Top Online Roulette Sites

The game of roulette in its present form has been played for over 300 years, and remains one of the most popular gambling games available today. This should come as no surprise – roulette’s simplicity, rapid pace and huge range of betting options make it appealing to just about anyone. Most importantly, it’s purely a game of chance, so even a complete beginner can land a few winners!

While it might be a simple game, it’s still worth making sure you know exactly what you’re getting into before you hop straight into a game. Our quick guide to the basics of online roulette will teach you everything you need to know before you give that wheel a spin, from the basics to winning strategies. Let’s get the ball rolling.

The Rules

This tried and tested casino classic involves a roulette ball, table, chips, and of course, the iconic wheel. The aim of the game is simple. Predict which numbered pocket the ball will land in with each spin of the roulette wheel. You’re not restricted to just picking one number though – the game of roulette presents you with some of the best betting options you’ll find at an online casino, including the classic red or black and any combination of up to 38 numbers.

Once you’ve made your predictions and placed your bets, it’s time for the main event – spin the wheel! There’s nothing better than the thrill of watching the ball slowly come to a halt as you wait to find out whether or not you’re onto a winner.

Betting Odds

There are a huge number of possible bets that you could place each time you spin the wheel. These can be split into two types: inside and outside bets. There are two main types of roulette bets: inside bets and outside bets. An outside bet refers to the betting options that sit outside the numbered grid on a roulette table. Even money bets such as red and black, dozens and columns are all examples of outside bets. These bets involve lower risk, as they cover more of the roulette table. As you’d expect, this means a winning outside wager lands more modest payouts than an inside bet.

If you’re more of a risk taker, the inside bets can land you some huge payouts. Inside bets involve lower table coverage and include single-number bets – the bet with the highest payout in the game. It’s also known as the ‘straight up and pays out at 35:1.

Roulette Strategy

When you’re putting your hard earned money on the line, it usually pays to have a plan. We all have certain guidelines we stick to when playing blackjack, right? Well, roulette is a little different. Where some casino games require a bit of skill and knowledge, roulette is purely a game of chance. All it takes to win is a little luck.

Many casino enthusiasts swear by roulette strategies like the Martingale system, but it’s important to remember there’s nothing you can do to tilt the odds in your favour. Even if you’re a beginner, you stand a fairly decent chance of landing a winner during extended gameplay, with or without a strategy. Nevertheless, we’d still recommend that new players take advantage of demo versions of online roulette to get familiar with the game and its controls before wagering any real money.

American Roulette vs European Roulette

Most top online casinos offer the two most prominent versions of online roulette: American roulette and European roulette. The only difference between the two is that the American version has one more number on its wheel – the double zero. This means that the American wheel is made up of 38 pockets, compared to the 37 found in European roulette. With a smaller number of potential outcomes, the European variant gives you the best odds, so we’d definitely recommend choosing European roulette if you want the best bang for your buck.

How Do We Choose? 

In order for the team here at Compare.bet to be able to pick out the very best sites for you, we work by a pretty strict criteria. Let’s have a look at what that consists of. 

Valid Gambling License 

This is probably the most important factor that we take into consideration when choosing an online roulette site. If an online casino is not registered by the UK Gambling Commission, we simply can’t recommend it. By holding a valid license, we can guarantee that the casino is a safe site for you to play at as well as upholding the standards of the wider industry.

Mobile friendly 

Playing via your mobile is a key part of online gambling nowadays, so we wouldn’t recommend a site if they didn’t have a first class mobile optimised experience. Not only does a great mobile service allow you to play wherever you are in the world, but push notifications keep you up to date with the casino’s new promotions and games.

Quality of games 

When you do get down to playing roulette at an online casino, you’re going to want to know that their games are going to be top quality. That’s why we only recommend sites that feature games from the top software developers in the world, including NetEnt, Playtech and Microgaming.

Best roulette software providers 

NetEnt

NetEnt are one of the most experienced software developers working today, having been established around 20 years ago now. Their experience has carried through to their roulette games, offering you the ability to play European, American and even French Roulette. The fun doesn’t stop there, however, because their array of live roulette games only add to the possible fun. Classic Roulette Live, Branded Casino Classic Roulette Live and VIP Roulette Live are some of the standout titles and, with RTPs of 97.3% across the board, they offer some of the best value for money.

Microgaming 

Microgaming are the original name in gaming software development, supposedly creating the first one back in 1994. They even claim to be the first company to develop mobile casino software. Either way, their experience in the industry means they provide every type of roulette game imaginable. From American Roulette Gold, to European Roulette Gold, to Live Roulette, you won’t be short for variety when it comes to Microgaming. You can even play Multi Wheel Roulette, which allows you to play up to eight roulette wheels at one time.

Evolution Gaming 

What you will always be guaranteed with Evolution is variety. They are industry leaders when it comes to providing gaming software and their quality is seen in every aspect of their games. From classic versions like French and American Roulette, to new twists like Double Ball Roulette that provide players with more frequent payout opportunities. They’ve even taken live roulette to the next level with their Immersive Roulette game that uses Hollywood-style cameras to get their players to get as close to action as possible. Immersive Roulette was even awarded EGR’s Game of the Year award in 2014.

Playtech 

PlayTech are the quintessential turn of the century company, literally coming into being on 31st December 1999. They, therefore, have over 20 years of experience with which to draw from when developing their games and their expertise shows. Their standard roulette games are some of the best around, from their Classic Roulette game, to Premium European Roulette, to Penny Roulette which allows punters to wager bets as low as £0.1! Their live roulette games are just as expansive, offering the chance to play a range of games, from their flagship live casino title Grand Royale, to the football themed Live Football Roulette. In short, there’s something for everyone here.

Roulette Bonuses

A great bonus can really make or break an online casino site, giving you the chance to work out how a new site works and providing the opportunity to win big from a tiny outlay. Welcome bonuses are a great way to make the most of online roulette games, especially offers like matched deposits. The best online casinos will offer a generous percentage of your initial deposit as a welcome bonus and attach low wagering requirements to them. So if you’re a new customer looking to find the best roulette casino for you, a great value bonus is a good place to start.

Playing Roulette on Your Mobile

Mobile betting has taken off in recent years, with online casinos offering mobile optimised gambling experiences that are equal to their desktop counterparts. The best sites will offer first class mobile apps that allow you play with amazing ease wherever you are in the world. Some will even offer native apps that make the whole process that bit quicker. If an app isn’t an option, however, then the casino will still offer a fully optimised mobile site.

Payment Options 

These days, punters can expect to be able to pay for a game of online roulette through a variety of options. The best will accept a range of payment options, so let’s have a look at the ways in which you can pay online today.

Debit Cards

The most common and arguably the most secure is paying via a debit card, a payment methods that all online casinos accept. The only downside with this option, however, is that the waiting time for a transaction can be up to 5 working days. Indeed, as of April 2020 the Government has outlawed the use of credit cards as an online casino payment. 

E-Wallets 

E-Wallets have become increasingly popular in recent years, with lots of punters beginning to plump for them over standard debit card transactions. The key positives of using an e-wallet like PayPal, Neteller and Skrill, is that they’re totally free to sign up to, they process transactions in a matter of hours at most and are completely secure.