Online Roulette NZ Guide

How To Choose The Right NZ Casino

Finding the perfect NZ roulette casino can be a daunting task for newcomers. You must ensure the casino ticks boxes like licensing, reputation, customer support, banking speed, and game quality/quantity. The best online casinos should also offer both the RNG and live versions of the game. That's why our expert team at OnlineCasinosRealMoney.co.nz has already done the dirty work to help you play the game on a safe and transparent platform. Simply choose a casino from the list above. Know that you can always play free roulette games at all casinos listed.

What is Online Roulette?

Roulette, or little wheel in French, is a simple casino game played on a spinning wheel or table with coloured and numbered pockets. Players are required to predict the number, colour, or specific combination of numbers where the roulette ball will stop. The various groupings of numbers include red/black, high/low, odd/even, column, and more.

After placing a wager, the dealer will spin the wheel clockwise or anticlockwise, then throw the ball in the opposite direction of the rotation. The ball will eventually lose motion and stop on one of the 37 pockets (European version) or 38 pockets (American version). Games like Sands Roulette have an additional triple zero pocket, making it 39.

If you're playing Roulette on a live dealer or land-based casino, the dealer will place a marker or dolly on the winning number. After placing the marker, players cannot place additional bets or collect wagers. The croupier will sweep away the remaining bets and determine the payout for the remaining inside/outside bets. When you play online, there are no differences with the land-based version.

Betting Options

The game of roulette features two main bets; outside and inside. What are these bets, and how do they work? Let's find out!

Inside Bets

This bet allows you to wager on a single number or a line between a group of numbers. The good thing about placing inside bets is that the payouts are the highest. Straight Up bets, in particular, give players a 35:1 payout. But note that your chances of predicting a single number or line of digits are significantly lower.

Outside Bets

These bets are easier to win, although the payouts are generally lower than inside bets. Players can predict the category of numbers where the ball will land. Consider this; out of all the 36 numbers on the wheel, 18 are considered black, and 18 are red. The same applies to odd and even numbers as well as high (19 to 36) and low (1 to 18). But note that if the ball lands on zero segments, the outside bet loses.

What Are the Odds?

Learning the odds of specific roulette bets allows you to identify the highest-paying bets on the table. This also means you can define a gambling strategy and create the perfect bankroll management system. So, without dilly-dallying any further, below are the specific odds for each Roulette bet you make:

Roulette table layout: odds of the European variant

Straight Up: This bet pays 35:1

A Straight Up bet is the highest-paying wager on the Roulette table. In this inside bet, you are required to predict if the ball will stop on a particular number. If your prediction is correct, you’ll receive a 35:1 payout. In other words, every single credit bet you make will return 35 extra credits. But as you can see, the odds of hitting this wager are pretty long.

Split: This bet pays 17:1

This inside bet covers two adjacent numbers on the table. For example, the croupier will place the chips on the line between 7 and 8 digits. So, you'll essentially be predicting that 7 or 8 wins. The correct prediction will earn you a 17:1 payout. But here is a reminder; adjacent numbers on the playing board aren't necessarily adjacent digits on the wheel.

Street: This bet pays 11:1

The Street wager is an inside bet that covers up to three numbers in a row. In this wager, the chips are placed on the outside line close to the first number on the row. If the three digits on the Street bet are lucky, you'll get an 11:1 payout. This means each chip you place will return 11 extra chips if this wager is successful.

Corners: This bet pays 8:1

A Corner/Square bet is a wager that covers four numbers on the roulette table. In this combo bet, you'll place the chips on an intersection that covers four digits on the table. If any of the four numbers appear on the spin, this bet pays out 8:1.

Basket: This bet pays 6:1

Basket bet, Five-number bet, or Sucker bet is mainly available on the American wheel. As the name suggests, this inside bet covers five numbers, including 1-2-3 and the two zero pockets (0 and 00). To play this bet, place the chips on the intersection between 1 and 0 on the left side of the table. But remember that the house edge for this bet is 7.9%.

