Roulette Rules Guide 2024 – Learn How to Play Roulette

About the author

Name	Luke Holmes
Job	Chief Editor
Email	luke.holmes@roulettesites.org

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Luke Holmes, founder of RouletteSites.org, combines his passion for probabilities with online marketing expertise. He created the site in 2011 focusing on roulette strategies and reviews. His mission: to provide a platform that guides you through the online gambling world, starting from the UK to global markets, ensuring a safe experience.

In gambling, math and probabilities are our compasses, transforming luck into calculated risks.

Note: Though this guide might be used for both land-based and online roulette games, here on roulettesites.org, we are focused on the virtual variations of the game and the best places where you can play. If you are a UK player and after brushing up on the rules of the game you decide that you want to try your luck on roulette for real money, then make sure you only play at sites that are licensed by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission.

All top casino sites in the UK hold a UKGC licence. If you need a suggestion for such sites, make sure you take a look at our list of the top 10 online roulette sites. For players based in the United States, we recommended checking out the best US online casinos featured here.

Learn How to Play Roulette at Online Casinos

The basic rules of roulette are simple. And in this roulette how to play guide, we will explain roulette rules in great detail so that you know exactly how to play the game. Still, if you are the type of person that prefers to learn with practical experience, you may want to get started at an online roulette casino.

If you want to know how do you play roulette at an online casino, the process is straightforward. All you need to do is choose a trusted casino site and select a roulette game variation that takes your fancy. You can then place different types of roulette bets and get to grips with how the game works.

If you are a novice, we recommend that you start with RNG roulette games. These games allow you to play at your own pace. You can check out the paytable and practice placing different bets on the roulette table layout with no time pressure. On the other hand, live roulette games are better to play once you have a little experience under your belt. Have in mind that many of the veteran roulette winners began their gaming journey with the classic RNG roulettes before moving onto live casinos.

It is always important to set yourself limits when you play roulette online. And this is especially important if you plan to find out how does roulette work by playing at a casino site. Whether you place outside bets or take your chances on higher risk inside bets, such as a corner bet, street bet, or a single number bet, never bet more than you can afford to lose when playing with real money. After all, what is roulette but a simple game of chance?

Basic Roulette Rules

• Place a bet on the dedicated spot on the roulette table.
• Roulette bets must not exceed the table limits. Understanding the roulette layout is crucial for placing different types of bets, such as outside bets or specific colors and numbers.
• Roulette bets can be placed before the dealer closes the betting session.
• Only the dealer pays the winner and touches the chips of the players with losing bets.
• You should not touch the marker of the winning number during any playing session.
• Payouts are made for different types of winning bets according to a paytable.
• Roulette bets can be placed before the dealer closes the betting session.
• A roulette wheel contains red and black pockets numbered 1-36 and a green single zero pocket.
• The American Roulette wheel has an additional double zero pocket, increasing the house edge.

Where to Play When You Learn How to Play Roulette?

If you have asked, what is roulette? If you have researched, how do you play roulette? Then the next step is to put your knowledge to good use and play online roulette. That inevitably raises the question of where to play. To make our roulette how to play guide as useful as possible, we have listed the top online casinos to play roulette casino games.

When you are ready to play roulette for real, you need to know how to choose a trusted casino site. It all starts with licensing. UK players should play only at online casinos with a UKGC licence. This ensures that the casino operates legally and adheres to the highest standards of security and player protection. Licensed casinos use SSL encryption to secure your transactions and protect your private data. Plus, they offer independently certified fair games and payouts. Each roulette casino in our list is UK-licensed and safe for British players.

To select our recommended roulette sites, we carried out detailed reviews. We used a set of criteria to ensure that we recommend only the best roulette casinos in the UK. As already mentioned, our reviews start with thorough checks of security and licensing to ensure your safety.

Next, we analyse the roulette game selection. We check for casinos with a rich and diverse selection of games, with something to suit every player. At our featured sites, you can play classic versions of single zero French and European Roulette games, as well as double zero American Roulette games. You can also find plenty of innovative variations of the classics. We check for a varied selection of RNG roulette games and top-quality live dealer roulette games.

We checked the bonus offers at each casino. We looked for generous welcome bonuses for new players. We also checked for promotions and loyalty rewards for existing players. Mobile compatibility is a must for all reliable roulette sites. Our recommended casino sites are mobile-friendly, offering a solid selection of roulette games that have been optimised for mobile phones and tablets. iPhone users can also enjoy smooth gameplay with the best iPhone roulette casinos in the UK.

