American Roulette – How To Play & Best Strategies

What Is American Roulette?

American Roulette is a variation of Roulette, similar to its sister game European Roulette. Both versions of the game are similar, but there are some minor differences in the two games which change how they work, but more on this later.

In short, Roulette involves you betting on which pocket you believe the American Roulette ball will land on. At brick-and-mortar casinos, you exchange cash for casino chips and place said chips on the American Roulette table to denote your bet. You can place a single bet (Such as betting on a single number or type of number) or you can place a series of bets. American Roulette online works in a similar way, but more on that later.

American Roulette: How It Was Invented

European Roulette became hugely popular across Europe in the 19th century when twin brothers Louis and Francois Blanc moved from France to Germany and introduced European Roulette. Around the same time, European settlers introduced the game to the USA, but casino operators were dissatisfied with the low House Edge (The casino’s advantage over you). As a result, casinos in the USA added an additional pocket of a double zero to their Roulette wheel, creating American Roulette and effectively increasing the game’s House Edge.

Meanwhile, reports have suggested that early forms of American Roulette wheels included numbers through to 28, a single zero pocket, a double zero pocket, and a unique Eagle pocket representing American liberty. Like with the introduction of the double zero pocket, the Eagle pocket increased the game’s House Edge, but for whatever reason, the pocket disappeared from the American Roulette wheel.

American Roulette quickly became popular in the United States, and the launch of InterCasino, what’s thought to be the worlds first online casino, in 1996 allowed users to play American Roulette online. Today, American Roulette is still the most popular form of Roulette game in the USA, and it’s also become popular in America’s neighbouring countries, such as Canada, South America, and across the Caribbean too. Although European Roulette can be played in the USA, casino operators prefer American Roulette. Likewise, American Roulette can be played in Europe and the UK, but most prefer European Roulette.

Difference Between American And European Roulette

As we’ve already mentioned, both European and American Roulette are similar in design and play. However, there are some core differences that make playing the two games a different experience. The biggest difference between European and American Roulette is that the American variation of the game features the additional double zero pocket. This change is also marked on the American Roulette table with an additional field, allowing you to bet on the double zero pocket.

European Roulette has one less pocket and only has a single zero pocket. This has led the game to have an increased RTP (Return to Player) rate and a decreased House Edge, meaning players have a better chance at making wins through this variation. If you’d like to know more about the European version of Roulette, we suggest you check out our in-depth European Roulette guide here.

American Roulette Wheel Layout

The American Roulette wheel has 38 pockets, including numbers 1-36, a green single zero, and a green double zero. Although some sites have reported specific patterns in American Roulette wheels, the game’s numbers are distributed across the American Roulette wheel in no particular pattern and in interchangeable red and black colours. The even and odd and high and low numbers are distributed equally across the board, and the two zero pockets are set on either side of the wheel.

With all numbers distributed evenly across the American Roulette wheel, players are given an equal chance to land on any of the pockets, meaning the game is incredibly chance-based. The same rules apply to the European variation of Roulette, although that game doesn’t feature the double zero pocket.

The American Roulette Table

As we’ve already mentioned, the change in American Roulette’s wheel layout is reflected in the game’s table. Roulette tables are made up of fields that represent all of the numbers and betting options available in the game. Generally speaking, the American Roulette table uses the same layout as the one in European Roulette, but with one major difference; there is a double zero field.

Fields available in American Roulette include separate fields for the single and double zero, separate fields for red and black numbers, and separate fields for even and odd numbers. Alongside that, the table has two special fields for numbers 1-18 and 19-36, and three dozens fields representing numbers 1-12, 13-24, and 25-36. Finally, there are three row fields that each cover 12 numbers.

As mentioned, when playing American Roulette online, you will need to place casino chips on the fields representing what you want to bet on. For example, if you want to bet that the American Roulette ball lands on an even number, you’d have to place a casino chip on the even field of the American Roulette table.

