How to Play Roulette: The Ultimate Guide

Learning how to play roulette is an important step before you settle down to spin the wheel of fortune. Whether you’re inspired by live dealer roulette or plan to play classic European roulette, understanding the basics and working through a strategy can enhance your enjoyment and potentially improve your results. In this guide, we explain how to play roulette in Canada and cover the rules of the game, the variations, and some helpful strategies you can employ. As a result, our experts ensure you’re ready to spin the roulette wheel and place your bets to land some big potential prizes while playing this classic casino game.

Roulette is one of the most widely played casino games in Canada. The word “roulette” means “little wheel” in French, and this casino game originated in France sometime in the 18th century. One of the earliest known instances of roulette in Canada can be traced to 1758 when legal documents were prepared to try and outlaw roulette and similar games in Quebec. By the 1800s, roulette had become a mainstay in North America, proving particularly popular in gambling dens in Mississippi and other parts of the South. Though the roulette wheel has undergone several adaptations since it first appeared in Canada and the US, the wheel we use today has been in play for more than 150 years.

The premise of the game has also remained the same. The objective of roulette is to predict which pocket the ball will land on when the wheel stops spinning. Depending on where you think the ball will land, you can place lots of different bet types and adjust your stake according to your available bank balance. At online and brick-and-mortar casinos in Canada, you can enjoy a variety of roulette games, including European, French, and American roulette. Canadians have a penchant for classic table games at online casinos, which is why roulette is such a huge hit at the leading online casinos. So, if you’re looking for a fun, easy-to-play, and potentially profitable casino classic to enjoy, roulette is the game for you. Let’s look at how the game works and what you need to know to place a bet.

Roulette is a game of chance with two main components – the roulette wheel and the roulette table. The standard roulette wheel has 37 pockets: 18 red, 18 black, and one green segment for zero. Note that an American roulette wheel has an additional green pocket for double zero, which increases the game’s house edge. More on this shortly. The table presents each of the different bets that you can place on the roulette wheel and is where you place your chips before the croupier spins the wheel.

Though the table can look a little confusing at first, it’s straightforward once you get the hang of the layout. The key thing to remember is that the bet types that you can place are split into inside and outside bets. Inside bets are wagers on the numbers, while outside bets are those you can place on the segments on the outer parts of the table. Some roulette games also let you place special bets.

We explain the different types of inside and outside roulette bets that you can place below:

If you play roulette variations in Canada, you may come across several special bets or bets with slightly different names, such as the following:

• Double zero bet – a bet on the double zero pocket on the American roulette wheel. 
• Carre – the French name for a corner bet. 
• Cheval – the French name for a split bet. 
• Colonne – the French name for a column bet.
• Derniere – a French bet on the last group of 12 numbers in a dozen bet. 
• Douzaine – the French name for a dozen bet.
• En Plein – the French name for a straight bet.
• Impair – the French name for an odd bet. 
• Orphelins – a bet on a specific group of numbers that are neighbours on the roulette wheel. 
• Pair – the French name for an even bet.
• Passe – the French name for a high bet.
• Sixainne – the French name for a six line bet.
• Tiers Du Cylindre – a French term for one third of the wheel that allows you to bet on a specific group of numbers. 
• Transversale – the French name for a street bet. 
• Voisins du Zero – a French bet for the neighbours of zero on the roulette wheel.

Recognizing that the odds are slightly different in European and American roulette variations is important. This is due to the inclusion of an additional zero in American roulette, meaning that there is one extra green pocket, which is marked as 00. The double zero increases the game’s house edge and means that it’s slightly more difficult to win while playing American roulette. This doesn’t necessarily mean you should avoid American roulette, but it is something to be wary of when considering which online casino to sign up for in Canada. The standard house edge for European roulette is 2.70%, while the standard house edge for American roulette is 5.26%.

Though roulette is a game of luck, employing a strategy can help increase your enjoyment of the game and potentially lead to bigger payouts. The strategy that you employ depends on your bankroll available and your risk appetite. 

Here are seven potentially winning strategies to try out while playing roulette in Canada, with instructions on how to implement them effectively: 

One of the simplest and most widely employed roulette strategies is the Martingale. It’s a solid approach if you’re planning to place even money roulette wagers on things like red or black or odd or even. The Martingale is known as a progressive strategy, as it requires you to increase the value of your bets every time you incur a loss at the roulette table. As a result, it requires a fairly hefty bankroll and might not be suitable for you if you’re a low-budget roulette player. Assuming that you begin with a $1 stake, the Martingale strategy calls for you to double your bet each time you lose. So, $1 becomes $2, $2 becomes $4, and so on. When you win, you return the bet amount to your initial stake. The idea is that the increased stakes will cover your losses when you finally land a win, and it’s a potentially viable strategy if you’re planning to play roulette with a reasonable bankroll.

