Online roulette can throw up several variations. This can also change between games hosted on UK-licensed casinos and offshore operators.
The game of roulette has held strong in the pantheon of classic table games. As preferences have shifted to games that offer quicker turnarounds and results, such as the crash genre, roulette has always offered the experience this new wave of players seek. While titles look identical on the surface, they can change depending on where you play them, with regulations and laws impacting what can and can not be done.
European and American Roulette Wheels
European roulette wheels contain 36 numbered pockets that are either red or black. The numbers of the wheel are randomised and don’t follow an order. What really stands out is that the European wheel only has one green pocket, which is a 0. It is this game that you tend to find more at casinos which are licensed in the United Kingdom.
Play on an American roulette wheel and at first glance you may not notice a difference. Yet look closer, and you will see it has 38 pockets. The black and red numbers range from 1 to 36. Yet it also contains two green pockets, which are a single 0 and a double 0.
When you play on non-Gamstop roulette sites, you often find more variations of the game, including American wheels. This is because many of these casinos are not as tightly bound by regulations. The result is that they can provide a wider selection of titles, which manifests in some experimental variants, like wheels with triple zeros but added multipliers.
Changing House Edge and RTP
Americans allegedly changed the roulette wheel when the game travelled to the US with French settlers. Gambling houses did not favour the slim house odds, so they adjusted the wheel. This obviously impacts the odds when you play online roulette. European games have a 1 in 37 chance of winning, while American games have a 1 in 38 chance.
The house edge is a term used to describe the chances of the house winning, or how much probability favours them. This closely aligns with the return to player rating, which is the opposite, and shows how much a player will keep if they play the game over a prolonged period of time.
A standard European wheel gives a roulette house edge of 2.70%. An American roulette wheel gives a house edge of 5.26%.
To understand this, imagine a player is going to wager £1000 over four or five casino sessions, wagering $1 with each spin. Those playing on a European roulette wheel, with a house edge of 2.70%, will see an average of £27 go to the house. The remaining £973 would go back to them, which equates to a return to player rating of 97.3%.
The same person on an American roulette wheel would have a house edge of 5.26%, giving an RTP of 94.74%. Thus, they would see £52.60 go to the house while they gained £947.40 back.
UK Licensing and Offshore Casinos
UKGC-licensed sites must provide clear details regarding RTP ratings. These games are then tested to check that RTP ratings are correct. Players must consider that this is done over thousands of spins.
Offshore casinos are free of the financial checks, deposits and table limits set by the UKGC. Thus, many people who want to spend more tend to seek them out. As this regulatory burden is not present, it is vital that players perform checks to see they are gambling at a legitimate and fair offshore casino.
This can be done by looking at a third-party review site. They will then select the best offshore casinos, such as providers like Fortune Jack. This allows players to find generous promotions and user-friendly experiences while keeping games safe and transparent.
Live Dealer Games
Live dealer games have become popular at both UK licensed casinos and offshore operations. For many, they offer an enhanced level of transparency. This is because the results don’t come from a random number generator. Instead, they are dictated by real-world chance. This is because live dealer roulette uses a real wheel and croupier in a studio, who stream the outcomes to players.
These games are provided by the globe’s top developers. Evolution is the grandfather of this, but there are others. You can be safe in the knowledge that these well-known companies are safe and transparent, with RTP ratings that are pretty spot on. If you use offshore casinos that have games by lesser-known studios, you may want to check that they have robust checks performed on them.
Thus, it is up to the consumer to decide where they want to play roulette. UK licensed casinos provide a safer environment in which to play, with protections. Yet go offshore, and higher limits and more game variations become commonplace, though you may risk some safety and security. This requires a sound level of research that should not be overlooked.
