Online Roulette Canada Guide

The History of Roulette

Roulette is most likely the oldest casino game known to mankind. According to many historians, the game was invented by the Romans, by shooting arrows in the holes of the wheel. Some historians state that this is further derived from an ancient Chinese game of chance, where the wheel was actually a torture tool.

The modern game was invented in the 17th century by a Frenchman called Blaise Pascal. This famous mathematician and philosopher invented the wheel and most of the rules that we still use to this date.

The wheel with a single zero was then later introduced by the brothers François and Louis Blanc, who discovered that by adding a zero, the house or game owner would gain a significant advantage.

European actually means French Roulette, but nowadays we only refer to French when the En Prison and La Partage rules are in effect, which we will discuss later in this guide for Canadian Players.

European Roulette quickly became very popular in Europe back in the day, especially in Germany and Monaco, where it became the primary source of income for King Charles III and his descendants. However, just like most casino games, the game only really took off when it reached the shores of America.

American Roulette became a booming business, and during the Gold Rush in the Western states, it became the go-to game of chance to spend one’s hard-earned money on. However, the American wheel had one important extra feature—a double zero (00). Obviously, this caused the house edge to increase.

Roulette Game Rules

The goal of the game is to correctly predict in which square of the wheel the Roulette ball will land. All players play against "the house" and not against each other. Players can bet on one specific number, a group of numbers (like lines, columns, or corners), or place outside bets (red, black, odd, even, high, or low).

Once all players have placed their bets, the dealer spins the wheel. Everyone watches in complete silence as the ball lands in one of the numbered squares. After each spin, the dealer pays out all winning players.

The house edge in European Roulette is 2.7%. In American, the house edge is 5.26% because of the added double zero, and in the French version, the house edge is only 1.35% because of either the En Prison or La Partage rules.

En Prison Rule

This special Roulette rule applies to even-money bets only (like red or black, odd or even, high or low). Whenever a zero is spun, the player has the option to either lose half of their bet or keep their chips in the same position for the next spin (in prison).

La Partage Rule

With the La Partage rule, basically the same happens when the ball lands on zero. In this case, all even-money bets are split and half of the player’s original bet is returned. However, the player can freely move their chips and bet any way they want in the next game round.

Betting Types

There are quite a few different bets you can place, each with its own payouts. Below, we will explain all the different betting options and their corresponding payouts.

• Straight-up Bet on one specific number: 36:1
• Split bet on two numbers: 17:1
• Street bet on three numbers: 11:1
• Corner bet on four numbers: 8:1
• Six number bet: 5:1
• Column or outside dozen bet: 2:1
• Even money bets (black, red, high, low, odd, even): 1:1

Strategies

In contrast to Poker, Blackjack, or other games of chance, there is no mathematical winning system. It doesn’t matter whether you play American, European, French, or other Roulette games—the game is purely influenced by chance.

You can never predict the outcome of the next spin. But there are some strategies that mostly have to do with bankroll management. You can apply these to increase your chances of winning at the Roulette table.

The Martingale Roulette Strategy

Without a doubt, the most famous strategy is the Martingale strategy or betting system. With this system, you place Even Money Bets only (red/black, high/low, odd/even) and double down after losing bets.

Because Even Money Bets provide an almost 50% chance of being winning bets, you can simply double down after losing a bet to recoup the losses and be back in profit or break even. After a winning spin, you simply start betting your initial bet amount again.

Although this Roulette strategy sounds like an infinite money maker, nothing could be further from the truth. The ball can still land on zero, and you have to face the so-called table limits or allowed minimum and maximum bets.

Every table has its limits, and when you lose a couple of times in a row and have to double down after every losing spin, you quickly reach this table limit. In this case, you cannot double down anymore, and you have probably lost a significant amount of money.

D’Alembert Roulette Strategy

This is a strategy with a low-risk profile. With this strategy, you increase your bet by one unit after every loss or lower your bet by one unit after each win. The goal is to quit when your won amount is equal to or greater than your total losses.

James Bond Roulette Strategy

The James Bond Roulette strategy is a unique system that only works on the European version, where you only bet on columns. You place 70% of your chips on high numbers, 25% on lower numbers, and 10% on the zero. Your chances of winning are just above 50%. If the ball lands on 0, you still get to recoup your losses and come out ahead.

Tips for Playing Online Roulette

Roulette is a fairly simple game. If you’re still new to the game and online casinos in general, here are a few handy tips to increase your chances of winning. This maximizes the fun you will have while playing the game.

• Play for Fun or Entertainment Reasons Only: Roulette isn’t poker, so don’t think of making it into your gambling career. You aren’t playing against other players, but against the house, which has a significant edge. Don’t think you can make money online by playing and view it as entertainment only. Never bet more than you can afford to lose.
• Place Your Bets Gradually: Start small and increase your chances of winning by placing Even Money Bets in the beginning. Although the payouts are lower compared to other Roulette betting types, your risks are also a lot lower, which increases your winning chances. If you bet gradually, you can control your losses more easily and have more fun playing the game for a longer while.
• Try Different Roulette Variants: There are many different game versions, not just American, European, and French Roulette. Most casinos offer at least 10 different versions of this game, so try a few of them to see which one you like the most.
• Play Online Roulette for Free: One of the best ways to familiarize yourself with the game is by playing it completely for free. This provides you with a risk-free environment, where you can test out different systems and betting patterns.

How to Play Online Roulette?

