Roulette is one of the most beloved games because there are few that are simpler and almost none that offer larger payouts. There are a few different types of roulette, but the way in which the game is played is the same whether you are playing the American, European, or French version of the game. The roulette wheel is the source of massive crowds at brick and mortar casinos, and that popularity translates to the online version of the game as well.
Naturally, you will be able to find at least one roulette wheel in virtually every casino around the world, but you might be surprised to know that you can also find roulette at online casinos that offer live dealer games. As you might be able to gather, live dealer online games take all of the great aspects of playing on the floor of a casino and combine them with the comfort and ease of playing from home, online. Thanks to the same technology that allows you to watch live sporting events from your laptop or mobile device, you can play roulette in real time, with real dealers, and real wheel/ball action. Rather than see a digital wheel and ball being spun by nonexistent dealers, you can follow all of the action in real time just like you do at a casino.
The purpose of this article is to introduce you to live dealer roulette and what makes it so exciting. We will talk about how the game is played, who offers the best live-streaming, and what online casinos offer players the most variety.
Live Dealer Roulette Gaming Providers
Live dealer online casino games are still somewhat new and not a mainstay at every online casino, but there exists a growing number of software providers who have developed top-tier products. Not every software provider is created equally, so we have taken the time to highlight the providers that we view as standing out from the rest of the crowd.
Evolution Gaming
While many other live dealer providers began as traditional casino software developers, such was not the case with Evolution Gaming. Having been founded in 2007, Evolution was dedicated to live dealer games in the beginning and that is a major part of the reason why they are regularly regarded as an industry leader today.
What immediately stands out about Evolution live dealer roulette is the fact that they offer such a large number of game types, In addition to American, European, and French roulette, there are fun variations that create an exciting atmosphere for players and even more chances to walk away a big winner. Double Ball Roulette, which was created by Evolution, works exactly as you might expect. Rather than the dealer sending just one ball to circle around the spinning wheel, the dealer will eject two balls from a patented device at the same time. The two balls mean double the change to win, creating situations where payouts can be as high as 1000:1 and beyond.
Evolution has a few other proprietary roulette variations as well. On top of all of their innovation, Evolution boasts friendly, interactive dealers that do well to enhance the overall gameplay experience, not take away from it.
Playtech
Playtech was founded in 1999 and has situated itself atop the online casino software industry. In recent years, they have made the foray into live dealer games, specifically live dealer roulette. Their live dealer roulette offering consists of only French and European variants. What stands out about Playtech is that they are able to cater to users from all over the world through their offering of roulette games in more than seven different languages.
In addition to simply being able to cater to players from all over the world, Playtech ensures that their dealers are friendly and helpful as well. The live chat feature affords players the opportunity to communicate directly with the croupier, whether it is to inquire about an issue or simply to say hello. Finally, Playtech does offer a few unique roulette variants that mostly alter the pace of play such that downtime is kept to a minimum.
NetEnt
Net Entertainment, shortened to NetEnt, is another live dealer software provider that began operations with live dealer games in mind first and foremost. Founded in 2013, NetEnt is still finding its footing, but has thus far proven to offer a quality live dealer online roulette product. The standard variant of roulette is classic European roulette, however some casinos also offer their French roulette offering, of which has la partage rules that favor the even money bettor.
Like Playtech, NetEnt does well to offer games with croupiers that speak a few different native tongues, allowing them to cater to a global audience. What this provider lacks in overall selection, it more than makes up for with quality. The user interfaces are perhaps the most straightforward and simplistic, while their live-streams are some of the highest quality you will see. On top of all of this, NetEnt also boasts a mobile live dealer roulette offering that ranks amongst the absolute best due to its functionality.
Differences Between Live Dealer Roulette and Online Roulette
Below are the key differences between online roulette and live dealer roulette:
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- The dealer is physically present and spinning the ball, rather than an RNG
- Live dealer roulette offers a more realistic gameplay experience as most live games are shot from within the confines of a brick and mortar casino or in a state of the art studio with perfect acoustics and lighting
- Because of the human aspect in the form of a live croupier, standard live dealer games feature more downtime between spins than traditional online roulette
Roulette Rules and Gameplay
As is the case with any other online casino game, the rules that govern your roulette game will depend upon the type of roulette you are playing (European, American, etc.). With that being said, if you are playing American live dealer roulette, you can rest-assured knowing that the game will be played exactly the same as it would on the floor of a physical casino.
An increasingly common offering from live dealer roulette providers is a variation that speeds the game up, typically referred to as “speed” or “turbo” roulette. Though the downtime between spins will be only a fraction of what it is normally, the actual roulette gameplay will feature no changes. You will still have a live croupier spinning a real ball around a real, spinning wheel.
All the time, providers are coming out with new spins (no pun intended) on the classic roulette game. The aforementioned Double Ball Roulette, for example, is a game that doesn’t change the rules of roulette, per say, but instead changes the potential payouts. When dealing with unique variants such as this, we recommend that you read the rules closely as what differentiates the game in question from other variations of roulette will likely be touched upon. In addition, you are almost always able to join a game and watch as a spectator. If you are unsure of the exact gameplay rules, there is nothing wrong with taking a few minutes to watch a couple spins and decipher the nuances of a specific game for yourself.
There are a growing number of roulette variants, but by and large you will encounter live dealer games that do not differ at all from what you will come across in a physical brick and mortar casino.
Where to Play Live Dealer Roulette
1. BetOnline.ag
Most people may associate BetOnline with sports betting, but in recent years the site has made massive strives in terms of its online casino—and specifically live dealer casino—offering. What BetOnline.ag lacks in quantity it more than makes up for in quality thanks to a live dealer interface that is as clean and easy to use as you will find anywhere.
In total, there are only European and American live dealer roulette games with three different stake limits offered for each. The lowest limit table features a minimum bet of $1 and a maximum bet of $100. The middle of the road live dealer roulette table ranges from $5-$500, while the high stakes table accepts bets as low as $25 as well as wagers as high as $5,000.
What separates BetOnline from many other sites is the fact that they are able to offer such large single spin wagers. Where other sites might cap a bet at $1,000 or even $500, BetOnline does well to cater to every type of bettor. What’s more, the site features crystal-clear streams and rotating camera angles. Prior to the croupier’s spin, the camera is fixated on the table, dealer, and all of the action taking place in the background. As soon as the croupier lets go of the ball, however, the camera angle shifts so that only the spinning wheel is in focus. This ensures that there is absolutely no question about where the ball has landed.
2. CafeCasino.lv
Like BetOnline, CafeCasino has a few different live dealer roulette tables that are able to cater to players of all different stake levels. Though there are no unique roulette variants, players will be greeted with both American and European versions of the game. As you might expect, the user interface is easy to use and straightforward, which perfectly complements the clear live-stream.
Roulette wagers can be placed for as little as $1 and can extend well beyond $1,000 which means that CafeCasino caters to both serious and recreational players alike.
What we love about CafeCasino is that no download is required in order to play live dealer roulette. The innovative software allows for games to be played directly within a user’s browser. CafeCasino is, no doubt, a new live dealer casino provider, but in the short time they have been around they have made quite a name for themselves.