Types Of American Roulette Bets

As we’ve already mentioned, you can make either single bets or a series of bets when playing American Roulette online. Regardless of how many bets you place, you’ll need to have an understanding of how the American Roulette table and its bets work.

Generally speaking, the bets available in American Roulette are split into two categories; inside and outside bets. Inside bets are all bets made within the large rectangular box that covers numbers 1-36 while outside bets are all bets made outside of the main rectangle, such as reds and blacks, evens and odds, and so on. The inside bets available for you to bet on include:

• Straight Up: Betting on an individual number
• Split: Betting on two adjacent numbers
• Street: Betting on three adjacent numbers
• Corner: Betting on any four connected numbers
• Line: Betting on a line of six numbers

It’s important to note that inside bets have lower odds of winning but offer higher payouts since they’re usually much harder to land. Outside bets are the opposite, having a higher chance of winning but providing a smaller payout. These outside bets include:

• Red: Betting on a red number
• Black: Betting on a black number
• Even: Betting on an even number
• Odd: Betting on an odd number
• Low: Betting on numbers 1-18
• High: Betting on numbers 19-36
• Dozen: Betting on one of three dozens; 1-12, 13-23 or 25-36
• Column: Betting on one of three vertical columns with 12 numbers

Those are all of the ordinary betting options available when playing American Roulette. If you’re a first-time player, we highly suggest you start with outside bets as they provide you with a better chance of winning.

Best American Roulette Strategy

There are several notable strategies available for American Roulette. These strategies are generally used on games at brick-and-mortar venues, but they can be used on online games too. While following a strategy can help you increase your chance at making a win, it’s important for you to understand that they are not always successful. Still, many people enjoying employing these strategies as they can make playing American Roulette much more fun.

There are six main American Roulette strategies that most gamblers use. They include:

• The Martingale
• The Reverse Martingale
• The Labouchere
• The Fibonacci
• The James Bond
• The D’Alembert

All of these strategies involve you following a set of instructions over what you bet on and how you place your bets. If you’re a first-time gamer, it may be a good idea to follow one of these strategies so you can develop an understanding of the flow and play of American Roulette. If you’d like to know more about the various American Roulette strategies, we suggest you keep reading on.

Martingale And Reverse Martingale Strategies

The Martingale and Reverse Martingale are the two most well-known American Roulette strategies. Under the Martingale strategy, you will need to double your bet every time you make a loss. The reason for this is that by doubling your bet, you should make back the money you initially lost. However, it’s important to note that this American Roulette strategy is usually best saved for long-term play rather than short sessions.

Meanwhile, the Reverse Martingale strategy is the opposite. Instead of doubling your bet whenever you lose, you double your bet when you make a win. When compared to the original Martingale strategy, it means you won’t incur significant losses when playing. A downside, however, is that you’ll have to win a recurring number of times to see any real returns.

The Labouchere And Fibonacci Strategies

The Labouchere American Roulette strategy, created by British aristocrat Henry Labouchere, requires you to decide how much you want to bet and then split it into a series of smaller bets that add up to your total amount. These smaller bets must be lined up and you will need to add the leftmost and rightmost numbers together to create your bet for each round. When you win, the two numbers are crossed off your list and you move to the next two numbers. If you lose the round, the combined total will be added to the end of your line and you will need to include it in your next bet to earn back your loss. This continues until all numbers have been crossed off.

The Fibonacci American Roulette strategy is much more simple and is regarded as one of the safest Roulette strategies around. You basically make bets by following the Fibonacci sequence of numbers where the first two numbers combine to create the next number in the sequence. For example:

1-1-2-3-5-8-13-21-34-55-88-144 etc

The Fibonacci system is endless and when using this American Roulette strategy, you will need to make a win before moving onto the next number. There are two ways of following the sequence, some people move up a number on each loss and down on wins, while others move up once they’ve made a win and down on losses. Both ways are valid, and we suggest you work out which is best for you to use or which you’re more comfortable using.

