Online Roulette Strategy Guide

If you want to know how to play roulette and win, you’re in the right place. Our expert online roulette strategy guide covers everything you need to know, from the bets you can place to popular betting systems. Whilst roulette is an easy game to understand, more knowledge can make a real difference to your bankroll. So, without further ado, keep reading to learn how to win at roulette in South Africa.

How to Play Roulette Guide

Before we talk about roulette betting systems, let’s do a quick review of how to play roulette. Designed for beginners, our step-by-step guide teaches you gameplay basics, so you can start implementing more complicated strategies like a pro.

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First, you will need to pick an online casino to play at. To save yourself time and money, check out our list of recommended South African roulette casinos. These sites are all completely secure, offer great bonuses, and provide a wide selection of roulette games.
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Next, you will need to sign-up to your chosen online casino. To do so, you must provide some basic information like your name, address, and email. Once registered, you can browse the site and even test out some free games.
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If you want to play online roulette for real money, you need to put some money into your casino account. Head over to the site’s cashier section and find a deposit option that works for you. Input an amount and verify the payment to start.
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Enter the casino site and look at the list of games. You may the casino has a separate roulette section or they list roulette games under the table games heading. Either way, you can choose between free and real money roulette games at various stakes levels.
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Once you select a game, you can start placing your bets. Choose your stakes, then place chips in the betting areas. Make sure each of your bets meets the minimum for “outside bets” (like odd and even or red and black), or the smaller minimum that applies to “inside bets” (bets on specific numbers). If you’re not sure what bets to make, check out our section on roulette betting below.
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To begin the action, you must click on the spin button. Once you do so, the game will begin, and only ends when the ball falls to rest in one of the numbered pockets. All of your winning bets will be paid once the spin ends.
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At the start of the next roulette game, you will be able to repeat your previous bets. Alternately, you can pick up your chips and place new bets for the next spin.

Online Roulette Betting Options

To master online roulette strategy, you need an understanding of the different bets you can make. While it may seem like there are a lot of bets to learn about, our expert guide makes these wagers easy to understand. With our help, you’ll be up to speed in no time.

In roulette, there are inside and outside bets. Inside bets are those that cover only a limited set of numbers. For instance, bets on a single number, or groups of two or three adjacent numbers. Outside bets cover large sections of the table, such as a full column of numbers, all the even numbers, or all the red numbers.

Below, you can find a handy guide to the different bets on the roulette table. We show you how each bet works and what payouts you receive if you win each wager.

Inside Bets in Online Roulette

Straight Up – This bet is on any one number on the roulette wheel. If the straight up bet wins, it pays 35/1.
Split – You can place a split bet on two adjacent numbers of the table by putting your chips on the line between the two. The split bet pays 17/1.
Street – This bet covers a row of three numbers on the roulette table layout. If any of those three numbers win, the street bet pays 11/1.
Corner/Square – You can place this bet on four adjacent numbers that form a square block on the roulette table. If any of those four numbers hit, the corner bet pays 8/1.
Line – This bet covers two adjacent rows of three numbers each or six numbers in total. If any of those numbers win, the line bet pays 5/1.
Five-Line – You will only find this bet on an American Roulette table. It offers you the unique chance to bet on the numbers 0-00-1-2-3. If any of those five numbers win, the bet pays 6/1.

Outside Bets in Online Roulette

Columns – This bet covers one of the three columns of numbers (12 numbers in total) on the roulette table. If any number in that column hits, the bet pays 2/1.
Dozens – This bet covers a set of a dozen numbers, 1-12, 13-24, or 25-36. If a number in your range wins, the dozens bet pays 2/1.
Red/Black – Each pocket on the roulette wheel has a colour. The numbers are black or red, while any zeroes are green. If you make this bet and the ball lands in the correct colour pocket, the bet pays 1/1.
Odd/Even – These bets cover all numbers of their respective type. Keep in mind that 0 and 00 always lose on both odd and even bets. Odd and even bets pay 1/1.
1-18/19-36 – These bets cover all numbers in the specified range. If they win, these bets each pay 1/1.

Progressive vs. Non-Progressive Roulette Strategies – Which Should You Use?

There are two main types of online roulette strategies, progressive and non-progressive. Progressive strategies, such as the classic Martingale, require you to make increasingly large bets under certain conditions. Non-progressive strategies, such as the Constant Bet strategy, use fixed betting amounts on every wager.

These two strategy types appeal to different players. Those who want more consistent results should stick to non-progressive strategies, whilst those who prefer a high risk, high reward game will probably prefer progressive roulette strategies. Which type of strategy you choose is entirely up to you.

Now that you know the basic two types of betting systems, let’s take a closer look at the top strategies so you can pick one that’s right for you.

Find the Best Online Roulette Strategy for You

Our experts have listed nine of the best online roulette strategies below. For each, you’ll find a basic description followed by a step-by-step guide to how you can use it at the roulette table. Finally, we’ll tell you what kinds of players are best suited to each system.

The Martingale Roulette Strategy

The Martingale is a progressive betting system in which you will double your bet after every loss but reset to your base betting amount after each win. This makes the Martingale a very simple and popular roulette betting strategy.

How to Use the Martingale Strategy in Roulette

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Choose a starting bet size. This should be small, ideally near the table minimum bet.
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Make an even money bet, such as red, black, odd, or even.
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If your bet wins, make the same small bet on your next spin. If your bet loses, double your bet on the next spin.
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Repeat this strategy until you have reached your target or want to stop playing.

