They say variety is the spice of life. The gaming and iGaming industries have seen a huge level of variation pop up. Some people are surprised when they see traditional games played for hundreds of years getting a new twist.
Roulette is a game that had variations and different varieties long before the online revolution. Like slot games, there were multiple ways of doing things before the world went digital. Since the 1990s when casino games went online, there have also been a lot of new interpretations of games.
Though there is a classic way of playing the game, game developers have added new features and functions. This is a trend we are seeing across the industry.
The Variety in the Gambling Industry
Digital game developers have made roulette simpler to access and play. The options for players gambling are wide and far-reaching and Thunderpick provides a number of different forms of casino games including some classics and some more tweaks. The ways people can gamble in general have changed. Thunderpick is also a prime example of things like esports. There was a time when people could only gamble on traditional sports but esports have now become a big part of gambling. Slot games are yet another example where there is so much choice and a lot of this has come from developers trying to outdo one another and give more options to players. It is a competitive industry.
European Roulette – The First Roulette Standard
Roulette is known to have originated in Europe and it is a French word so it makes sense that the game originated in this region. When the first rules for roulette were created they were likely created in French!
European roulette is often seen as the original version of the game. It features 37 pockets including numbers 1 through 36 and a single green zero. The single zero gives this version a relatively player-friendly edge with the house advantage sitting at 2.7% in the majority of these games. Las Vegas European Roulette only holds 1.35% on even money bets due to the la partage rule. That gives half back when the pill lands in the zero pocket.
There are different ways to bet on the game and while the longer shots may entail betting on a specific number, there are also other ways to bet including betting on number ranges and colors.
Over time this version of roulette spread across Europe and became the go-to version in casinos from Monaco to London. Its clean layout and straightforward rules make it a favorite for many players. It is also straightforward to follow so people don’t need to spend a long time getting to grips with the rules.
American Roulette
On the other side of the Atlantic, roulette took on a slightly different form. American roulette includes an additional pocket which is the double zero. That means there are 38 slots in total with numbers 1 to 36. There is also a single zero and a double zero. In Las Vegas, this is called double zero roulette. Atlantic City casinos offer the la partage rule in this game.
The double-zero setup became a defining feature of roulette in casinos and this is one of the most popular ways to play. Nobody knows exactly why the changes were made and while some say early American casino operators added the double zero to increase the house edge, others argue it was simply a way to distinguish their version of the game from its European counterpart. The double-zero wheel has stuck around.
Other Variations
These are not the only roulette variations out there. American vs European roulette is one of the main things that people consider when choosing an option to play but there are also other games with minigames and varied mechanics within. Developers are free to find new and interesting tweaks.
Some roulette games have similar features to slot games. Multipliers have worked their way into some roulette options. This means that some have a bonus feature to multiply potential wins.
Why are there so many different types? The existence of different roulette varieties can be attributed to several factors. Geography played a significant role and as the game spread, there were some different takes on it.
Competition among casinos also encouraged innovation. Offering a unique spin on a classic game was a way to attract players and stand out from the crowd in a growing industry – gambling is expected to continue to grow and online casinos constantly experiment with new formats to keep players engaged. The industry is expected to be worth $97.15bn in 2024 and it is projected to reach over $100bn in the next decade.
Technology has further expanded roulette’s possibilities (along with pretty much all other games). Online platforms have made it easier to introduce creative variations and we are seeing more influences coming into roulette. This is an example of a historic game that has continued to grow and evolve thanks to the internet. Roulette could even spring more varieties in the future.
