outside. So, what’s going on with roulette?
The Original Variants
Roulette aficionados might already know some of roulette’s variants. There are three main ones, namely French roulette, European roulette, and American roulette.
European and French roulette – maybe not super surprisingly – are somewhat similar. European roulette is considered the classic version by many. It’s got the numbers 1-36, plus one extra slot – the 0. 0 is decked out in green, while the other numbers alternate between black and red.
French roulette is much the same, but the bet terms are all French. If you’re not familiar with them, crack out a translation app or online guide before you start playing. It also has a couple of other differences, like the La Partage rule – allowing players to get half of their bet back if the ball lands in the zero pocket.
Next up, American roulette. Here, again, there aren’t major differences – except the 00 slot, that extra little edge to the house in this variation. It’s really crucial to be aware of, especially for those used to European or French roulette, because wow, it changes the odds a fair bit!
Those are the three best-known variants, but certainly not all that’s going on in this wheel-spinning space!
Alternative Options
Let’s take a brief moment to acknowledge that tech has changed… basically everything. Businesses the world over are using tech to expand, and the casino industry is no exception to that rule. What does that mean? It means that the world of the online casino is well and truly here.
And with the world of the online casino, the dynamics have seriously changed. Bear in mind that roulette isn’t the smallest game when it comes to the amount of space it physically occupies. The standard wheel is almost a meter across, allowing room for enthusiastic players to gather around it… but while its presence can be a big draw in the brick-and-mortar gambling house, it comes with an obvious downside. How much of your overall footprint are you going to give over to different versions of roulette? Probably not that much!
That imposed a limitation on roulette for a long time… but that’s something that playing roulette online has totally changed. Digital casinos have (almost) infinite space, after all. How many wheels can they have? Well, basically, as many as they like! There are other advantages to creating variations in roulette online. It’s easy to display the rules and make it clear what variant is on offer, so you don’t end up with confused players at the table. Everybody knows what’s happening, and can refer back to the guide whenever they want.
Suddenly, the opportunities are basically endless. While most online casinos have stuck with the standards, others have started to experiment and expand, tweaking the game to engage players in new ways. You’ll see some of these variations in physical casinos too, but they’re much more common when you’re playing roulette online.
Speed Roulette
If roulette’s pace doesn’t quite do it for you, how about trying speed roulette? You’ll fit in far more spins per hour, meaning that you can play more and – if you’re lucky – take home more winnings. This is great for those who like a fast-paced gaming environment and want things to keep going quickly.
Double Ball Roulette
Double the balls, double the fun? It’s up to you to decide, but some people certainly think so! Some roulette wheels come with multipliers, others come with two balls. This makes for a fun little twist on the classic game!
Multi-Wheel Roulette
If we’re going to add to the number of balls, why not the number of wheels too? Again, we can see the digital space paying dividends in its flexibility; there’s room to add wheels here! This variant lets players bet on several wheels at a time, helping to increase the pace and add a bit of variety, and letting you try out different strategies at once.
Mini Roulette
And if you’re after a simpler game with fewer calculations – great for beginners, for example – mini roulette is another option. The number of pockets is lowered, leaving just 13, so you say goodbye to a lot of the complexity. This makes the game faster, so it’s ideal for those who love adrenaline, and it’s also much easier to try out different strategies. For those who find themselves wracked with indecision when there are too many options… mini roulette could be the way to go!
They aren’t the only options, of course – you can check out plenty of others here. See what your favorite online casino offers if you fancy a change from the basic version.