Posted on: April 19, 2022. Last updated on: January 19, 2023 
Roulette is a classic casino game. In traditional land-based casinos, roulette tables are very popular. We have all seen films like Oceans 11 and James Bond where roulette and casinos are portrayed as extravagant places filled with high rollers and money flying left, right, and center.
If this type of game sounds appealing to you, and you want to learn how to beat online roulette – we have created a comprehensive guide. In this in-depth resource, we provide tips to beat roulette. Moreover, we look specifically at how to set up a game and what to do before even placing a bet. Additionally, we analyze tactics to use whilst playing the game. Finally, we offer some simple roulette strategies to help improve your odds.
Online roulette is just as popular in today’s modern world of digital gambling. Every online casino features a plethora of popular roulette titles from developers like Microgaming and NetEnt. Graphical content of these games is amazing – tables and spin mechanics look realistic. Furthermore, there is also a host of cool live dealer versions where you can interact with human dealers, similar to a real casino environment.
Disclaimer – Roulette is a form of online gambling. Therefore, outcomes are entirely based on luck. Moreover, the house edge is never truly zero. We advise on best practices and placing sound bets – we cannot guarantee that you will win every time, you should not expect to either.
How to beat online Roulette – Game Setup
Before ever placing a bet, you must prepare. Preparation is a key aspect of beating roulette. Whilst you can make sound betting decisions during a game, if you have chosen the wrong game, and have not prepared, these decisions are meaningless. You increase your chances of winning greatly by researching roulette, choosing the correct variants, and understanding which games offer greater RTP.
Research the game beforehand
Online roulette has many variants. Moreover, there are a plethora of different developers that all provide their own game versions. You must choose wisely and pick a reputable casino with a top selection of roulette games. To choose a reputable casino look for the following:
1. Gambling license from a recognized authority
2. Readily available customer service
3. Wide choice of payment options
4. Favorable customer reviews
A gambling license is of utmost importance. Licenses are issued by regulatory bodies like UK Gambling Commission, and Malta Gaming Authority. These organizations assess gambling platforms and ensure they are complying with certain standards. By choosing a casino with a license, you can be assured of their quality.
Also, look for payment options and customer service. Reputable casinos should offer a myriad of payment options including Visa, PayPal, Neteller, Skrill, and PaySafeCard. Furthermore, they should have a dedicated customer service team available 24/7.
Once you have identified some reputable casinos, check their game selection. What roulette variants do they have? Which software developers provide their games? Ideally, games should be from a reputable software developer like:
- Microgaming
- NetEnt
- Playtech
- Evolution Gaming
These developers are known for providing high-quality standard and live roulette variants. Ensure that casino you choose has several European roulette variants available – if it only has American roulette, choose a different casino – we explain why below:
Avoid playing American Roulette
Two common roulette variants mainly offered in online casinos are American and European. NEVER play American roulette – there is no point. It is a fruitless venture and you would be lowering your odds immediately, before even making a bet. Why? American and European roulette tables have one difference:
- American Roulette tables have a “00” spot on the wheel in addition to “0”
- European Roulette tables only have “0”
This might seem like a small difference but it matters. Translating into odds, this means:
- American Roulette provides a 1/38 chance of winning on a single number
- European Roulette provides a 1/37 chance of winning on a single number
This difference is compounded for smaller bet odds for example:
- American Roulette provides a 18/38 chance of winning on red or black (47.36%)
- European Roulette provides a 18/37 chance of winning on red or black (48.64%)
- American Roulette provides a 12/38 chance of winning on the 1st 12 (31.57%)
- European Roulette provides a 12/37 chance of winning on the 1st 12 (32.43%)
Over time, this difference can add up. Therefore, there is literally no point playing American Roulette – why would you purposefully choose a game that knowingly provides worse odds? European all the way!
Understand which European Roulette game to choose
So, you have chosen a reputable casino. Moreover, you have found a selection of European roulette wheels. Which one to choose? The best way to beat roulette is to pay attention to the table limits – particularly the maximum and minimum permitted bets. We offer this advice as a rule of thumb:
- Beginners stick to tables with low minimum bets i.e. $1 or $5
- Confident players could consider tables with higher minimum limits
This depends on experience and confidence. Beginners should always start with low minimum bet tables. You can then build your confidence gradually and learn the basics. Yes, you won’t win as much with lower limits, but the learning curve puts less strain on your bank account.
Make use of practice online Roulette games
Finally, did you know that you can try out many roulette games for free? This is an excellent way to test strategies and get used to the playing table. Many developers and platforms provide demo versions of their roulette games. Free play accounts are usually loaded with unlimited funds and allow users to test games and learn at their own pace.
