How to Play Roulette Online - A Complete Guide

Learning how to play roulette online makes for a faster and more convenient way to enjoy than the real-world version. Here, we cover what you need to know to start placing bets before the wheel spins. We’ll cover all the most important roulette rules and bet types, and offer up a few top tips on turning a profit.

Take Your Virtual Seat at a Roulette Table

learn how to play roulette

In online roulette, there are three main pieces of equipment – the wheel, the betting table, and the ball.

The wheel is divided into either 37 or 38 segments, depending on whether you’re playing European or American roulette. Both have 36 numbered segments, but the former has one ‘0’ segment, while the latter has both a ‘0’ and a ’00.’ All the segments except for those 0’s are coloured either red or black.

Each round, the wheel will be spun, and a ball will be dropped onto it. The segment in which the ball settles determines the results of your bets.

You’ll place those bets on the betting table. Note that in live online roulette, while the ball and wheel themselves will be physical, this betting table – on which you place your wagers – will be virtual. There is a wide variety of bet types you can choose from, which we’ve covered later in this article.

That’s the basics of how to play roulette online. Now, let’s run through a practical sequence of how to enjoy a round.

Purchase Chips

Obviously, your stakes with live dealer roulette will all be virtual. You must still decide before the wheel is spun, however, how much you’d like to wager. Both minimum and maximum limits will usually be in place here, and these will vary depending on the specific game you’re playing.

Place Your Bets

Live roulette dealers need to keep the game moving, so be aware that you’ll only have a limited window in which to place your wagers. Within that time, however, you can not only place whatever bets you please, but can also place multiple wagers on one spin.

Watch the Wheel Spin

With your stakes set and your wagers placed, your work is done. All you can do now is sit back, watch the wheel spin, see the ball drop, and wait for it to settle in one of the segments. This is the most exciting and nerve-wracking part of the roulette experience.

Payouts

The ball’s final resting spot will determine the results of all the wagers that have been placed on a given spin. Both the number and colour of the segment will play a role here. Thanks to modern online casino technology, the results in live roulette are processed and calculated almost immediately. If you’ve won, you’ll also receive your payout straight away.

Popular Types of Roulette Bets

Given how straightforward the roulette basic rules are, there are actually quite a few different bet types you can choose between.

These can be split into two main categories: outside bets and inside bets. The former have a higher chance of success, but correspondingly lower payouts. The latter are the opposite, being riskier propositions, but with bigger potential earnings. As a reminder, you can place multiple wagers on each round, even on the same spin.

Here are the most popular types of roulette bets you should be aware of when playing at Irish online casinos.

Straight Up Bet

The most straightforward bet type of all, in which you simply bet on a single, specific number to hit. Your payout here will be 35/1, but your actual chances of success are better on European roulette, compared to the American version, since there is one fewer segment on the wheel (a single 0, as opposed to a 0 and 00).

Split Bet

A split bet involves covering two adjacent numbers. In real life, you’d put your chip on the line between them, but in live, online roulette, you simply pick this bet type. Unsurprisingly, since you’re betting on two numbers, your payout here will be around half of what it is for a straight-up bet, at 17/1. Your chances of success, however, are doubled (5.41% for European roulette and 5.26% for American).

Corner Bet

This works in the same way as the split bet, but since your digital chip is placed on the corner of four numbers, it covers those four numbers, rather than just two. Again, your probabilities of success will be higher here (10.81% and 10.53%), but your payouts will be lower, at 8:1.

Street Bet

A street bet also covers multiple numbers. In this case, though, you’re taking three numbers in a row (such as 1, 2, and 3), which counts as your ‘street.’ This bet pays out at 11:1, making it a solid balance of risk and reward.

Line Bet

This one ramps up the ‘multiple numbers’ betting to another level. Here, you’re covering two adjacent rows, for six numbers in total. That’s the most you can cover for any inside bet type. Your payout will accordingly be lowered, down to 5:1, but you will have a 16.22% or 15.79% chance of success.

