Updated Updated: 2024

Live Dealer Roulette [UK 2020]

Top Casinos with Live Dealer Roulette

SmartphoneGambler dog mascot playing roulette

Playing roulette is one of the most popular and enjoyable casino experiences in the world.

Its appeal comes from its simplicity and its tradition, as it is one of the oldest casino games.

Highly dynamic and with many betting options, roulette provides gamblers with a unique, exciting and thrilling experience.

Roulette is also hugely popular in the UK, not only in brick-and-mortar casinos but also in live casinos. And thankfully there is plenty of choice among live roulette casinos available to British gamblers.

Still, you shouldn’t simply choose a random online casino without doing your homework. The UK best live roulette casinos are the best for a reason, they cater to the needs and preferences of British players. It’s worth investing a little time and effort to find the live casino that matches your player profile, rather than you matching theirs.

live dealer roulette

What is Roulette?

Roulette is of French origin and came into existence in the 18th century. Widely popular from the beginning, it has since expanded across casinos on the continent, across the oceans, and most recently into the world of live online gambling.

Today, playing roulette has become one of the main symbols of the casino experience, no matter the location or the medium.

In the simplest terms, roulette is a wheel with the numbers 1 through 36 on alternating red and black slots, and one or two green 0 slots (depending on the version).

Players around the table place bets and afterwards the dealer, or croupier, spins the wheel in one direction and tosses in a small ball in the opposite direction. The number the ball eventually lands on is the winning number.

Roulette only includes a few elements:

  • Roulette wheel that is marked with numbers from 1 to 36 on a red or black background.
  • Depending on the roulette version, the wheel either has one zero or a zero and double zero on a green background.
  • Roulette ball is dropped when the wheel is spinning and it will eventually land on a number.
  • Roulette table where all the players place their bets.

Different Types of Roulette

roulette table

There are three main versions of roulette and it is important to understand their similarities and differences.

European Roulette American Roulette
●       Roulette features a 0 and the numbers 1 to 36.
●       It has a house edge of 2.7%●       The numbers on the wheel are placed randomly
●       It is the most popular version among players in the UK.
●       Roulette features a 0 and the numbers 1 to 36
●       Roulette additionally features a “00” which means you can bet on 38 numbers, so your odds of winning are slightly lower.
●       House edge of 5.26%
●       The numbers on the wheel are placed in pairs
French Roulette
●       Almost identical with the European Roulette, it differs mainly in cosmetics.
●       The wheel features a 0 and numbers 1-36
●       The house edge is 2.7%
●       The words on the table are in French
●       It provides two different rules than the other two versions: Le Partage and En Prison
●       In Le Partage the player gets half his stake back if the ball lands on 0. This further decreases the house edge to 1.35%
●       It offers more betting options to the players
●       Considered by many to be the original roulette from which the other 2 versions originated.

Live Casino Roulette Betting Types

You can expect many betting types at a live casino roulette table. The most popular bets are often on the number or the colour the ball will land on. Even someone with no gambling experience has probably seen some movies where a player puts all his money on colour, red or black, and if it lands s/he doubles his/her money just like that.

There are numerous betting types available at online live roulette casinos in the UK.

These are split into two main popular categories of bets:

Inside bets

These are the bets that you place on the numbers themselves. The betting combinations are pretty logical and easily remembered. These bets include three different types as follows:

Name of the bet Bet description Payout European roulette winning probability
Straight bet You bet on a single number where you think the ball will land on. 35/1 2.70%
Split bet You place a bet on two adjacent numbers on the table. 17/1 5.40%
Street bet Wager on 3 consecutive numbers from the same line. 11/1 8.10%
Trio bet A bet on zero or double zero and its 2 directly adjoining numbers. 11/1 8.10%
Corner bet Also known as a square bet, here you place a bet on four numbers. 8/1 10.81%
Six line bet You bet on two lines of three numbers each. The lines are side by side. 5/1 16.21%

Outside bets 

This is the best place to start if you are a beginner in the online live roulette casino. They offer much higher odds of winning with a chance close to 50% and pay out of 1/1:

Name of the bet Bet description Pay-out European roulette winning probability
Even or odd Bet if the winning number is odd or even 1/1 48.64%
Black or red Is the winning number black or red? 1/1 48.64%
High 18 Range of numbers from 19-36 1/1 48.64%
Low 18 Range of numbers from 1-18 1/1 48.64%
Column A bet on 12 numbers in a column 2/1 32.43%
Dozens A bet on 12 numbers in a row 2/1 32.43%

Announced bets

Unlike the other bet categories, announced bets revolve around the positions on the roulette wheel and not the table. Also known as call bets, these are exclusive to the French and European roulette version.

