Roulette is one of the simplest casino games. A ball settles into one pocket of a spinning wheel, and you bet on where it will land. If you are looking at roulette at The Hippodrome Online Casino, this page explains the common variants, the basic rules, how the computer version differs from a live dealer table, and what to check before you play.
Common roulette variants
European roulette uses a wheel with 37 pockets: the numbers 1 to 36 and a single zero. American roulette adds a double zero, which makes 38 pockets and gives the house a larger edge on most bets. French roulette uses the same 37-pocket wheel as the European game but has its own betting rules, which can return part of an even-money stake when the ball lands on zero.
Some versions add extra features or change the layout of the table. Check which roulette tables The Hippodrome Online Casino offers before you sit down, so you know which version you are playing and what its rules and stake limits are.
How roulette works
You place your bets on the table before the wheel spins. Inside bets cover one number or a small group of numbers and pay more when they win. Outside bets cover larger groups, such as red or black, odd or even, or high or low numbers. They pay less but win more often.
Once bets are placed, the wheel spins and the ball settles in a pocket. Winning bets are paid according to the table's payout rules, and losing bets are collected. Each spin is independent: the previous result does not affect the next one, and the outcome is decided by a random process.
Before you bet, check the table's minimum and maximum stakes and the payouts shown for each bet type. Betting systems do not change the odds. Methods such as Martingale only change how stakes are spread across spins, and the wheel does not remember earlier results.
18+ · T&Cs apply
RNG and live dealer roulette
The RNG version uses a random number generator to decide each result, and the wheel is shown on screen. A round starts when you place your bets and ends when the result appears. It is quick, and you play at your own pace.
Live dealer roulette streams a real wheel run by a human dealer from a studio. Rounds are slower because the dealer collects bets and spins the wheel before each result, and you can see the ball land. The outcome is still random, and the odds are the same as the equivalent RNG table, but the pace and presentation are different. For dealer-run games, see the live casino page.
Before you play
Read the table's rules and payouts before you place a bet, and check the stake limits so you know the smallest and largest bet you can make. Choose stakes you are comfortable losing, because any spin can end in a loss.
Set a budget before you start and stick to it. Do not raise your stakes to recover earlier losses, since that usually means you spend more than you planned. The safer gambling page explains the tools available for setting limits. If you plan to play on a phone, see the mobile version page first.