The James Bond Strategy

Another popular American Roulette strategy is the James Bond strategy which sees you place a series of bets that cover half of the Roulette table, providing you with a better chance to make a win. When using this strategy, you’ll need to select an overall bet per round and split that into the three following bets:

• Bet on the single zero
• Bet on line 13-18
• Bet on high numbers 19-36

As you can see, by following this strategy, you will cover numbers 0 and 13-36, meaning you have a high chance of landing a win. Unfortunately, if the American Roulette ball lands on numbers 00 and 1-17, you will make a loss. Still, this American Roulette strategy remains popular for offering a decent chance at making wins and for being the chosen method for the fictional character James Bond, after which the strategy is named after.

The D’Alembert Strategy

The D’Alembert American Roulette strategy is fairly popular and is very similar to the Martingale strategy. Created by French mathematician Jean-Baptiste le Rond D’Alembert in the 18th century, the strategy requires players to focus on bets such as red or black, evens or odds, and numbers 1-18 and 19-36. When using the D’Alembert strategy, you’ll need to select an amount to bet and when playing, you will increase the bet on losing rounds and gradually decrease it on winning rounds. By doing this, you can win back any lost funds over time.

Best American Roulette Tricks

If you’re looking to play American Roulette, we have a series of tricks or tips that you can follow to boost your enjoyment of the game and potentially improve your chances at making wins. Check out our five best American Roulette tricks below:

#1 – Try Roulette Strategies

One of the best American Roulette tricks we have is to try different American Roulette strategies. Doing so is great for newcomers that are unfamiliar with how the game plays. Using strategies can also make the game more entertaining in the long term.

#2 – Don’t Be Afraid Of Skipping Rounds

Another hugely important American Roulette trick we have is to avoid being afraid of skipping rounds. If you’re playing and you find yourself making losses or are just feeling a little overwhelmed, it may be a good idea to skip a round to get yourself together and rethink your bet plans.

#3 – Decrease Your Bets Over Time

If you’re playing without a Roulette strategy and find yourself on a winning streak, it may be a good idea to decrease your bet over time. Doing so can help protect your wins and limit your overall losses.

#4 – Try Different Games

There are dozens of American Roulette online games, all created by different developers. We suggest you try American Roulette games by different developers as the RTP can change between them, offering you better chances at winning. What’s more, the visuals can change between games, offering a more realistic experience that can be more fun.

#5 – Manage Your Spending And Losses

Our final American Roulette trick is to ensure that you manage your spending and losses. Most online casinos that offer American Roulette offer tools that will allow you to limit and manage your spending and losses, giving you greater control over your gambling. Manging it will ensure that Roulette remains fun and an enjoyable experience for you.

If you follow the five best American Roulette tricks, we’re confident that you’ll get the most out of your American Roulette game. Our tips also include suggestions on how you can stay safe while gambling and playing American Roulette, which is incredibly important. If you’re concerned about irresponsible gambling, we suggest you check out our responsible gambling guide here.

How To Play American Roulette Online

Before you can start playing American Roulette in the United Kingdom, you’ll need to register with a casino website offering the game. Thankfully, most online casinos in the United Kingdom offer American Roulette, which means there are countless options for you. Since there are hundreds of old and new casino sites, it can be a little overwhelming figuring out which casinos are worth registering with and playing American Roulette on. We’ve reviewed dozens of online casinos and with our expertise, have put together a list of the best online casinos for American Roulette. Check them out below.

Spinit Casino

Spinit Casino is a very popular online casino in the United Kingdom which is home to American Roulette. Operated by Genesis Global Limited, the website is giving all new users a choice between a £100 and 200 free spins bonus on casino games or a specialised £100 live casino welcome offer. If you’d like to know more about the website, we suggest you read through our Spinit Casino review.

Casino Joy

Casino Joy is another online casino great for American Roulette. The website is home to various promotions for new and long-term users, and it is home to a large selection of casino games, including video slots, table games, live casino content, and so much more. More information about the website can be found in our Casino Joy review here.

