Roulette Around the World: Regional Variants and Traditions

Roulette is one of the most recognisable online casino table games, a staple that has stood the test of time thanks to its perfect blend of fun, easy-to-follow rules and classy appearance.

While the sight of the little white ball spinning across a well-polished wheel has become iconic, whether played in person or during live roulette on PokerStars, the way the game is perceived and played can differ depending on the location. 

The Origins of Roulette

Roulette takes its name from the French word for “little wheel.” While the exact details of its earliest years are still pretty murky, most historians agree that the game was created in 17th-century France by a mathematician called Blaise Pascal, who was experimenting with perpetual motion devices. The design he cooked up eventually evolved into a casino favourite. By the mid-18th century, a completed version of the roulette wheel was being used in Paris, its appearance not too different to the game played today. 

It didn’t take long until Roulette crossed oceans, with French emigrants taking it along with them across Europe and eventually into the United States, where the wheel started to evolve. When Francois and Louis Blanc introduced a single zero in 1842, they helped establish a version that would later become the main attraction in European casinos. Meanwhile, American tables added both a zero and a double zero, creating the major difference most players see today. The game quickly became a staple in the world’s grandest casinos and just as synonymous with casinos as slots or blackjack. 

European and American Roulette

The most familiar versions of roulette are European and American, and although they are really similar, their small differences change up the experience. Both wheels feature the numbers 1 through 36, alternating red and black, alongside at least one green zero. In European roulette, there is a single zero, while American roulette includes both a zero and a double zero.

The addition of the double zero on the American roulette wheel changes more than just the appearance. It slightly shifts the house edge, as there’s more potential landing spots for the ball. Players at a European wheel will notice that the odds on the table are identical in structure to those on the American layout, although the probabilities differ slightly. The extra slot also introduces a five-number bet in American roulette, covering 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3, a bet that can’t be made with the European version.

Racetrack Bets and Called Wagers

The betting experience in European roulette offers unique options, thanks to two main elements called racetrack bets and called wagers. Both add a bit more variety beyond the usual inside and outside bets and have become part of the culture of European roulette tables. 

Racetrack bets

Racetrack bets are placed on a special oval section of the layout, designed to mirror the actual order of numbers on the wheel. Instead of targeting straight lines on the grid, this allows entire sections of the wheel to be covered at once. Popular racetrack groupings include Voisins du Zero (numbers clustered around zero), Tiers du Cylindre (numbers on the opposite side of the wheel), and Orphelins (the ‘orphans’ that sit between those two groups). Neighbour bets, which cover a chosen number plus the numbers immediately beside it on the wheel, are also made this way.  

Called Wagers

Called wagers, sometimes known as announced bets, traditionally involve declaring a bet at the table and having the dealer place the chips. This practice is common in land-based European casinos, where players may say certain groupings such as Orphelins or Voisins. In an online setting, however, the same options are available through the racetrack shown on screen, meaning players can easily select these bets without needing to physically announce them.

This blend of tradition and technology gives European roulette a distinctive and modern style. On the live blackjack games hosted on PokerStars, the interface makes it easy to place these types of wagers, keeping the authentic European style accessible from anywhere in the world. 

French Roulette

French roulette is pretty similar to the European variant, but with additional rules that inject its own flair. The single zero remains the same, but the table layout looks slightly different, a detail that is a head nod to its legacy as the first version of the game. What really stands out in French roulette are the La Partage and En Prison rules.

With La Partage, when a player makes an even-money bet, such as red or black, and the ball lands on zero, half the bet is given back. En Prison takes this concept even further. Rather than losing the entire stake on zero, the bet is effectively frozen and held for the next spin. If the player wins on the following round, they get their stake back but without profit. 

Roulette Comes to Britain

Emerging in the 19th century, Roulette quickly became a favourite among the British aristocracy, before later spreading to everyday gamblers. While exactly the same as European roulette, with a single zero and a 37-number wheel, its early appearance was slightly different. 

The felt was traditionally deep green, with gold or silver detailing, and the croupiers were trained to deliver the game with precision and a high level of professionalism and etiquette. While the rules remained the same as European roulette, its appearance and atmosphere separated them, mirroring the British casino culture of the time. 

Alphabetic Roulette

Alphabetic Roulette is a more unusual novelty variant that was first introduced at Fitzgerald’s in Las Vegas. Instead of the numbered wheel, the layout includes letters A through X, with Y and Z combined into a single pocket. Much like the zero in European roulette, the YZ slot has no colour, while the remaining 24 letters are divided into six colour groups of four.

The betting system is just as unusual, with ten different ways to play. Players can bet on a single letter with a straight up bet or cover two adjacent letters with a split. There’s also a top line bet covering A, B, and YZ, and a four-way bet that links four consecutive letters. Other options include betting on one of the six colour groups, backing letter ranges such as A to F or G to L, or choosing other blocks of A to L or M to X. The most unique feature is the word-based bets. A “Party Pit” bet wins if the result is one of the letters spelling that phrase, while a “Roulette” bet covers the letters R, O, U, L, E, or T.