Odd or Even

A simple outside bet that carries lower risk than the choices above, but a lower payout too. As the name suggests, you simply bet on whether the segment on which the ball lands will be odd or even, with the 0 segments reducing your chances in both cases to just below 50%. This is a relatively safe wager, but it only delivers a 1:1 payout.

Red or Black

This is a straightforward bet type, and one we’d recommend for beginners. You simply wager on whether the ball will land in a red or black segment. Remember that your chances here will still be lower than 50/50, due to the inclusion of the 0 segment, or segments.

Columns

An outside bet type that covers a wide range of numbers. It involves taking one of the vertical columns on the roulette betting table, each of which contains 12 numbers. You have a relatively good chance of success here, at 32.43%, but only a 2:1 payout.

High or Low

Like red or black, this splits the entire wheel in two, excluding the 0 segments. In this case, you’re betting the final number will either be ‘low’ (1-18) or ‘high’ (19-36). Much like red/black, you get a 1:1 payout here, plus probabilities that are near evens (48.65% or 47.37%).

Dozens

This is a very similar outside bet to high or low. Here, though, the entire wheel is split into three segments for your bet. These are 1-12, 13-24, and 25-36. As with columns, you get a 2:1 payout and an identical probability of success (unsurprisingly, since columns also involve splitting the betting table in three).

Top Tips for Playing Online Roulette

As you already know, roulette is a game of pure chance. As such, there’s definitely no guaranteed, sure-fire way to turn a profit. There are definitely steps you can take to boost your chances over the long term, though, with these being some of the top examples to follow as you learn how to play roulette at a casino online.

Go EuropeanManage Your BankrollMix Your Bet TypesUse Legitimate Casinos

Go European

American roulette might be popular and widely available, but if you want the best chances of actual success, stick to European roulette. The extra 00 segment in the American version might not make a huge difference per spin, but the lower probability of success can definitely affect you over the long haul.

Manage Your Bankroll

Before you begin playing online roulette for real money, you must decide on your bankroll. This should define your maximum spending limit, per week and per session, based on your disposable income. Whatever happens, you must stick to this limit religiously thereafter.

Mix Your Bet Types

Outside bets come with less risk and lower payouts, while inside bets are the opposite on both counts. To create a well-rounded roulette strategy and balance your risk and reward, you should mix in both types of bets. In addition to making sound financial sense, this will also help to maintain variety in your roulette play.

Use Legitimate Casinos

Since it’s based purely on chance, online roulette would be a particularly easy game for an unscrupulous casino to fix. Avoid this entirely by sticking to proven, legitimate casinos that carry a full license from a recognised regulatory body. The games themselves should also be provided by reputable developers, like Evolution Gaming and Pragmatic Play.

Get Ready to Rock the Roulette Wheel

Roulette is a fast-paced, varied, and endlessly exciting game. The rise of live dealer roulette has also taken the enjoyment to another level, retaining the tactile feel of a real roulette wheel, while giving you the convenience of playing online casino games. Now that you know how to play roulette, you can jump in and give it a go for yourself.

FAQ

Is roulette a game of luck or skill?

The rules of roulette make it a game of pure chance, based entirely on luck. While you can choose your bet types and stakes, no ‘skill’ is involved in the actual outcomes.

Which number hits the most in roulette?

No number is more likely to hit than any other in roulette. The concept of ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ numbers on a roulette wheel might be fun, but have no logical basis.

What’s the safest online roulette bet?

Outside bets tend to be safer than inside wagers. The safest outside bets are those that come closest to a 50/50 proposition, such as red or black, odd or even, and high or low.

Can you predict roulette spins?

No. While you can learn the probabilities of each bet type succeeding, there’s no way to predict the result of any given spin accurately.

What are popular types of roulette games?

The two most popular types are European and American, with the former having better odds. Over recent years, innovative versions have also popped up, such as Lightning Roulette.

Tom Thorn is an Irish online casino expert with over a decade of industry experience. Tom specialises in reviewing top Irish casino sites, analysing game fairness, and breaking down bonuses. Tom's trusted insights help players make informed choices while navigating Ireland’s fast-growing online gambling scene with confidence and clarity.

Learn How to Play Roulette Online in 2026