Vegas Hero

Las Vegas is known as the capital of Sin City, so it’s no wonder there are online casinos themed on it! Vegas Hero is one of them and a website known for offering a gigantic catalogue of casino games, including American Roulette and plenty more. More details about Sin City can be found by reading through our review here.

Sloty Casino

Sloty Casino is another website operated by Genesis Global Limited. This online casino is known for offering a great selection of games, lots of promotions for new and existing users, and for accepting most major payment methods too, including PayPal, numerous other e-Wallets, and more. You can discover more with our Sloty Casino review.

Pelaa Casino

Our final American Roulette casino suggestion is Pelaa Casino, which is home to more than 1,300 casino games! If that’s not enough, there are numerous promotions available and the website is well-known for its quick withdrawals made through various payment options. Our Pelaa Casino review can be read for more information.

All of the casinos we’ve suggested above offer American Roulette games and are all licensed by the UK Gambling Commission too, which means they’re all safe to play at. If you don’t like any of these casinos, it’s worth taking a look at our wider reviews page which features dozens of other online casino sites.

Once you’ve registered at an online casino site offering American Roulette, you’ll need to verify your account by providing the online casino with copies of documents that verify your identity. Only after this is done will you be able to make a deposit by loading the casino’s cashier, selecting your preferred method, and confirming payment. After your account is funded, you’ll be ready to play!

American Roulette Promotions

Most online casinos provide new customers with a welcome package, such as bonus funds or spins that can be used on various casino games. What you can use the bonus on will be determined by the online casino and the promotion’s terms and conditions, and while there aren’t any American Roulette-specific promotions, most casino sites in the UK will allow you to use your bonus funds on American Roulette games.

If you decide to use a welcome bonus on American Roulette online games or anything else, make sure to read through the terms and conditions. You should always do this to ensure you know the limitations of the bonus, such as the required deposit amount, any win or bet limits, and the wagering requirement of a bonus under which you must wager a bonus or its wins a certain number of times before it can be withdrawn. More information on bonuses can be found in our bonus guide.

A Quick Guide To Playing American Roulette Online

When playing American Roulette online, you are automatically given casino chips equal to your deposited amount, and you must place these onto the American Roulette table as you would in real life. This is done by clicking on the casino chips and then clicking the spot you want to place them on.

With online American Roulette, you’re also usually given a series of buttons allowing you to quickly manage the game. They include a ‘spin’ button, a ‘double’ button to double your bets, a ‘clear’ button to clear all bets, an ‘undo’ button to remove your last bet, and a ‘rebet’ button to change your bet after a round.

Once you’ve put down all of your casino chips and made your bet, you’ll need to hit the ‘spin’ button to spin the American Roulette wheel. Your winnings will be automatically credited and your losses deducted after each round. That’s it! Once a round has been completed, you can hit the ‘spin’ button for another round, the ‘rebet’ button to change your bet or the ‘double’ button to double your bet.

Live Roulette Variations

There are numerous forms of online Roulette available at online casinos. One of the most popular is live Roulette, where real dealers are streamed directly to you over the internet and can be interacted with via a chat service. There are multiple variations of live Roulette, all of which make slight adjustments to how the game works. Some offer additional betting options while others play with additional balls, alter the game’s design or simply make changes to the way bets are made. If you’re thinking about playing live Roulette, it’s important you read through the rules of the game so you know exactly what to do when playing.

Land-Based American Roulette Vs Online: What’s The Difference?

Generally speaking, there isn’t a difference in the rules of American Roulette online and at brick-and-mortar casinos. Both games require you to place bets on what you believe the outcome of each American Roulette wheel spin. What’s more, both versions of the game have the same design, both on their American Roulette wheels and on their tables too.

There are differences between American Roulette online and at brick-and-mortar venues. For example, American Roulette online does not use a real dealer to spin the American Roulette wheel. Rather, it uses a random number generator (RNG) to determine the outcome of each spin. What’s more, American Roulette online has several buttons you use to manage your bet and each spin, generally has better odds or payouts, and you cannot interact with other users, unless you’re playing live casino, of course!