Roulette Rules and Step-by-Step Walkthrough
Let’s start things off with the basics. If you’re going to play online roulette, then you ought to know the rules. The good thing about the rules is that they’re as simple as ABCs.
The Roulette Table and Its Numbers
As you may know, a roulette game consists of a small wheel, a ball and a table with numbers. The table features the numbers 0-36. The zero is usually green and the other numbers are red or black. Certain online roulette variants have the double zero as well (00).
The goal here is to wager on a number or a group of numbers that you think the ball will stop. In standard online roulette, a Random Number Generator (RNG) is in charge of determining the outcome.
As such, all Kiwi players have equal chances of winning. The gaming environment is safe and fair. In live roulette, there’s a real dealer that throws the ball into the wheel. The human factor replaces RNGs here.
Placing Bets
Before each round starts, you must place your bet. One of the biggest advantages of online roulette is that it allows you to place multiple bet types. You use chips to place a bet and then, you wait for the outcome of the round.
Step-by-Step Walkthrough
Now that you’re familiar with the foundation of roulette online, let’s see how you can play it. There are just a few steps that you need to complete here. Let’s break them down.
- Choose one of our top-rated NZ online casinos
- Register an account
- Pick one of the available deposit methods
- Deposit money to your account
- Access your preferred roulette variant
- Place a bet
- Wait for the outcome
You’ll most likely unlock a welcome bonus when you deposit money for the first time. You can use the bonus funds to play online roulette and increase your potential winnings.
Understanding Types of Bets
Okay, time to dig below the surface. Online roulette has quite a few bet types to choose from. It’s extremely important to know what they represent if you want to get the best of the game. The two main types are inside and outside. Each of these categories includes several, more specific betting options, such as: Red/black, Odd/even, Dozens, Straight-up bets, High/low, Columns, Split, Street, Corner.
| Bet Type | Category | Meaning | Payout |
| Red/black | Outside Bet | Betting on either red or black numbers. Since 35 out of the 36 numbers are red or black, the payout rate is 2:1. | 2:1 |
| Odd/even | Outside Bet | Betting on numbers that are odd or even. Similar to red/black, all numbers are either odd or even and hence, the payout is 2:1. | 2:1 |
| Dozens | Outside Bet | Roulette tables have three dozens. The first one covers numbers 1-12, the second covers 13-24 and the third one covers 25-36. Placing a dozen bet means you’re wagering on any of these three groups of numbers | 3:1 |
| Columns | Outside Bet | Just like dozens, roulette tables have three columns of numbers. However, the numbers here aren’t odd or even. They’re numbers that are vertically on the table.* | 3:1 |
| High/low | Outside Bet | Low numbers are numbers 1-18. High numbers are 19-36. | 2:1 |
| Split | Inside Bet | Placing a bet on two numbers side-by-side on the table (ex. 6 and 7). Keep in mind that these numbers are unlikely to be side-by-side on the wheel. | 17:1 |
| Straight-up | Inside Bet | Placing a wager on a single number, ex. 7. | 36:1 (37:1 in roulette variants with the double zero) |
| Street | Inside Bet | Betting on three numbers in a row, ex. 1, 2 and 3 or 10, 11 and 12. | 11:1 |
| Corner | Inside Bet | Placing a bet on four consecutive numbers, ex. 10, 11, 12 and 13. | 8:1 |
| Basket/Five-number | Inside Bet | Exclusive to American Roulette. Betting on the following five numbers: 00, 0, 1, 2 and 3 | 6:1 |
| Six-line | Inside Bet | Betting on six consecutive numbers. Also known as quint bet | 5:1 |
*The three columns in a roulette table are:
- 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, 28, 31, 34
- 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17. 20, 23, 26, 29, 32, 35
- 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33, 36
House Edge and RTP
Each online casino game comes with a certain RTP rate. RTP stands for Return to Player and it signifies your potential returns over a longer period. RTPs in online roulette vary, depending on the variant. Let’s take European Roulette as an example as this title has above-average returns.
The RTP in European Roulette is 97.30%. That means that for every NZ$100 over a longer period, you’ll receive NZ$97.30 in returns. Keep in mind that these numbers aren’t valid for every NZ$100 that you wager. The calculations are based on millions of bets during testing phases.
Roulette Variants
One of the reasons why online roulette is so popular in New Zealand is its diversity. Once you register at any of our listed casinos, you’ll notice that you’ll have several options for this game at your disposal.
European Roulette
Many consider European Roulette as the most popular type. As we just mentioned, the RTP rate is 97.30%, which is higher than most variants. The minimum and maximum limits vary, depending on the provider and the casino itself. The gameplay is straightforward – the wheel has the numbers 0-36 and you bet on the number(s) that you think the ball will stop.
American Roulette
American Roulette has single and double zeros. Hence, you’ll have one additional number to bet on. The bigger diversity in betting is the reason why its RTP is significantly lower than European Roulette. American Roulette’s return rate stands at 94.74%. This variant has an added bet type – Five-Number. It allows you to wager on 00, 0, 1, 2 and 3.
French Roulette
French Roulette is extremely similar to European Roulette. The layout of the table is the same and so are the payouts. The RTP is a bit higher though – 98.65%. Additionally, French Roulette has the La Partage rule. According to it, when you make a certain bet and you lose, but the ball ends up on 0, you receive half of your bet back.
Multi-Wheel Roulette
As the name itself suggests, Multi-Wheel Roulette is played on six wheels. The general rules of play are identical to the other variants. What’s even more impressive, its RTP is quite decent – 97.30%. However, the game has a higher volatility rate compared to the rest.
Double Ball Roulette
If Multi-Wheel Roulette features multiple tables, Double Ball Roulette features multiple balls. In our case, that’s two. Double Ball Roulette can come with a single or double zero. When you place outside bets, for example betting on red, both balls need to stop on a red number. The risk here is higher, but the payouts are better as well.
Live Roulette
Finally, we have live roulette, which is proving to be a rising trend in New Zealand. The experience is as similar as you can get with a real casino. In live roulette, you join the game via streams. The dealer hosts the rounds from certain locations.
The good thing about live roulette is that you can even interact with the dealer and chat with them. Evolution is one of the biggest live roulette providers, along with the likes of Pragmatic Play and Ezugi. A few of the variants that fall in this category are:
- Speed Roulette
- XXXTreme Lightning Roulette
- Lightning Roulette
- European Roulette Live
- French Roulette Live
Avoid These Rookie Mistakes
Newbie players may not fully comprehend the rules of play or strategy in online roulette. As such, they’re prone to make mistakes. BestCasino wants to help you void this part and hence, we’re more than happy to list a few of those mistakes you should avoid:
- Chasing after losses
- Chasing after several consecutive wins
- Don’t rely on inside bets too much
- Don’t choose roulette games with low RTP
- Don’t bet on numbers that have won multiple times