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Roulette Review
Roulette is a beautiful game in many different ways; first and foremost, it has a fascinating history.
In the late 1600s, far before the advent of online roulette, the game was born. French inventor and mathematician Blaise Pascal tried to create a perpetual motion machine.
Unfortunately for him, his experiments failed. Fortunately for us, however, his investigations led to the machine that would become the forefather of roulette.
Historians believe that in the 1700s, Pascal’s machine and an Italian game called Biribi crossed to form the modern roulette wheel. The game takes its name from the French phrase “little wheel.”
Play Roulette Online
Roulette is a popular game the world over. From famous scenes in 007 films and other action movies to entire sites dedicated to the game, the little wheel is a beloved pastime.
Whether it’s the bold colours or the wagering excitement, something about it attracts people. Considering the popularity of the original game, it’s no surprise that people have taken well to online roulette in Canada.
Nevertheless, playing online is a relatively new development. If you like adrenaline-pumping games of chance, you’ll probably love this game.
One particularly appealing point is that you can play free online roulette at many different Canadian online gambling sites.
So many sites offer this game that it may be bewildering to try and find the right one. However, we’ve reviewed a myriad of different operators to help you find only the best.
Every casino we recommend has to meet a range of different requirements to ensure your comfort and safety.
Our reviewers have tested each of the operators on the list below to help other players find what they want. They’re tested by players, for players.
Free Online Roulette
Many different online casinos were quick to hone in on the opportunities offered by online roulette. Some of them even went so far as to provide free games.
Why would a casino offer free games? Firstly, people who enjoy playing for free might eventually decide to risk playing for real money.
Secondly, by offering free online roulette in Canada as part of a welcome package, they could attract new customers. Sooner or later, the welcome package will end.
New players will then find themselves spending real money to play their favourite casino games.
One of the most significant advantages of playing online, rather than in a land-based casino, is that you can play for free. Most brick-and-mortar establishments have absolutely no reason to offer free games.
If you’re unaccustomed to the game, then it’s worth considering free versions while you get used to it. Another beneficial aspect is that you can play for fun without risking hard-earned cash.
Many of our suggested casinos offer free versions of the games, and you can also try the free roulette version on this page.
Rules of Online Roulette
For those of you who are new to it, the game may seem somewhat bewildering. However, it’s quite simple, and we’d love to get you on your way to play roulette online.
We’ll have a closer look at the different variations later on. However, you should be aware that all versions share the same basic rules.
There are 16 main types of bet, with the straight bet being the most common. Some of the betting types are only available in specific game variants, while others are available in any version.
Here are some of the wagers you can make when playing online roulette in Canada. You’ll have access to outside bets and inside bets.
Outside bets are wagers placed upon categories. For example, you might bet on:
- Black
- Red
- Odd
- Even
- 1-18
- 19-36
In order, these wagers mean that you think the ball will land on:
- A black number
- A red number
- An odd number
- An even number
- A number between 1 and 18
- A number between 19 and 36
The other set of common wagers when you play roulette online are the inside wagers. Inside bets rely on the inside rectangle of the roulette board, where the numbers are.
Let’s have a closer look at some of these wagers.
- Straight up: this is a straightforward bet on a single number.
- Split: because the roulette board sports a series of lines, you can bet on the numbers on either side of a dividing line. This wager only covers two numbers at a time.
- Street: this wagers that the ball will land on one of three numbers in a straight row. I.E. 22, 23, or 24.
- Corner: when you make a corner bet, you wager that the ball will land on one of four numbers around a corner. I.E. 2, 3, 5, or 6; 4, 5, 7, or 8.
- Line: a line bet is a duplicate version of a street bet. Instead of covering only one row of three numbers, you cover three rows, nine in total.
- Basket: a basket bet covers the numbers 0, 1, 2, and 3.
- Five-number bet: the five-number wager covers 0, 00, 1, 2, and 3. It isn’t available on all roulette boards since not all variants have a zero.
- Snake bet: named after the odd pattern it forms, this wager covers 1, 5, 9, 12, 14, 16, 19, 23, 27, 30, 32, and 34.
Of course, when you play online roulette in Canada, you’ll have many other wagers of which to learn. However, these are some of the most important types you need to know about before you try roulette online.
Once you’ve made your wagers, it’s time to spin the wheel.
If you’re playing one of the many live versions, the dealer will spin the wheel. However, in a video or animated version, the wheel will turn automatically when the pre-set timer runs out.
After that, you wait to see if you win or not. An average spin at a table with a live dealer takes about 4 minutes, so you’ll find out soon enough. Congratulations, you’re now ready to play.
Another topic of interest to most players is the RTP. RTP is an abbreviation for ‘return to player’ and indicates how much money the player will receive back over a long enough timeline.
The opposite of the RTP is called the house edge, or the likeliness that the casino will win. We’ll be looking at the house edge for each variant, rather than the RTP.
In American roulette, the house edge is much higher than in European or French roulette. The percentage here pushes to 5.26% thanks to the 00 on the wheel.
European and French roulette wheels are more traditional and only host a single 0. As a result, the house edge on both of these games is only 2.7%.
There’s a third option, which is only possible when the casino offers either the En Prison or La Partage rule. These two rules are available only on French roulette wheels.
The La Partage rule is also known as the half-back rule. It means that if you bet on even or odd, and land on a zero, you get half your money back.
The imprisonment or En Prison rule allows you to ‘imprison’ your bet. If your bet wins on the next go, you get your full wager back, but without any additional winnings.
