A Guide to Bitcoin Roulette

Roulette has been in existence for more than two hundred years and has seen its fair share of high-rollers — and debt accumulation. Bitcoin roulette, its cryptocurrency-based equivalent, has also been around almost as long as cryptocurrency itself. It is one of the most popular games both on- and offline due to its simplicity, accessibility (almost every casino has a roulette table), and interesting variants.

The rise in bitcoin use and its benefits for the gambling industry — such as player anonymity, security, and fast withdrawal speeds — also contribute to the growing popularity of bitcoin roulette. Like other popular bitcoin casino games, there is no major difference between bitcoin roulette and its traditional counterpart, except the currency used.

There are many reasons why people play roulette. It’s easy to understand compared to games like poker, without complex rules that are difficult to remember. Players are drawn to the charm of the game, which has become an honored tradition and symbol of the gambling industry.

Roulette is all about numbers. Don't run just yet! Unlike Bitcoin Blackjack, roulette does not take much mental calculation and is ruled purely by chance. Its basic underlying premise is simple: you place bets by putting chips on particular numbers, toss a small ball on to the spinning roulette wheel, and wait to see if the ball lands on one of your numbers.

The layout of a typical bitcoin roulette game consists of a roulette wheel, ball, betting chips, and a betting board. Basically, all a player is really doing is guessing which number the ball will land on when thrown.

The wheel consists of numbered slots which correspond to the numbers on the betting board. The roulette ball is dropped on the spinning wheel and when it stops, the ball will rest on a number. This is the winning number, and players who placed bets on it are paid. The wheel is spun at the start of each round and the player continues to place betting chips on the betting board.

• European bitcoin roulette tables have 37 numbers ranging from 0 to 36 while American tables have 38 numbers due to the addition of a double zero (00) after zero (0). It's important to note that the additional number reduces the chances of scoring a win and increases the casino's edge.
• Bets can be placed on just one number,, or multiple numbers at the same time. Placing bets on multiple numbers increases the chances of spinning a win. However, the potential returns are not as high as those of single numbers.
• All bets are made by placing chips either on the betting board or around it.

There are different ways in which players can place bets. These can be either inside bets which are placed inside or on the edge of the number grid, or outside bets which are placed on the labeled boxes outside the number grid. There are also different ways to place both inside and outside bets and they all have different payouts. Payouts are the number of times a player’s bet is multiplied when they win. For example, if a bet payout is 35 to 1, a player will win $35 on a $1 bet.

Inside Bets

• Split: This involves placing a chip  on the line between two numbers as a way to bet on both. The payout is 17:1.
• Single/Straight: This is when a player places a chip within the square of just one number. The payout is 35:1.
• Square/Corner: this involves placing a chip in the shared corner of four numbers to bet on them.  The payout for this type of bet is 8:1.
• Basket/First Four: This method involves placing a chip at the edge of the 0 and the rows containing 1,2 and 3 as a way to bet on 0,1,2,3. The payout is 6: 1.
• Trio: This involves betting on three numbers by placing a chip at their intersection. The payout is 11.667: 1.
• Street: this is when a player places a chip on the edge of a row of three numbers. The payout is 11: 1.
• Double Street/Six Line: This is a six-number bet placed on two adjacent rows. The chips are placed at the edge of the rows. The payout is 5:1.

Outside Bets

• Dozen: This is a bet on the first dozen (1–12), second dozen (13–24) or third dozen (25–36) of the roulette numbers. The Payout for dozen bets is 2:1.
• Low: This method involves betting on the lower half (1-18) of the roulette numbers. The payout for low bets is 1:1.
• High: This method involves betting on the upper half (19-36) of the roulette numbers. The payout for high bets is also 1:1.
• Column: This involves placing a bet on a vertical column of numbers. Like the dozen bet, the payout for Column bets is 2:1.
• Red: This is a bet on all the red numbers. The payout is 1:1.
• Black: This is a bet on all the black numbers. The payout is also 1:1.
• Even: This is a bet on all the even numbers on the board. The payout is 1:1.  
• Odd: This is a bet on all the odd numbers. The payout for even bets is also 1:1.    

The house edge refers to the advantage the casino has over its players in a certain game. It is calculated in percentages and can be used to predict return rates. In bitcoin roulette, the house gets its edge in two ways: When the ball lands on zero (green) and through inside bets which have lower payouts than winning odds. Generally, European roulette has a better house edge for players.

The house edges for bitcoin roulette are:

• 5.26% for American roulette with a return to player rate of 94.74%. However, the basket bet has a house edge of 7.89% with a return rate of 92.11%.
• 2.70% for European roulette with a return to player rate of 97.30% for all bets.
• 2.70% for French roulette with a return to player rate of 97.30%. Variants of French roulette, which use the En Prison or La Partage rule set, have even payouts bets so the house edge is 1.35% with a return rate of 98.65%.

There are several strategies which can be employed, such as Fibonacci and D’Alembert. However, they are mostly unnecessary because bitcoin roulette is a game of chance and there is no way to predict future outcomes from past ones.

Final Thoughts

For those players new to bitcoin gambling, bitcoin roulette is a great starting point. Not only does it offer better odds, bet types, and simpler rules, it is also found in most casinos. Now, players have the option of placing bets in bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in online casinos. Many of such bitcoin casinos are also provably fair, allowing the players to check if an outcome was truly random.

The issue of payouts also comes with less stress since winnings are paid out instantly into players’ wallets. It is also convenient for players and the casinos who don’t have to worry about location issues. Instead of leaving the comfort of their homes, anyone can simply go to an online casino site and let the chips fall where they may.