The parlay system in roulette is practically the opposite of the Martingale. If you follow this strategy, you need to double your bet when you win and reset your stake when you lose. Though it’s up to you how to employ the parlay strategy, it’s best to set yourself a target. After all, if you win four or five on the bounce by doubling your stake, it could be a good time to walk away from the table with a tidy profit. 

Next up is the Fibonacci sequence, which is slightly more complex than the Martingale and Parlay. Most players use the Fibonacci for a sequence of the following ten numbers: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, and 55. This is also an even money betting strategy and should only be employed as such. The numbers in the sequence indicate how much you should bet each round. Each time you lose, you progress to the sequence’s next number. However, when you win, you have to jump back two numbers in the sequence. Like the Martingale, the Fibonacci works well if you have a decent bankroll available and it can be applied to European, French, and American roulette games.

The D’Alembert deals with units and is another viable roulette strategy. Let’s assume you have a $100 budget at the roulette table. To use the D’Alembert approach, you need first to identify your minimum bet amount, which should be about 1% of your bankroll, or $1 in this example. Then, you need to create units of five minimum bets, so the value of your units in our example would be $5. When you win, you subtract one unit and your next bet would be $4. If you lose, you add one unit, so your next bet would be $6. Again, the D’Alembert strategy only works for even money bets. 

The double street quad is a popular approach with roulette players online as it’s a non-progressive strategy. The key to the double quad approach is that it tells you what segments to bet on, rather than how much to bet each time you play. This strategy requires you to place two double street bets, one corner bet, and one straight bet. The idea is that 17 numbers will be covered and you have a good chance of your number coming up given that practically half of the table is covered. 

He might be better known as a baccarat player, but James Bond also loves to bet at the roulette table. For the James Bond approach to work, you need to place minimum wagers of $20 each betting round, which may be restrictive for some players. $14 goes on any even money wager that you like, while $5 is for a double street bet, and $1 is for the zero. Be mindful that the James Bond strategy is only viable in French or European roulette games, as the double zero in American roulette makes this strategy less appealing.

The Andrucci is an appealing strategy for anyone looking for patterns in previous betting rounds. To try it, place a low-value wager on an even money wager 30-50 times in a row. Make a note of the result of each betting round and look for any patterns. You can then increase the value of your bets for subsequent games and potentially land a big payout. If you’re playing roulette online in Canada, you can use the in-game statistics to help you identify the patterns, saving you from placing the bets. Still, remember that roulette is a game of luck, so the Andrucci strategy will only likely take you so far.

To play roulette in Canada, you need to first decide which online casino to play at. Thankfully, Canadians have several excellent online casinos to choose from, with a wide selection of roulette titles and variations. At Betsquare, we specialize in researching and reviewing online casinos in Canada, spending time playing games, and analyzing the quality of the online casino product in question. As a result, we have shortlist three brilliant online casinos currently available in Canada with an awesome selection of roulette games, as introduced below.

From N1 Casino to Playzilla, here are our top three roulette casinos available to Canadians in 2023: 

N1 Casino (5.0/5.0). Best overall roulette casino in CA.

N1 Casino is top of the tree as far as online casinos in Canada are concerned. In reviewing this casino, we were extremely impressed by the variety of roulette titles available, specifically the live casino offering. You can also access a brilliant welcome package to get started with up to $6,000 in bonus funds.

You can unlock up to $6,000 in bonus funds to play roulette at N1 Casino, alongside 200 free spins to use on slot games. It’s one of the best promotions we’ve come across at any online casino in Canada.

You can deposit funds at N1 Casino via several methods, including Neosurf, Visa, and Interac. Deposits are instant, and most withdrawals are processed in 1-3 days, meaning that you don’t need to wait an eternity to access your winnings from N1.

If you’re keen to play roulette on the go in Canada, you can download the N1 Casino mobile app on Android or iOS. We found the app to be intuitive and extremely easy to use. What’s more, thanks to HTML5 technology, all roulette titles worked brilliantly on our mobile devices, both on tablets and smartphones.

N1 Casino offers an extremely impressive selection of live casino roulette titles for you to enjoy. You can try Mega Roulette with multipliers of up to 500x the bet, alongside Lucky Streak Roulette, Speed Roulette, and Power Up Roulette. There are also a few classic RNG roulette titles for you to enjoy if live dealer titles aren’t your thing.

Pros 

• Excellent welcome package
• Licensed and regulated by the Malta Gaming Authority 
• Fast withdrawals in 1-3 days

Cons 

• Not the widest selection of RNG table games 

Golden Star Casino (4.9/5.0). Best for live dealer roulette

Golden Star is another excellent online casino in Canada with a solid lineup of live casino roulette titles. We also found the Golden Star customer support to be on point, with a 24/7 live chat available to answer all your questions and queries. Golden Star is a great choice if you’re looking for a licensed and regulated roulette casino in Canada.