Playing online Roulette is fairly simple. The only things you need are a computer, laptop, mobile phone, or tablet and a stable internet connection. However, if you’ve never played before, it can be a bit daunting. For this reason, our experts will explain exactly how to play online Roulette below.

Learn the Roulette Bets and Rules

Before you hit the Roulette tables, it is wise to know the basic rules of the game. This will help you make more informed decisions and increase your chances of winning.

Choose an Online Casino

After familiarizing yourself with the game rules, it is time to choose an online casino to play Roulette at. Signing up and depositing at one of our licensed and regulated top-rated casinos for Canadian players is a great start.

Join a Roulette Game

After finding an online casino that suits your needs, it is time to take a seat at the table and enjoy a few rounds of Roulette. Make sure you launch the variant that you want to play and that there’s a seat available (in the case of Live Roulette). If you don’t know which game you want to play, play free until you find your favorite game type.

Place a Bet

The only way to start playing online Roulette is by placing a bet. Don’t forget to start gradually and to never bet more than you can afford to lose.

Know the Roulette Odds

Make sure you know the exact odds of every bet you place. This will help you make more informed decisions and increase your profitability over the long run.

Types of Roulette Games

The basic principles of Roulette stay the same across all different versions of the game. But, there are some subtle differences across. Below, we will explain how some of the most popular variants work.

Bingo Roulette

This version combines two of the most iconic casino games. Players spin a wheel with all outstanding numbers on a bingo ticket. The goal is to be the first to have five numbers in a row or column. Whoever has this first, has a bingo and wins the Full House prize.

Live Bingo Roulette

This version is basically the same as the regular Bingo version, but is then streamed from professional casino studios in HD-quality and in real-time, while being presented by real human hosts.

Mini Roulette

This version is played in the same way as the original game. However, the wheel is a lot smaller and only contains the numbers 0 to 12. With this variant, the player receives half of their bet back when the ball lands on 0.

Multi-Wheel Roulette

The rules of the game don’t change with this variant, but the player has a lot more action at the same time. In most online casinos, Multi-Wheel Roulette is offered with up to 8 wheels spinning simultaneously.

Roulette Royale

This version is identical to the European variant, but has a progressive jackpot attached to it. Players can choose to bet "normal" or to pay an "Ante Bet" on top of their initial bet to stand a chance of hitting the jackpot.

French Roulette

French is the same as European Roulette, but with one or two additional rules. The En Prison and/or La Partage rules, which we discussed earlier in this guide, are applied.

American Roulette

This version is often seen as the standard game. The wheel contains 38 segments and has both a single zero and a double zero (00). The house edge is greater than with any other form, clocking in at 5.26%, meaning that the casino has a higher house edge, even if the ivory ball lands on the player's chosen numbers.

Live Roulette

All online Roulette games that are streamed live from professional casino studios and presented by real human dealers fall under this category. Popular live games include Evolution Gaming’s Lightning, Playtech’s Quantum, and Immersive Roulette. These games are filmed from multiple camera angles, including spectacular close-ups.

European Roulette

This version is the most popular game. The wheel has 37 segments and only a single zero. The rest of the numbers alternate between black and red.

Lightning Roulette

This version is played on a French table and wheel (with a single zero layout), but with additional "Lightning Multipliers." The game host randomly selects up to 3 numbers that will receive up to 500x multipliers. Whenever you place straight-up or split bets on these numbers, you receive your regular payout multiplied by the multiplier if the ball lands on any of your numbers. The house advantage is the same as with the regular game.

XXXTreme Lightning Roulette

This version is, as the name suggests, a more extreme version of Lightning Roulette offered by modern casinos. The multipliers can go all the way up to 2,000x in this variant, but only straight-up bets are eligible to receive these huge multiplier payouts. Payouts on other bets are significantly lower than usual to make up for the high multiplier payouts.

Roulette Terminology and Bet Types

If you are still new to the wonderful game of Roulette, we highly recommend going through the following terms, as knowing their meaning will allow you to be familiar with the game and place more informed bets.

• Ball: The white ball that is being spun in the Roulette wheel.
• Column Bet: A bet placed on a vertical column consisting of 12 numbers (1 to 12, 13 to 24, or 25 to 36) with a payout of 2:1. In official French terms, this is called a "Derniere".
• Corner Bet: A bet placed on four adjacent numbers with a payout of 8:1.
• Croupier: The French word for "Dealer".
• European Wheel: A Roulette wheel with 36 numbers and a single 0.
• Even Money Bet: All bets with a payout ratio of 1:1. Even Money Bets can be bets on red or black, even or odd, high or low.
• Five Number Bet: A bet on 0, 00, 1, 2, and 3, only applicable at American Roulette.
• High/Low Bet: A bet on 19 to 36 (high) or 1 to 18 (low).
• Inside Bet: All bets on single numbers on the Roulette Racetrack.
• Line Bet: A bet on a line of 6 numbers.
• Odd Bet: A bet on all odd numbers except the 0.
• Outside Bet: A bet on anything except numbers (for instance red or black, high or low).
• Split Bet: A bet on two numbers with a single chip with a payout of 17:1.
• Straight-up Bet: A bet on a single number. Multiple Roulette chips can be placed on multiple single numbers and these will still be straight-up bets or inside bets.
• Street Bet: A bet on three numbers in a row.

Online Roulette Canada Guide FAQ

Our casino experts receive a lot of questions about online Roulette from Canadian players about the American variant and American game rules. The Martingale system, the casino's advantage with different wheels, betting systems, and the betting layout of the game. As we want to make this guide as inclusive as possible, we will answer these questions in the section below.