Name of the bet Bet description Payout European roulette winning probability
Neighbours of zero This bet is a minimum 9 chips stake to that covers a section of 17 neighbouring numbers of zero, from zero itself. Varies but up to 24/1 45.90%
Zero game Same bet as neighbours of zero but on a smaller scale, covering 7 numbers close to the 8 slot. Varies but up to 26/1 18.90%
Thirds of the wheel It covers the section of 12 numbers directly across the neighbours of zero. 17/1 32.40%
The orphans The numbers on either the left or right side of the wheel that are not covered by the other betting sections. 35/1 or 17/1 21.60%

Live Roulette Casino Bonuses

Live roulette casinos offer their own bonuses and offers to attract new players and earn their loyalty. These are different from operator to operator, each with their own terms and conditions.

Almost all bonuses come with wagering requirements, so do take the time to read their T&Cs. Some of the most common live roulette bonuses are:

  1. Welcome bonus/First deposit – usually a 100% first deposit match bonus up to a certain amount. It could be deposit £50 get £50 free bonus.
  2. Reload bonus – similar to the welcome bonus but given at a lower percentage than 100% and is available to existing members.
  3. No deposit bonus – some live casinos offer some no deposit bonuses from time to time. These are usually low amounts bound by high wagering requirements. For example, a live casino might offer you a £10 no deposit bonus with a 99x wagering requirement.
  4. Cashback bonus – a second chance at winning, a cashback bonus gives you back a percentage of the money you lose over a certain period of time.
10% live casino cashback

Minimum and Maximum Bets

There are different betting limits applied by each live casino provider.

Minimum bets are usually £1 for a straight bet where you bet on a single number. This goes up to £5 when for an outside bet, such as odd/even or black/red.

Maximum bets are quite high at live roulette casinos, they do vary greatly from casino to casino and roulette version to roulette version. They can go from only £250 up to £5000. Some providers have VIP tables with much higher limits, such as NetEnt’s £75000 maximum bet.

Tips and Tricks

Roulette is a game of chance. There is no way to predetermine the number the ball will land on, the colour, or the section of the table. All you can do is guess really. But with a few tips and tricks, you can extend this thrilling experience and better your chances of walking away from the table with some profit.

Discipline is important as roulette has one of the highest house edges in live casinos. If you want to play roulette for as long as possible, it is best to focus on even money wagers. These are the outside bets (black, red, odd, even).

A staking plan is needed to enjoy the roulette experience longer and hopefully turn in some profit. Throughout time, players have continuously tried to develop strategies and staking plans to beat the wheel. Some of the most commonly used betting systems in roulette are:

Live Roulette Pros and Cons

It wasn’t too long ago that if you wanted to play roulette, you had no choice but to make your way to a land-based casino to do so. This is the traditional way and still very popular to this day. It is a thrilling and dynamic experience, in a casino environment. 


Along came the internet and online casinos, where you could play roulette with a machine that uses RNG (random number generator). Same bets, same pay-outs and same winning probability, but when you play roulette at an online casino, there is no dealer. There are players who are not that much interested in the human factor and prefer this way.

Most recently came into existence live online roulette casinos, where players in the UK have the option to play in a real casino with live dealers, or croupiers. This is the favourite choice for the modern gambler, who is always on the move. Live online roulette casinos have their own advantages and disadvantages.

Pros

●       Combines the best of both worlds: you experience the excitement and thrills of playing   roulette with live dealers, from the comfort of your home.
●       Mobile responsive: you can play different roulette variations from your smartphone or tablet. Most well-established live casinos are fully mobile responsive and have applications for Android and iOS devices that are free to download and use.
●       Suitable for both low and high rollers: there are many roulette tables available with various minimum and maximum bet limits.
●       Bonuses and promotions: you can get a boost to your bankroll by opting in for different casino bonuses available to online players only.
●       Roulette variations: reputable live roulette casinos offer a wide selection of roulette variations, on top of the 3 traditional ones (European, French, American). These can be multi-wheel roulette, mini roulette, roulette royale or other versions with their own tweaks.

Cons

●       No practice mode: in online casinos with RNG roulette machines, you can use practice mode to get familiar with the bet types and pace of the game. Mainly useful for new players, this is not available when betting with live dealers due to the nature of play.
●       Slower game: delays can sometimes be caused by other players. While most live casinos do have time limits, small delay after small delay can take away from the dynamic and fast paced roulette experience in brick-and-mortar casinos.
●       Technical issues: they can occur from both the provider’s or player’s end. Imagine losing your Internet connection as soon as you bet £100 the ball will land on black. That can quickly ruin the mood.