Other categories we reviewed include deposit and withdrawal options, customer support services, and software platforms. By using these criteria, we can objectively rate and compare operators. As such, you can pick any of our featured online roulette sites and be confident that you are playing at the best roulette casinos the UK has to offer.

The Basics: Understanding the Rules of Roulette

The rules of roulette are quite straightforward. In this game, you have a wheel that features red and black slots that have the numbers from 1 to 36 on them, and one or two green zero slots – depending on whether you’re playing European single zero roulette or American double-zero roulette. The American Roulette wheel features 0 and 00 pockets. The inclusion of this extra double zero pocket increases the house edge. Except for the wheel, you have a roulette table that features the numbers and several additional sectors on which you can place bets.

After all the participants in the game have placed their bets on the table, the dealer spins the wheel and throws in a small ball. The number of the slot the ball lands in is the winning number. If you have bet on that single number or on a group of numbers that contain it, then you’ll get a payout.

According to the type of roulette game you’re playing, be it double zero American Roulette games or French Roulette games the lowest house edge, there might be some differences in the roulette table and wheel layouts, but that’s nothing to worry about as it doesn’t impact in any way the outcome of the game. However, something important to know is the type of bets you can place when playing roulette. Let’s take a closer look at them. But before that, we will give you few very useful tips about roulette gameplay.

Roulette Table and Wheel

Ever wondered what makes a roulette table tick? Let’s break it down! Think of the table as your personal betting playground, split into two main areas that give you plenty of ways to test your luck.

The Inside Track

The inside section is where the real action happens. You’ll find 36 numbered squares just waiting for your chips. It’s like a numerical buffet of betting possibilities! Each number represents a potential win, and trust me, the anticipation of where that little ball might land is half the fun.

The Outside Options

Not feeling brave enough for specific numbers? No worries! The outside section is perfect for players who want broader betting options. Want to bet on red or black? Odd or even? High or low numbers? This is your go-to zone. It’s like choosing between a specific cocktail or just ordering something safe from the bar.

The Wheel: A Spinning Symphony of Chance

Now, let’s talk about the star of the show – the roulette wheel. Depending on which version you’re playing, you’ll see some interesting variations:

1. European Roulette: A sleek wheel with 37 pockets, numbered 0 to 36. That single green zero adds just enough spice to keep things interesting.
2. American Roulette: This version cranks up the excitement with 38 pockets, thanks to an extra double zero. It’s like the wheel’s way of saying, “Hold my drink!”
3. French Roulette: Similar to European roulette, but with some cool special rules like “La Partage” and “En Prison” that can actually work in your favor.

Why Understanding the Layout Matters

Knowing the table and wheel layout isn’t just about looking cool (though that’s a bonus). It’s about making smart, informed bets. The wheel’s design is carefully crafted to ensure fairness, with numbers strategically arranged to balance out the odds. Whether you’re a total newbie or looking to up your roulette game, understanding the layout is your secret weapon. Inside bets, outside bets, or those fancy advanced betting options – they’ll all make more sense once you get the lay of the land.

Pro tip: Take your time, observe the table, and remember – roulette is as much about enjoying the experience as it is about winning. Each spin is a new adventure, and knowing the layout helps you navigate that adventure like a pro!

How to Play Roulette – Step by Step

Types of Roulette Bets

In roulette, you can place bets on a single number or different groups of numbers. There are many betting combinations all of which bring you different odds for winning and different payouts for winning bets. The more numbers you bet on, the bigger your chances for a win and, therefore, the lower the payouts that the game offers. Other than that, when it comes to knowing how does roulette work, you should know that all roulette bets are divided into three main categories: inside bets, outside bets, and announced bets.

The first two categories are the basic ones offered by all roulette games and that you should definitely know inside out. In contrast, the third is more advanced and featured only in select roulette variants. If you don’t feel confident placing bets at first, make sure to claim one of the roulette bonus offers available to UK players. Now let’s start with the basic roulette bets, and I’ll leave it up to you if you want to continue learning more about the advanced ones.

Inside Bets

Once you register at one of the best safe online casinos in the UK, you should learn the roulette rules perfectly to have a great time while playing. If you take a better look at the roulette table layout, you’ll notice that the main part consists of the numbers from zero to 36, and the rest are sectors for betting on groups of numbers: odd/even, red/black, 1-18/19-36, a column bet, and dozens.