Line: This bet pays 5:1

A Line bet is an inside wager that covers six numbers. Here, the dealer will place the chip (s) at the bottom of two adjacent rows, which is why it's sometimes called a Double Street bet. If any of the six numbers appear on the spin, the player gets a 5:1 payout consideration. Like the other combination bets, the numbers on the inside bets are not adjacent to each other on the wheel.

Column: This bet pays 2:1

Outside bets are the easiest to win on a roulette table. One such bet is the Column bet. In this bet, you'll wager on 12 numbers of the same column. If any of the twelve numbers wins, the payout is 2:1. Note that the bet will automatically lose if the ball lands on the green zero pockets.

Dozen: This bet pays 2:1

This outside bet is a close relative of the Column bet. You'll realize that the numbers are divided into three categories of 1st Twelve (1 to 12), 2nd Twelve (13 to 24), and 3rd Twelve (25 to 36) on the table. If any number in the selected column appears on the outcome, you'll receive a 2:1 payout.

High/Low: This bet pays 1:1

There is always a possibility that you'll predict a high/low number. High numbers are digits between 19 to 36, whereas low numbers cover 1 to 18. If this outside bet is successful, you'll get a 1:1 payout regardless of the Roulette wheel or version.

Odd/Even: This bet pays 1:1

Another online roulette bet that's perfect for beginners and budget players is odd/even. This outside bet lets you predict that the number that wins will be odd or even. If this happens, a single chip will return an extra chip.

Red/Black: This bet pays 1:1

The roulette table/wheel features 18 red and 18 black pockets. This means you can predict that the ball will land on a red or black segment. If the prediction is correct, you'll receive a 1:1 payout.

Difference Between European, American and French Roulette

For a beginner, all roulette wheels look the same. But seasoned players know that the wheel you play on can make a lot of difference. So, how do the main types of wheels differ of these different games?

European Roulette

European Roulette is the most common version of the game at online and land-based casinos. This game features 36 red/black numbers with an extra green 0 pocket. Players theoretically have a 1 in 36 chance of predicting a winning number, although most online casinos payout 1 in 35 because of the single green pocket. This game is popular because of the 2.70% house, which automatically boosts your winning chances.

American Roulette

The American version of Roulette features 36 red/black numbers and two zero and double zero pockets on the board. This means you have a 1 in 37 chance of winning a Straight Up bet due to the additional double zero pocket. In return, this game has a higher house edge of 5.24%. Of course, this can double your average hourly losses if you play the same number of bets and stakes as you would on the European version.

French Roulette

French Roulette offers nothing different from the European version for the untrained eye. The French variant belongs to the most favourite games in any casino. This game has 37 pockets and almost all the typical inside and outside bets. But how comes the house edge can drop down to 1.36%? It's simple; the En Prison and La Portage bets give an advantage to the player.

The En Prison rule requires the croupier to place a dolly on all even money bets whenever zero is the outcome. Players get a refund of their initial stake if the even-money wager wins on the subsequent spin. On the other hand, the La Portage rule requires all even money wagers to be split in half if zero is the outcome. In other words, players get half their stake back.

Online Casinos with the most roulette games

Tips for Playing

Before we go any deeper, it's critical to remember that losing is inevitable in Roulette and other gambling activities. The truth is that you'll lose more than you win. So, create a bankroll and play for fun. Below are some tips and tricks to improve your winning chances on the playing wheel:

Try free games

Sharpen your gaming skills without risking anything before playing Roulette at any NZ online casino. Some games, such as Auto and Speed Roulette have fast rounds, meaning you have to make quick decisions. Fortunately, you can play free roulette games before playing the real money version. Also, Play Store and App Store have thousands of free games you can play using virtual coins.

Know the variants

The next step is to learn the available roulette variants. As said initially, most casinos offer this game with French, European, or American rules. But the French wheel is the most player-friendly option thanks to the favourable La Portage and En Prison rules. However, most casinos don't offer this option because it gives the players an upper hand. So, play on the European table to maximize your winning chances.