If your bet were to land on zero again, you could lose or enter a ‘second layer’ of imprisonment. That would mean you’d have to win twice to get your bet back. The edge in French roulette games featuring either rule is only 1.36%.
Another important consideration is the basket bet; it’s only available on American roulette wheels but offers the house an edge of 7.9%.
Online Roulette Variations
There are multiple variations of roulette of which you should be aware. Firstly, when you’re playing roulette online, you have to choose between the live dealer and video roulette.
Live dealer roulette is the ultimate online roulette experience. Thanks to software from gambling giants like Evolution Gaming, you can get the real casino experience from the comfort of your home.
A live dealer will spin the wheel and call the numbers while you watch and make wagers. Thanks to the advanced level of programming, some of these roulette variants even accept call bets.
Video roulette, on the other hand, is an animated or prerecorded roulette board. A very complex algorithm spins the wheel and causes it to land on a randomly generated number.
Video versions of the game offer many of the same gameplays and options that live versions do. However, if you’re looking for an experience close to what you’d get in a brick-and-mortar casino, you should consider a live game.
Apart from the main distinction mentioned above, there are a few other variants you ought to know.
- European roulette: European roulette sports a single 0 and has a relatively low house edge.
- French roulette: the French roulette wheel is close to the original roulette wheel and table. It also has a single 0.
- American roulette: American roulette has both 0 and 00, increasing the house edge significantly. There are also more different types of available wagers on this kind of wheel.
- Multi-ball roulette: this fascinating variant offers the thrill of up to 3 different balls rolling.
- Multi-table roulette: Multi-table roulette allows you to bet on up to eight tables at the same time. You can only see the one wheel, but all the tables count as part of your wager
There are many other variations and versions of this game available out there. However, we focused on the main ones that you’re likely to come across.
Don’t be surprised when you run into versions that are hybrids between different games!
Final Words
Roulette has always been a popular game, ever since the 1700s when its modern variant originated. In recent times, roulette has been a beloved pastime, from the famous James Bond titles to the whole sites devoted to it.
Playing online is a relatively new concept, and it has become enormously attractive to Canadian players. One of the most appealing things about online casinos is the possibility of playing for free, which you can’t do in a land-based casino.
Multiple variations of online roulette exist, but the basic set of rules is always the same. There are sixteen common types of bet, with the straight wager as the most typical. Some are reserved only for specific variations, while some are always possible.
The outside bets have different categories, including Black, Red, Odd, Even, 1-18, and 19-36. Inside bets rely primarily on numbers since you can bet on one, two, three, four, five, nine or twelve of them. The wagers include Straight (single), Split (two), Street (three), Corner (four), Line (nine), Basket (0-3), Snake (twelve numbers 1-34), etc.
Of course, there is a wide selection of other wagers, too. Once you do it, it’s time to spin the wheel (or let the dealer do it). An important aspect to take into account is the RTP, which is usually high in this game.
The house edge is the opposite, the likelihood the casino will win. In European and French roulette, it amounts to 2.7%, while in the American variant it is almost doubled due to 00. The French roulette offers you other possibilities, too, like the La Partage rule and En prison rule.
When playing online, you choose between video roulette and the live dealer. Video roulette is animated or pre-recorded based on a very complex algorithm that causes it to land on a random number. However, if you’re looking for a land-based casino experience at home, consider a live game.
Watching a live dealer spin the wheel and call the numbers as you make wagers is the ultimate online roulette experience. Alongside the mentioned variants, there are also multi-ball roulette, multi-table roulette, etc.
FAQ
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Is it Safe to Play Roulette Online?
It’s perfectly safe to play roulette online, as long as you keep the general safety guidelines in mind. Always remember to check whether the casino you want to sign up at has a license.
It would be best to read the privacy policy to ensure that they won’t share your personal information. Finally, ensure that the casino has high-grade TTL or SSL encryption to protect its users.
If you do all these security checks, you can play with peace of mind.
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Can I Play Roulette Online for Free?
Many different operators offer free online roulette. Some operators may allow you to play for free as part of a welcome bonus.
However, the most common type of free game is the demo version. While you can’t win anything with demo roulette, it’s still stacks of fun.
You can try all sorts of variations this way, from live dealer games to video. Whether it’s American, European or French that interests you, a dealer somewhere offers it. The free versions are a great way to find out which variant you prefer before betting real money.
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Where Can I Play Online Roulette?
Hundreds of different casinos offer online roulette in Canada. We suggest referring to our list of providers and trying out one of our trusted operators.
You could try one of the myriad of sites focusing specifically on roulette, or you can take advantage of one of the larger establishments’ demos.
The possibilities for finding an operator with free roulette are virtually endless. Nevertheless, always ensure that you’re using a reputable online operator.
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Can I Use a Welcome Bonus to Play Roulette Online?
You certainly can. Just make sure that the operator you choose will allow you to play roulette online with their welcome bonus.
Many operators offer a deposit or no deposit bonus which you can use to play roulette. However, read the terms and conditions carefully. Some online casinos don’t allow you to use their promotions for roulette or other table games.
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Can I Play Roulette on My Mobile Phone?
You can play on mobile, tablet or desktop. Either choose an operator with a mobile application or one that’s mobile optimized.
Since the advent of mobile casinos, many operators have turned their attention in this direction. It should be an easy task for you to find this game at a casino that caters to mobile users.
