Roulette – ‘little wheel’ in French – is a game that sums up the thrills of the casino. Devised in 18th century France, it is a hugely popular casino game that pits the players against the house. The mesmerising spin of the wheel, the frantic air as players rush to place their bets, the clack-clack-clack of the ball bouncing over the slots and the rattle as it finally comes to rest give roulette an air of excitement and anticipation that draws in players around the world.
The roulette table
Roulette is a game of chance played on a table that consists of the roulette wheel and a patterned cloth surface called the layout.
The wheel is made up of slots or pockets randomly numbered from 0 (European roulette) or 00 (American roulette) to 36.
These slots are alternately coloured red and black, with the 0 and 00 coloured green.
The table is laid out in a 3×12 grid showing all the numbers in order. To the sides are various other betting options like odds/evens and red/black.
There is also a block for 0 (or 00 depending on the version).
Basic Roulette Gameplay
Players place their bets on the layout. There are a number of bets that can be placed and we will outline these below.
Once all bets are placed the croupier spins the roulette wheel in one direction and then spins a small ball in the other direction. The ball loses momentum and drops into the area of the wheel that is
filled with slots.
The ball bounces around until it eventually comes to rest in one slot. That slot will have a number and a colour that determines who wins.
Betting on roulette
Betting on roulette can take multiple forms.
You can bet on one number, on multiple numbers, on odds, on evens, on rows, and more. And you can place more than one bet at a time! This is what makes Roulette such an action-packed game.
There are two forms of bets: inside bets and outside bets. Your bet is determined on where you place your chips.
Inside bets
Inside bets are bets placed on the numbers that appear on the wheel. They are called inside bets because your chips are placed inside the main 3×12 grid of numbers on the layout. Inside bets pay more but are harder to get.
| Bet | Description | Where you place your chips |
| Straight bet | Bet on a single number | Within the square of the chosen number |
| Split bet | Bet on two adjacent numbers | On the edge shared by the numbers |
| Street | Bet on three numbers in a row | On the outer edge of number at the end of the line |
| Square bet | Bet on four numbers that meet at one corner | On the common corner |
| Six line | Bet on six consecutive numbers that form two horizontal lines | On the outer corner shared by the last numbers |
Outside bets
Outside bets are bets on permutations other than the actual numbers. They are called outside bets because the bet boxes fall outside of the 3×12 grid. Outside bets pay less but have higher chances of
winning.
| Bet | Description | Where you place your chips |
| Red or black | Bet that the number will be the chosen colour | In the red or black box |
| Odd or even | Bet that the number will be the chosen type | In the odd or even box |
| 1 to 18 (Low or Manque) or 19 to 36 (High or Passe) | Bet that the number will be in the chosen range |
In the 1 to 18 or 19 to 36 box |
| Dozen bet | Bet that the number will be in the chosen dozen: 1st 12, 2nd 12 or 3rd 12 |
In the 1st 12, 2nd 12 or 3rd 12 box |
| Column bet | Bet that the number will be in the chosen vertical column of 12 numbers, such as 1-4-7-10 on down to 34. |
On the space below the final number in this sequence. |
Tips for playing online roulette
There are some very interesting strategies you can read about including the Labouchére System, the D’Alembert System, the Martingale Strategy, the Reverse Martingale, the Fibonacci Strategy and more.
However, roulette – and online roulette in particular – is based on a very random sequence of numbers coming up. As such, while knowing or using strategies may make you successful now and again it is much better to just play the game, have fun and rely on chance favouring your choices.
Top online casinos for playing online roulette
Try these hand-picked online casinos for a fantastic online roulette experience.
#2 - PlayLive Casino
GAMES: 1000+
- New Loyalty Rewards Program
- 100% deposit up to R25 000
- South Africa’s First Live Casino
- Same Day Pay Outs
- 10% Weekly Cashback
#1 Ranked Online Casino Site
#1 - Yebo Casino
GAMES: 1000+
- Fast cashouts
- 15% cashback everyweek
- 1000’s of online casino games
- Lots of Casino Promotions
#3 - Jackpot Casino
- Brand new, innovative Online Casino
- 100% no wagering casino
- Happy Hour Promotions Daily
- Same Day Pay Outs
#1 Ranked Online Casino Site
#1 - Jackpot Casino
GAMES: 1000+
- Brand new, innovative Online Casino
- 100% no wagering casino
- Happy Hour Promotions Daily
- Same Day Pay Outs
#2 - PlayLive Casino
GAMES: 1000+
- New Loyalty Rewards Program
- 100% deposit up to R25 000
- South Africa’s First Live Casino
- Same Day Pay Outs
- 10% Weekly Cashback
#3 - PariPesa
GAMES: 1000+
- Licensed and regulated in Curacao
- 1000’s of daily sports bets
- 1000’s of online casino games
- Lots of promos