The bets that you place on the numbers themselves are called inside bets, whereas the bets that you place on the other sectors are called outside bets. The house edge varies across the different types of bets. There are seven types of inside roulette bets, as described and illustrated below:

#	Bet Name	Covered Numbers and Chip Placement	Chip Placement Scheme
1	Straight	This is a bet that covers only one single number. In order to make this bet, place the chip inside the square of the number.
2	Split	A bet on two numbers which are adjacent on the table, made by placing the chip on the shared line of the two numbers’ squares.
3	Street	A bet on three consecutive numbers located on the same line. Make the bet by placing the chip on the outer corner of the row.
4	Six Line	A bet on two adjacent lines. In order to make this bet, you have to place the chip on the common outer corner of the two lines.
5	Corner	A corner bet is a four-number bet, placed by putting the chip on the common corner of the four numbers. Also called ‘square’ bet.
6	Trio	A three-number bet that includes the zero or zeros. Place the chip on the line shared by the zero box and the two other numbers.
7	Basket	Bet on 0, 1, 2 and 3 with a chip on the corner shared by the zero box and the first line. In American Roulette, it includes the double zero.

As you can see, the inside betting combinations are logical and easy to remember, just like most rules of roulette. As we already mentioned, inside bets bring you different chances for a win and different payouts, but if you’re playing at legal and fair online roulette sites, then you can leave that up to the software. Also, keep in mind that the house edge of the bets will vary depending on whether you are playing a roulette game with just one zero or with a double zero pocket. We recommend the top roulette sites in India for beginner Indian players.

If you, on the other hand, decide to play at a land-based casino or an online live dealer table, then I would suggest you read up on the subject, as the dealers are humans and as such might make a mistake. For such cases, I advise you to also check out our article on the odds and probabilities that the different roulette bets bring you. That way, you can find the payouts for a corner bet, street bet, and every other type of inside bet.

Outside Bets

As we already mentioned, the outside bets in roulette are those bets placed outside the number field, on the sectors that cover the bigger groups of numbers. There are five common types of outside bets:

• Red or Black – Bet on the colour of the winning number
• Odd or Even – Bet on whether the winning number will be odd or even
• 1 to 18 or 19 to 36 – Bet on whether the winning number will be high or low
• Dozens – Bet on one of the three dozen that are found on the layout of the table
• Columns – Bet from which of the three columns will the winning number be

There’s another bet that is considered to be an outside bet but is available only in certain roulette variations. It’s called the snake bet and it covers the red numbers 1, 5, 9, 12, 14, 16, 19, 23, 27, 30, 32 and 34, creating the shape of a snake. In this bet, all the numbers are covered by one chip.

Some games also feature a black snake bet which again resembles a snake but consists only of black numbers: 2, 6, 8, 10, 13, 17, 20, 24, 26, 29, 28, 31 and 35. In the black snake betting combination, the 17/20 numbers and 26/29 are split bets, while all the rest are straights.

Announced Bets

Announced roulette bets are special betting combinations most commonly featured in French Roulette though also often present in online European Roulette variants. They are actually part of the rules of roulette which you must know. And since they are most commonly featured on French Roulette, they all have their individual French names. You will need to learn them by heart to learn also how to play roulette.

Let’s start with the Voisins du Zéro bet, also known as the Neighbours of Zero. This bet covers the zero and the 7 numbers on each side of the zero – from 22 to 25 on the wheel. This makes for a 15-number bet which is made of 9 chips:

• A trio covering 0,2,3 – 2 chips
• Five splits: 4/7, 12/15, 18/21/ 19/22, 32/35 – one chip each
• One corner: 25/26/28/29 – 2 chips

Another bet, just like the Voisins du Zéro and covers quite a lot of numbers, is called Le Tiers Du Cylindre. We know that all these roulette rules, together with foreign names, can be confusing, but they are indeed needed. So… It’s located opposite on the wheel compared to the Voisins du Zéro and covers 12 numbers – from 27 to 33 on the wheel.

This is where the name of the bet comes from – it literally translates to One Third of the Wheel. All the numbers covered by this bet are: 27, 13, 36, 11, 30, 8, 23,10, 5, 24, 16 and 33. This is a 6-piece bet. One chip is placed on the roulette table for each of the following splits: 5/8, 10/11, 13/16, 23/24, 27/30 and 33/36.

Another popular announced bet is called Orphelins. This is pretty much the bet that covers what is not covered by the Voisins du Zéro and the Tier bets combined. This bet covers 8 numbers: 1, 6, 9, 14, 17, 20, 31 and 34. This is a 4-chip bet consisting of one straight on the number 1 and four splits on 6/9, 14/17, 17/20 and 31/34.