Get started at Golden Star Casino with a welcome package that offers up to $1,500 in bonus funds and 100 free spins to use on selected slots.

You can add funds to your Golden Star Casino account in numerous ways. E-wallets are the best option, as they are instantly deposited, and your funds should be added to your account within 24 hours when you process a withdrawal. Other withdrawal methods, like Visa tend to take about three days.

The Golden Star Casino app is available for iOS and Android. You can also download Golden Star Casino to your homepage on Mac and Windows. We tested the mobile app while playing roulette and found it to be excellent. We were also impressed with the offers and promotions available via the app, another reason to check it out.

We love Golden Star’s live casino offering, and there are numerous roulette games to enjoy, such as Power Up Roulette, Speed Roulette, and Auto Roulette. Playtech is one of Golden Star’s live casino providers, and there are also several RNG roulette games to play, including European Roulette, Roulette Royal, and American Roulette.

Pros 

• Good selection of RNG and live dealer roulette games. 
• Fast payouts via e-wallets. 
• Helpful customer support via live chat. 

Cons 

• Ongoing promotions could be better.

Playzilla (4.8/5.0). Best for RNG roulette.

Our third and final roulette casino recommendation in Canada is Playzilla. Though mainly known for its slot offering, Playzilla also has some brilliant table games and live dealer titles. Playzilla is a good option if you enjoy playing RNG roulette, with several enticing titles to check out.

The Playzilla promotion is similar to the one offered by Golden Star Casino. You can receive up to $1,500 in bonus funds and 500 free spins to use on selected slot games.

We’re impressed by the number of banking methods available at Playzilla, and making a deposit couldn’t be easier via numerous methods. Though some withdrawals can take 3-5 days, if you process a payout via an e-wallet, you can expect your funds to be with you within 48 hours.

Though Playzilla doesn’t currently offer a mobile app for Android or iOS, you can enjoy their games via a browser on your smartphone or tablet. All of the RNG roulette games at Playzilla have been created with HTML5 technology, meaning they’re perfectly optimized for mobile gaming on any device. 

We mainly love Playzilla because of its outstanding selection of RNG roulette titles. All the classics are available, including European and American roulette. But you can also crank things up a notch with titles like Dragon Roulette, Mini Roulette, Terminator 2 Roulette, and Roulette Diamond, among others.

Pros 

• Excellent selection of RNG roulette games.
• Decent live casino options for roulette fans.
• Relatively quick withdrawals, with many processed in 48 hours.

Cons

• No mobile app currently available.

Online roulette in Canada is extremely popular, and it’s one of the most widely played table and live casino games. Now that you know what roulette is and where to play it, here are the steps that you can follow to get started with the roulette variation of your choice:

1. Choose a licensed and regulated online casino to play at. Our recommendations include N1 Casino, Golden Star Casino, and Playzilla.
2. Check the welcome bonus terms and make a real money deposit via your chosen banking method. 
3. Browse through the roulette variations available at your chosen online casino. You will find some listed as table games and others listed as live dealer titles. 
4. Check the betting limits of your chosen game and decide how much to bet. 
5. Place your chips on the virtual table to reflect the inside, outside, or special bets that you would like to place. At this stage, think carefully about potentially employing a roulette strategy and how this will affect your bets. 
6. Place your bets and watch the action unfold. 
7. Decide if you wish to place another bet or cash out your winnings.

As there are so many online casinos available in Canada, you need to think carefully about where to create an account. Here are some tips that will help you choose a legitimate site with a good selection of games:

• Begin by checking that the site is licensed and regulated by a body like the Malta Gaming Authority or the UK Gambling Commission. Never play roulette at unregulated online casinos. 
• Consider the roulette games available at your chosen casino and look for a mixture of RNG games and live dealer titles.
• Read the terms and conditions of the welcome bonus offered and check for things like the timeframe and wagering requirements attached to the promotion. 
• Always check how long it takes a casino to process a withdrawal, as you don’t want to wait an eternity for your winnings to arrive in your account.

At Betsquare, we take your safety and security seriously. That’s why we only ever recommend roulette sites that are licensed and independently regulated. Your personal and financial information is potentially at risk when you play at unlicensed casinos, which is the reason we also check sites for their on-site security. SSL encryption is non-negotiable for us, and we always check a site’s security credentials before identifying it as safe to play at. We also pay attention to the responsible gambling tools employed by an online casino, including things like bet limits, time limits, and cooling-off periods to keep you safe from problem gambling. Though you need to take responsibility for your own safety while playing online, the best sites make it easy for you to gamble responsibly and recommend resources that you can use for help if you have a gambling problem.