Online Casinos Revolutionising Roulette

As online casinos like PokerStars rose in popularity, roulette was digitised and even evolved, ranging from classic roulette to enhanced versions with new features and bonus games, all while keeping its traditional roots intact.

Where traditional casinos require players to hand chips to a croupier, online versions make the process even easier using simple interfaces. The mechanics remain faithful to the original game, but digital features provide more convenience, such as quick rebet functions, live statistics and multiple table choices.

Live dealer formats further bridge the gap between online and land-based play. With high-definition streams, professional croupiers and impressive studios, PokerStars Live Roulette recreates the glamour of the casino floor in real time. It’s the perfect combination of technology and tradition, which offers plenty of options for players, whether it’s American roulette, European formats, or modern versions jam-packed with exciting features like in Live Lightning Roulette.

Live Casino and Creative Twists

The Live dealer roulette games hosted on PokerStars uses multiple high-quality cameras to capture every angle, turning them into fully fledged streamed event. These games not only look impressive, but also provide transparency for the players. 

Speed Auto Roulette caters to players who like a faster pace, with 100s of spins made per hour. There’s very little downtime, as croupiers are trained to move swiftly from one spin to the next, while still staying entertaining and sociable. These types of games don’t change the fundamental rules of the games, but do increase the pacing to make them more tense and exciting.

Double Ball Roulette, as the name gives away, uses two balls launched at the same time. The betting is also unique in this version, with different options offered. For example, there could be odds such as a 1,300-to-1 payout for both balls landing on the same number. It’s an interesting twist that stays loyal to the traditional set up, only with the features modern players expect.

Tech Taking Roulette into the Future

Automation has been used for decades in different industries, and roulette is no different.  Auto Roulette removes the need for an actual dealer, with a compressed-air system shooting the ball across the wheel. This means that lots of spins can be done per hour, a great system for players who like their games swift and consistent.

Instant Roulette

Online, Live Instant Roulette pushes the boundaries even further with twelve wheels spinning at the same time, and players can join a table at any moment. The freedom with Instant Roulette adds a lot of flexibility and prevents players from having to wait around. These kinds of formats keep roulette modernised, with platforms like PokerStars continuing to reimagine high-energy games without losing sight of why it’s remained popular for all these years. 

The Potential of Virtual Reality

Looking forward, roulette seems to be an obvious choice for the next era of entertainment. Virtual reality is widely expected to play a major role in the future of online gaming, and VR roulette would be an ideal variant. 

Analyst websites like Grand View Research predict that VR technology could expand massively in the next 5 years. If this becomes reality, then VR roulette could be among the games leading the way, transporting players to virtual casinos alongside other player avatars. 

Roulette Variants on PokerStars

The combination of history, innovation and massive variety makes roulette one of the most popular games played on PokerStars. From classic roulette to live dealer formats, there’s titles for every type of player – from those who like to keep things traditional or prefer high-energy spins packed with crazy features.

Spin & Win Roulette x100

Spin & Win Roulette, exclusively hosted on PokerStars, takes the timeless formula of European roulette and adds a modern live dealer twist. The main feature is the random multiplier, which can boost straight-up bets anywhere from 18x up to 100x.

The core gameplay is identical to classic European roulette, with a single-zero wheel and all the traditional inside and outside betting options. What makes Spin & Win stand out is the extra excitement of multipliers being applied to one to five numbers before each spin. If the ball lands on a number carrying a multiplier and the player has a straight-up bet placed there, the potential win can be boosted. 

This means the essence of European roulette stays intact, with bets being placed and the dealer spins, only with the heightened suspense of seeing a boosted payout. With an RTP sitting around 97.30%, Spin & Win Roulette balances familiar gameplay with high-volatility outcomes.

Age of the Gods Bonus Roulette

Age of the Gods Bonus Roulette is another live dealer game that merges classic European roulette with the enhanced features that the Age of the Gods series is known for. This variant introduces both a bonus game and the chance to win one of four jackpots.

The game uses a European wheel but includes a special Age of the Gods Bonus pocket. If the ball lands there, the player enters a three-spin bonus round styled like a single-line slot machine. Symbols from the Age of the Gods franchise appear, each representing a multiplier. Matching three of a kind applies a multiplier of up to 300x of the initial bet.

Also, the game is linked to the multi-level Age of the Gods progressive jackpot system, which includes the Power Jackpot starting at £50, the Extra Power Jackpot starting at £500, the Super Power Jackpot starting at £5,000, and the Ultimate Power Jackpot starting at £100,000. The jackpot is triggered at random on any spin, and when it does hit, it guarantees a win from one of the four jackpots. This roulette variant blends three experiences into one: the classic pace of roulette, the excitement of a bonus game, and the elusive progressive jackpots.

A Wheel That Keeps Turning

Roulette has travelled from 17th-century France to the Live Casino tables of PokerStars, adapting to each era it’s passed through while keeping its essence. The elegance of French rules, the variety of European bets, the distinctive appearance of early British tables and the turned up pace of modern formats all combine to give roulette an appeal to old and new players alike, which will ensure it will stick around for centuries to come. 

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