Roulette is a table game in which you bet on where a ball will come to rest on a numbered wheel. This page covers what you need to know before you play roulette at BoyleSports: the common variants, the basic rules, how the live version differs and a few practical points.
Common roulette variants
Most roulette games use one of three wheel layouts. European roulette has 37 pockets, numbered 0 to 36, with a single green zero. American roulette adds a second zero, giving 38 pockets. French roulette uses the European wheel but has its own betting rules. Under the en prison rule, an even-money stake can be held for one more spin when the ball lands on zero.
Many online games also add features on top of the classic wheel. Lightning Roulette is one example: it adds random multipliers to some numbers, which changes the payouts for those numbers but not the basic layout of the wheel.
Variant names and rules differ between providers. Check which versions BoyleSports offers and read the rules shown in the game before you place a bet.
How roulette works
A round starts with bets. You can bet on a single number, a group of numbers, red or black, odd or even, or high or low numbers. Once bets are closed, the wheel spins, a ball is released and comes to rest in a pocket. The result decides which bets win.
Each bet type has fixed odds. A straight-up bet on one number pays 35 to 1, while an even-money bet such as red or black pays 1 to 1. The advantage the casino keeps comes from the zero pocket or pockets. On a European wheel there is one, and on an American wheel there are two, which is why the edge is higher on the American version.
Every spin is independent. The wheel has no memory of earlier results, so a run of reds does not make black more likely on the next spin. Results are random, and the wheel decides each outcome.
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RNG roulette and live dealer roulette
In the RNG version, a random number generator decides the result of each spin and the wheel is shown as an animation. Rounds are quick, and the game runs entirely on software.
In a live dealer game, a real wheel is spun in a studio and streamed to you, with a human dealer who takes bets and pays out winnings. Each round takes longer because the dealer waits for bets and the wheel has to come to a stop. The rules and the odds on a wheel of the same layout are the same in both versions. What changes is the pace, the presentation and the interaction with the dealer.
For a wider look at how live tables differ from game shows, see our live casino guide. Check whether live tables are offered at BoyleSports before you plan to play one.
Practical tips before you play
Read the bet types and their payouts before you place a stake, and check the table limits so you know the minimum and maximum before you join. Knowing the rules is the simplest way to avoid placing a bet you did not intend.
Set a budget before you start and decide in advance how long you will play. Choose a stake you are comfortable losing, and stop when you reach your limit. No betting pattern changes the odds. Martingale doubles the stake after each loss, but it does not improve the chance of any single spin, and the table limit or your budget can stop the sequence before a win comes.
If play stops being enjoyable, the safer gambling page explains what to do next. You can also visit BoyleSports to check the tables on offer before you decide.