Furthermore, there’s also the Jeu Zéro bet, also called the Zero Game. This bet covers 3 neighbours of the zero slot on each side of the wheel. It’s a 4-piece bet – there’s one straight on the number 26 and 3 splits on 0/3, 12/15 and 32/35.

A very common announced bet that you can place on roulette is the neighbours. This is a 5-number bet that covers a certain number and 2 neighbouring numbers on each side. For example, the bet ‘5 and the neighbours’ cover numbers 5, 24, 16, 10 and 23.

To place this bet, you’ll need the special racetrack betting section (see the picture above), which is available in most online roulette variations but not in all of them. To know these things, together with the roulette rules, is vital if you want to actually enjoy the game in full and, of course, to win money.

Some online games even allow you to change the number of neighbours you want to cover on each side of the number you’ve chosen, up to 8. A very useful bet, indeed, especially when you’re playing online live roulette and discovered some pattern in the dealer’s actions that lead you to believe that the ball will fall in a certain section of the wheel.

Other special roulette bets include the Finals or Finales and the Red/Black splits. The Finals let you bet on what will be the last digit of the winning number. For example, if you bet on Finale 4, you will place a 4-number bet on 4, 14, 24 and 34. This bet is also called Finale Plein so that it differs from the Finale a Cheval, which lets you bet on two potential final digits of the winning number. As far as the Red/Black split bets go, they are exactly what the name says: combinations of all the splits of the same colour that you can find on the table.

As in online gambling sites there are no boundaries, there are many interesting and innovative roulette variations that feature even more types of bets. For example, Microgaming’s Premier Roulette Diamond Edition features the ‘Chip Bomb’ bet, allowing you to easily place bets on a certain number and all of the numbers surrounding it on the table layout. Furthermore, most virtual roulette games allow you to create your own betting patterns and save them in a special tab of the layout for easier access when you later want to repeat them.

La Partage and En Prison Rules Explained: Minimum and Maximum Bets

We have covered the roulette how to play basics. Yet there are a couple of advanced roulette rules that we still need to explain, namely, la partage and en prison. These rules can be found only in French Roulette games and apply to even money bets. Let’s start with an explanation of what is roulette la partage.

La Partage is the most commonly found of the two rules. When the ball lands on zero, players that have placed even money bets receive half of their stake back. This rule significantly reduces the house edge and increases the RTP to 98.65% when the rule is in place.

Some French Roulette games feature the en prison rule instead of la partage. In this case, when the ball lands on the single zero, any bets placed on red or black, high or low, or even odd are not immediately losing bets. Instead, they are locked in place on the table for the next spin. If the bet loses, it is removed from the table. If the bet wins, the player receives a 1:1 payout.

If you have ever wondered how do you play roulette with the best chances of winning, then choosing French Roulette games featuring these rules is the best advice. These advanced roulette rules reduce the house edge and improve your odds of winning. Remember that the rules apply only to outside bets on red/black, high/low, or even/odd when the winning number is zero. It does not affect a street bet, column bet, corner bet, or other losing bets.

Apply the Roulette Rules and Choose the Right Bet for You

Now that you know about all the possible bets and the basic roulette rules, it’s time to try the game for yourself. But how to play roulette… how do you choose which bet to make? Well, it all depends on the roulette strategy that you want to adopt. If you would like to try the classic progressive betting systems Martingale or Fibonacci, then you should pick one of the so-called ‘even-money bets’ that cover half of the numbers on wheel, when you exclude the zero: odd or even, red or black, 1-18 or 19-36 (high or low).

The strategy you choose will also help you in picking the amount you want to bet. In the same example, you should start from a very low bet to have the room to increase the stake on the next spin after each loss. Speaking of stakes, you should also consider that each roulette game has its own betting limits which differ for the various types of bets. Considering the amount you’re willing to spend and the strategy you’re about to adopt, you should choose a game with betting limits that fit your need.

If you’re a low roller and you’re looking for tables that allow very small bets, then make sure you visit our low stakes roulette article and check out our selection of the best £5 minimum deposit casino UK sites. If you, on the other hand, consider yourself a high roller and want to experience the thrill of betting large amounts of money on your favourite game of chance, then our article on the best high limit online roulette tables is the read that you are looking for.

Online Roulette Rules: FAQ

Did we help you in understanding what is roulette and how does roulette work? We hope so, yet, additionally, you can check out the following Q&A section about this review of the beginner rules on how to play online roulette. We answered the most frequently asked questions as quick as possible, so they could nicely complement this review of the online roulette rules. Make sure to read them before playing at your favourite roulette table!

Written by: Luke Holmes