Before even registering with your chosen casino, take ample time to play demo accounts. You get used to the following:
- Basic game mechanics
- How to place bets
- Graphics and general game set up
- Putting betting strategies into practice
You can essentially become a roulette pro without spending cash. Obviously at some point you must take the plunge and play a game for real money. But do this at your own pace – only transition into real money roulette games when you feel completely confident and comfortable placing bets and playing the game.
How to beat online Roulette – Playing the Game
Preparation is now complete. Its time to put that knowledge into action and start playing real roulette games for real money. Its time for you to start beating roulette. To summarise:
- Choose the right casino
- Choose the right European roulette games
- Practice using demo games
Now that you have done this, we can provide tips to beat roulette for real money. In-game tips concentrate on bet values, bets you should place, and managing your winnings.
Select your bet values carefully
First thing to consider is your bet values. You should have already checked the minimum and maximum bet values. With this in mind, you must set out your individual bet values and initial bankroll. It is important to set these things in stone and create a firm plan. If you do not, you will burn through your cash quickly without any dividends. We advise the following:
- Set an initial bankroll limit of $100
- Set a maximum bet value you want to use
- Set a maximum playing time per session
An initial bankroll gives you a figure to work towards. Furthermore, it ensures you maintain control of your gambling. Without limits, you could soon become addicted. A maximum bet value ensures that your bankroll limit will not be used up too quickly. Finally, a maximum playing time ensures gambling doesn’t consume your life – it isn’t healthy to play all day for long stretches.
Once you have done this, we advise sticking to minimum wager limits available on the table you have chosen. This further helps lengthen your bankroll and ensures you don’t burn through it quickly. A typical roulette session could look like this:
- Initial bankroll of $100
- Maximum bet value of $5.00
- Maximum playing time of 1 hour
This is an effective steady pace. On average, a roulette turn takes 2 minutes to complete – from placing the wager, to spinning the wheel, and sorting winnings. Using the above figures, with wagers of between $1-$5, you can easily spread the $100 out and make it last over the hour period. Be cautious. Be careful, and stick to your plan rigidly – it is the best way to beat roulette.
Select the best bet types
European roulette has a betting table or spread split into two main categories – inside and outside wagers. Each set of bets has its pros and cons. It is important to understand which bets to choose as this has a great ramification on your chances of winning, and the value of your winnings:
Inside Bets
Let’s start with inside bets. These bets are for the high rollers – for those who love excitement and taking a risk. These bets are NOT for you. Avoid placing inside bets. Why? Inside bets have much lower winning percentages. For example, placing an inside split bet on two numbers gives players a 2/37 chance of winning, or a 5.04% – this is not great!
So why would you consider playing an inside bet if the odds are low? Inside bets have much higher odds and pay-outs. This offset the lower chance of winning. Still – for consistent earnings, outside bets are the best choice.
The below are the main pros and cons of inside bets:
Pros
- Provide greater odds
- Offer the highest winnings
Cons
- Much lower win percentage
The only inside be that could prove useful is the column bet – in this bet you pick a column of 12 numbers. This bet has effectively the same win chance as selecting the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd set of 12 numbers on the outside bets. The win percentage is still only just below 33% however, compared to nearly 50% for red or black, for example.
We have listed the different inside bets below:
- Straight Up Bet (select a single number)
- Split Bet (select two adjacent numbers)
- Street Bet (select three adjacent numbers in a row)
- Corner Bet (select four adjacent numbers)
- Column Bet (select a 12 numbers in a column)
Outside Bets
Outside bets are what you should concentrate on for beating roulette. The aim of most strategies involves placing a large volume of smaller value bets, on bets that have greater chances of winning. This is exactly what outside bets provide. This type of roulette wager has the following pros and cons:
Pros
- Provide a greater chance of winning
Cons
- Offer the lowest winnings
- Offer lower odds
Outside wagers have either ½ or 1/3 odds. That’s a 50% of 33% chance of winning. The rate of winning is much higher, but the pay-outs are lower – always 1:1. The aim is to consistently win smaller amounts of cash. Outside wagers are listed below:
- 1st 12 (numbers 1-12)
- 2nd 12 (numbers 13-24)
- 3rd 12 (numbers 25-36)
- Numbers 1-18
- Numbers 19-36
- Even/Odd
- Red/Black
These wagers are simple and mathematically have higher winning percentages – always stick with outside bets.
What should I do with my winnings?
So, you have made a nice winning – you are up on your original bet stake, what do you do with those winnings? It is extremely tempting to simply gamble those winnings and try to earn even more.
Unfortunately, this is where most novice gamblers fall short. They are immersed in the thrill of winning and regrettably make poor decisions. Instead of consolidating their winnings, they continue to gamble, and inevitably loose it all. At that point, because nothing has been saved, they have nothing to fall back on.
The best strategy is to never spend your winnings. This method requires extreme discipline and resistance to temptation. Essentially do the following:
- Set a starting value to spend.
- Use only that starting value to gamble with.
- Any winnings put in a separate fund.
