At its root, roulette is a casino game of wheels, numbers and colours. The wheel is divided into equal parts: red and black slots with a single or double green slot. A white ball accompanies this wheel, spinning around it until it settles on a slot. The player’s goal is to wager on the ball’s final slot. That’s the core fundamentals, but there is more to explain. There are three primary roulette variants in online casinos. These include the European, American and French. The general mechanism of the game remains the same with these alternatives, but the rules, layout and odds are slightly different.
Talking Gameplay
The wheel in an online roulette game is powered by software which uses a random number generator (RNG) to determine the results. Players can choose a mixture of inside and outside bets or choose one of them. Inside bets have smaller groups and specific numbers with big wins but less success, while the outside bets use number ranges and options with fewer payouts but have higher success rates.
Inside bets have 35:1 odds, and outer wagers have 1:1 odds. Players using outer odds can wager on the colour (red/black), nature (even/odd) or status (high or low ranges) of an element on the wheel.
Players choose the chip denomination and place their desired bets on the layout before the “no more bets” prompt. Clicking a spin button initiates a virtual animation of the wheel and ball. Players wait for the final outcome of the spin, and if they guessed correctly, the system credits them according to the accepted payout ratio.
The Core Comparison of Variants
Gamers playing on casino websites in Canada have several variants of roulette to choose from, as summarized below:
| Variants | European | French | American | |
| Pockets | 37 | 37 | 38 | |
| Zero pockets | Single | Single | Double | |
| House edge | 2.7% | 1.35% to 2.7% | 5.26% |
The online European game focuses on strategy. It uses the 37-slot wheel consisting of 18 red and 18 black, with a single green zero. This arrangement offers a reduced house edge, which is a key benefit against American roulette. Its straight-up bets or single numbers—offer a lucrative 35:1 return with a 1/37 (2.70%) winning probability. Outside bets have a 1:1 pay-off with a 48.65% success rate, the same as the red/black ones.
The French version is a mirror of the European layout, only differing in two rules: ‘la partage’ and ‘en prison’. These rules are applied when a player places an even bet, and the ball’s outcome is zero. In la partage, the player loses half the bet, while en prison keeps the player’s bet for the next spin. The two elements reduce the regular European 2.7% house edge to 1.35%.
The American version has 38 slots shared in 18 red, 18 black, one green zero, and the double zero (00). This extra green slot increases the house’s edge. Straight-up bets have a lowered probability of 2.63% (because of the double zero). However, the outer bet success probability is significantly lower (47.37%) than that of the European (48.65%) and French variants.
Trends in Online Roulette & Player Preference
There are several roulette creations with unique effects found across the newly launched casino operators. Beyond the regular gameplay, some include additional side betting layouts for experienced users seeking more complex wagers, while others prefer live simulations of callouts.
Certain software offers records of past winning numbers to casino members, helping to improve the winning potential. Players preferring higher but infrequent wins opt for the American variant, while traditional roulette players favour the European and French variants.
Our Final Thoughts
Online roulette variations are games of both chance and strategy. The use of la partage and en prison in the French variant brings a twist to the game. However, while modern players may prefer the fast-paced American variant, the European alternative offers more chances of winning.