Play outside bets

We will repeat this; outside bets are the best options for anyone looking to win more frequently on the roulette table. For example, your chances of correctly predicting red/black in American and European wheels are 47.37% and 48.65%, respectively. The same margins apply to odd/even and high/low bets. Obviously, this means you can win your bets almost half the time you play. Nothing is certain, though.

Basic strategy

Many roulette betting strategies have proven effective over the years. Although these strategies don't necessarily change the odds, they allow players to manage their bankrolls more effectively. We strongly advise to test these using free online roulette games. Let's look at the most common betting strategies that can be used on roulette tables:

The Martingale Method

Martingale is one of the most straightforward betting strategies for games like online roulette and blackjack. This strategy suggests that you double your stake after a loss until you make a win and revert to the initial stake. For example, you can stake one coin, then increase it to 2, 4, and 8. If the 8-coin bet wins, you'll have a 1-coin profit. The idea behind this strategy is to recover your losses with a small profit on top.

The Labouchère Method

Labouchere, or Split Martingale, is a roulette betting system that lets players decide how much they want to win. For instance, you can set a 20-coin target, depending on the size of your bankroll. Then split the target into smaller units like 2-4-8-4-2. Once you've created a sequence, your first bet should equal the sum of the number on the furthest left and right, which is 4 in this case. If you win, cross the numbers and move to the following numbers. If you lose, repeat the bet.

The Reverse Labouchère Method

This is the complete opposite of the Labouchere betting system. Let's stick with the sequence in the Labouchere system. The first wager should be the total of the first and last numbers. But in this betting system, if the 4-coin bet wins, add the stake amount to the far-right side of the sequence, making it 2-4-8-4-2-4. But if you lose, remove the first and the last numbers from the line. By the way, if you only have one number left, the stake should be that number.

Andrucci's Method

The Andrucci roulette betting strategy is a high-risk system that relies on phases of numbers to appear more frequently. Here's how it works; start by betting around 30 to 40 times on random even money bets. Then, note down the number that comes up each time the ball stops moving. You'll realize that some numbers appear more often than others. Choose the hottest number and place a Straight Up bet.

D'Alembert's Method

D'Alembert is the closest thing to the Martingale betting strategy. In this betting system, you'll increase your stake after a loss and decrease it after a win. But instead of doubling the stake like in the Martingale system, this strategy only requires you to increase the stake by a single unit. So, if you place a 2-coin bet and lose, you'll pace a 3-coin wager. If it wins, reduce the next stake by a single unit to make it two coins. It's nothing complicated!

Best dealers

Find games with the best dealers to enjoy the ultimate roulette experience and employ the tips and strategies discussed above. With live dealer roulette the dealers are professionally trained croupiers who will welcome you to the table and play the game whenever you place a bet. They will also answer all your questions on how the game is played, any side bets, multipliers, and more. Choose a casino from our unbiased list to enjoy these benefits and many more. Mind that with live dealer roulette you can't play for free.

Jackpot Games

Jackpots at online casinos mainly come in slot machines and video poker games. But that's quickly changing with developers adding jackpots to roulette games. Lightning Roulette by Evolution Gaming is an excellent example. This game has a 500x jackpot you can win with a 0.20 to 10,000-credit bet. That's not all. The developer recently introduced the XXXtreme version of this game, coming with a 2,000x jackpot. When you want to play any jackpot games, you can't play for free.

Live Roulette Games

Many online casino players don't fancy playing RNG games because they don't see how the system generates the results. Fortunately, many live versions of Roulette are available, allowing gamers to see all the action, thanks to omnidirectional studio cameras. These games can only be played as real money games. The game presenter will spin the Roulette wheel and throw the ball right before you. Then, you'll confirm with them the wager's outcome before the big announcement. But remember that live games can use RNG to determine multipliers and lucky numbers. So, play at a reputable and licensed casino to erase any doubts.

Final Verdict

This in-depth guide should give you a front foot while playing online Roulette in New Zealand. Remember that the trick to winning this game is playing on a reliable casino and choosing the American and European wheel over the French version. Also, create a bankroll and use it on the outside bets while applying the betting systems above. And yes, play the free roulette games to learn how the bets work and feel comfortable on the table. Good luck!