For example, you have $100 to play roulette with. You should only ever spend that $100. If you win $50 – place that somewhere out of sight and mind and continue using the original $100. Continue this even if your original bankroll becomes small and close to $0. If you don’t do this, you won’t gain anything long-term – just a large hole in your bank account.
How to beat online Roulette – Betting Strategies
Finally, let’s look at different betting strategies. You have learned about playing Roulette and setting up your game beforehand. All that’s left now is understanding how to play smart and choose a strategy that you are comfortable with – a sound gambling strategy is ultimately a best way to beat Roulette.
Note – Betting strategies are not infallible and should be used as guidelines only. No betting strategy is fool proof and there is always an element of luck relating to Roulette and other table games.
Beating Roulette requires excellent game knowledge, but also savvy strategy. As mentioned above, you can choose your bets wisely i.e. by sticking to outside bets that have a higher win percentage. In addition to this, you can utilize a gambling strategy.
Gambling strategies are tried and tested methods that have been developed using extensive play time and game knowledge. People dedicate time and effort attempting to unlock hidden secrets of these games in an attempt to beat the system and make huge profit. Some strategies do work in a fashion. You must remember that no strategy provides an instant guaranteed win, however. Luck is an overriding factor that you cannot ignore.
That being said, we have listed three common gambling strategies used for Roulette bellow – Martingale Strategy, Grand Martingale Strategy, and James Bond Strategy:
The Martingale Strategy
Martingale Betting system is well-known worldwide. It is a relatively simple system that works on assumptions that you will eventually win a roulette spin. We have listed basic Martingale strategies below:
- Place a bet at lowest possible table value
- If you win, continue with the same bet value
- If you lose, place exact same bet, but 2x money value
- If you lose again, place exact same bet, but 2x money value again
As you can see, this is an extremely simple premise. Essentially, each time you lose double your subsequent bet value. Always start with minimum value bets – this ensures you won’t have to double your money and spend huge sums quickly;
For example:
- You bet $5 on red and lose
- You would then bet $10 on red – this bet also loses
- You would then bet $20 on red – this bet wins
Simple? Martingale Strategy dictates that you eventually break even and cover your losses by continually increasing your wager value. In the above scenario, your total stake would be $35 cumulatively. Your earnings would be $40 ($20 stake returned, plus $20 profit for evens roulette win). Meaning a profit of $5.
This is an excellent theory, but it depends on the premise that you will eventually win. This is problematic – there is no guarantee that you will win – you could theoretically roll 10 blacks in a row. Could you really afford to keep multiplying your bet value 10x? Martingale Strategy is effective for low value wagers, but as with any other betting strategy is not a guaranteed win.
The Grand Martingale Strategy
As the name implies, this is an enhanced version of basic Martingale betting strategies. This effectively provides additional means of covering your losses but is also more expensive to run. Grand Martingale Strategy has one main point in addition to basic principles:
– Each time your wager is doubled, add a value equal to your initial bet
For example:
- You bet $5 on red and lose
- You would then bet $15 on red – this bet also loses ($5 doubled, plus $5 stake)
- You would then bet $35 on red – this bet wins ($14 doubled, plus $5 stake)
As you can see, the relative bet values increase quickly in comparison to standard Martingale strategies. In this scenario your total stake would be $55 cumulatively. Your earnings would be $70.00 ($35 stake returned, plus $35 profit for evens roulette win). Meaning a profit of $15. As you can see, the potential profit margin for this strategy is higher. Negatively, you must be willing to spend more to get to that point.
The James Bond Strategy
Some betting strategies are composed based on numerical odds relating to roulette spin outcomes. This is exactly what James Bond strategy does. This strategy includes placing three bets to cover as many numbers on a roulette wheel as possible yielding a win rate of 67%. Bets are as follows:
- $10 on 0
- $140 on 19-36 box
- $50 on 13-18 box
Total stake for this combination of bets is $200. Win/loss amounts are listed below:
- Numbers 19-36 earn a profit of $80
- Numbers 13-18 earn a profit of $100
- Numbers 0 earns a profit of $160
- Numbers 1-12 are a loss
As you can see, you cover effectively 2/3 of the playing field and have a 67% chance of winning. If you land on 1-12, you can apply Martingale Strategy too. When using this strategy, consider maximum table limits as you have to bet in multiples of $200 – you can quickly hit the maximum table limit if you have subsequent losses.
We hope you have found this article interesting. Roulette is an extremely fun game to play. It is a classic game in land-based casinos that is seen in many TV shows and movies. Furthermore, online Roulette opens a whole new real of possibilities for this game.
You can test world best roulette system strategies completely for free using demo versions of games. Moreover, you can win some amazing prizes in both standard online games, or exciting live versions. Why not put the information we have provided to good use and try your luck at online roulette today? We recommend you to read out guides on how to beat online casinos, beating blackjack and beating online slots.
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