Although online roulette has a dedicated player base, many Canadian players have been turning to live roulette games in recent years. The popularity of live roulette is more than just a trend — immersive gameplay, social interaction, and many unique rule variants make live titles an attractive experience. Learn more about how online live casino roulette works and see how easy it is for new players to get started, and how it’s built on the popularity of classic roulette.
Differences Between RNG and Live Roulette Games
Most single-player online roulette games use a random number generator (RNG) to determine the outcome of each spin. These games are solo experiences where the player is against the house.
Meanwhile, live dealer roulette is a multiplayer experience, with a human croupier and real human companions betting on the same spins. Live roulette is live-streamed from a studio where the game is run on-camera.
Players often turn to live roulette as a more lively version of online roulette with all the convenience of playing from a computer or mobile device.
Roulette Rulesets
Players can find a few major roulette variants in both RNG and live formats. These rulesets (European, French, and American) each offer slightly different odds and betting options.
European roulette is common in live dealer titles, especially as it serves as an accessible version of the game with its low house edge, perfect for new players. French roulette is almost identical to European roulette, but has a few more betting options. American roulette has a house edge that’s higher than in European rules because of the extra 00 pocket on the roulette wheel.
There are also niche variants of roulette that offer extra gameplay mechanics that add variety to the game, such as Mega Roulette 3000, RouletteX, and even Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Roulette.
Features of Live Roulette Explained
With a better idea of what makes live dealer roulette stand out from other roulette titles, now is the time to explore these unique features in further detail. This section will focus on what new players can expect the first time they join a real dealer roulette table online.
Human Croupier
The most obvious feature of live roulette online is a human croupier running the game. Their role is to maintain the game’s flow, announcing when roulette bets are closed, dropping the ball in the wheel, and calling out the winning number.
Aside from being a friendly face, some players have more faith in the fairness of a human croupier rather than the RNGs used when playing online roulette. Watching the croupier handle the wheel and ball gives some players additional confidence in the game.
When playing live roulette, don’t be surprised if the croupier swaps out after a few spins. Just like in a land-based casino, the croupiers go on break or end their shifts, which means a new croupier will take over.
Real-Time Gameplay
While each round of RNG roulette starts when the player clicks “Spin,” gameplay in online live casino roulette moves at a constant pace. That means that players can join a round or sit back and watch at their leisure, all without quitting the game. This is one advantage of live roulette for new players, as they can observe the gameplay before choosing to bet.
Real-time play also means betting windows. After the previous spin is completed, bets will be open. The croupier will then call for final bets, and bets close as the next spin begins. Some live roulette titles use a stoplight system: green light means open bets, yellow means bets are closing, red means bets are finished for that round.
Live Chat
A common live roulette FAQ is “How interactive is the game?” Live dealer games try to simulate the social experience of a land-based roulette table. To this end, a live text chat is available to engage with fellow players or the croupier.
Bantering with human players breathes a lot of life into the game, as players can congratulate each other on a win or offer sympathy after a loss. And the croupier can help answer any questions new players may have. Just remember to be polite and courteous in chat, or a suspension or ban might be handed down to disruptive or insulting players.
Added Gameplay Variants
Live roulette is a common medium for new gameplay variants. These versions spice up traditional roulette with new game mechanics designed to keep the game interesting, even for veterans who know the game inside and out.
One popular example is Lightning Roulette by software provider Evolution. This title not only amps up the presentation with a lightning-lit studio stage but also adds payout multipliers. Each spin, between one and five numbers are randomly selected as Lucky Numbers with a multiplier up to 500x. Score a winning bet on a Lucky Number, and the multiplier exponentially boosts the payout.
Other gameplay additions found in live roulette include: double-ball roulette, instant roulette, speed roulette, multi-cam roulette, high-stakes roulette, and online roulette in Canada that’s played in a number of international languages.