The Martingale strategy is appealing, as it’s easy to understand. However, it’s best suited to casino high-rollers. You must be happy to risk occasional large losses for frequent small wins, and you must play at a table with large betting limits to cover yourself after a long losing streak.

The Reverse Martingale Strategy

As the name suggests, the Reverse Martingale works in the opposite way. Instead of doubling after a loss, you’ll now be doubling your bet when you win and lowering it when you lose. This is another popular strategy that’s very easy to implement at the roulette table.

How to Use the Reverse Martingale Strategy in Roulette

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Choose a starting bet size. This should be fairly small so that you can double it several times without hitting the table maximum.
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Make an even money bet.
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If your bet wins, double your bet on the next spin. If at any point you lose, go back to your small starting bet.
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Repeat this strategy until you have had enough of the game, or until you have recouped any losses.

The risks and rewards of this online roulette strategy are, of course, the exact reverse of the Martingale. The good news is that when you’re on a winning streak, your profits will quickly add up. The downside, however, is that a loss can wipe this out completely. You’ll never lose more than you started with, but you need to know when to walk away from the table.

The Grand Martingale Strategy

The Grand Martingale takes the traditional Martingale system but incorporates some added risk and reward into later spins by increasing your bets slightly quicker. Whilst slightly more complex, it can be a fun alternative to the normal Martingale.

How to Use the Grand Martingale Strategy in Roulette

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As in the Martingale, choose a small starting bet size.
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Pick an even money bet.
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Whenever you win a bet, use your starting bet size again on the next spin. If you lose, double your bet and add one additional unit. For instance, if you started with a R100 bet, your next bet should be R300 – doubling your bet, plus another R100 on top. If that R300 bet loses, your next bet would be R700, and so on.
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Once you win, collect your winnings and start over again with your starting bet size.

Because your bets increase quicker, the Grand Martingale is riskier than the standard Martingale system. However, the rewards are also greater. If you win on your second spin, you win two bets, three if you win on the third spin of the progression, and so on. This makes the Grand Martingale ideal for players who like the Martingale but want added action and excitement.

The Paroli Roulette Strategy

The Paroli is another simple progressive betting strategy that allows you to quickly make big profits without significant risks. In this system, you’ll only raise your bets three times before collecting your winnings.

How to Use the Paroli Strategy in Roulette

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Choose a starting bet size you are comfortable with.
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Place an even money bet.
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If you win, double your bet on your next spin. If you lose, bet the same amount again.
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If you win twice in a row, double your bet one more time. If you lose, bet the starting amount again.
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If you win three spins in a row, take your winnings and start over again with your initial bet.

The Paroli system is one of the simplest roulette strategies around. This is essentially a Reverse Martingale with a built-in stop point. Compared to the Reverse Martingale, this is more suited to beginners as the maximum bet will always be 4x your initial amount. If you start with R200, your biggest best is R800. That said, without a winning streak of three times or more, you could lose a lot.

The D’Alembert Roulette Strategy

The D’Alembert strategy is a gentler progressive betting system than the Martingale-based strategies above. While you’ll still be increasing your bets after a loss and reducing them after a win, you don’t double your stake after each spin.

How to Use the D’Alembert Strategy in Roulette

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Start with a small betting unit that you’re happy with, such as R100.
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Choose the even money bet of your choice.
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If you lose a bet, add one unit to the next spin. For instance, if you lose after betting R100, bet R200 next. If you lose again, your next bet will be R300, and so on.
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If you win a bet, reduce your stake by one unit on the next spin. For instance, if you bet R300 and win, bet R200 on the next spin.
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You can keep going as long as you like. Each time you make it back to your initial stake and win, you will make a profit.

The D’Alembert system is great for players who like the idea of the Martingale, but don’t want to have to make uncomfortably large bets regularly. If you use the D’Alembert, you’ll most often book a small profit, with some risk of moderate to heavy losses.

The Fibonacci Roulette Strategy

This strategy uses the famous Fibonacci sequence to structure your bets. It’s a progressive system that is more aggressive than the D’Alembert, but still more conservative than the Martingale.

How to Use the Fibonacci Strategy in Roulette

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Start by choosing a small betting unit.
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Next, jot down the following sequence: 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55.
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Begin by making your first bet with your starting unit on the even money wager of your choice.
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If you lose, increase your next bet. To do so, move one number right in the sequence. For instance, if you bet one unit and lose, bet two units on the next spin.
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If you win, decrease your next bet. To do so, move one number left in the sequence. For instance, if you bet five units and win, bet three units on the next spin.
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Continue following the sequence until you are happy with your winnings or no longer wish to play.

Much like the D’Alembert, this is a safer progressive system. However, you could still find yourself placing some large bets when you run into losing streaks. The man advantage, however, is that you can still turn a profit even if you lose more bets than you win. It’s hard to keep up with the strategy, however, so make notes as you play.

The James Bond Roulette Strategy

The James Bond strategy is a non-progressive system based on a strategy used by everyone’s favourite secret agent in the novel “Casino Royale.” It’s a simple concept that uses a set of bets which might make you feel like a high roller when things go well.

How to Use the James Bond Strategy in Roulette

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Start with a stake of R200. You can adapt this system to other stakes as well, but some multiple of R200 is easiest to implement.
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Place R140 on the 19-36 bet. Put another R50 on the line bet covering the numbers 13-18. Finally, bet R10 on the zero.
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Repeat this sequence on every spin for as long as you like.

This system’s main advantage is simplicity. You’ll win on most of your spins: if a 19-36 comes in, you’ll profit by R80. On a 13 through 18, you’ll make R100. And if the zero hits, you’ll make R160. Of course, anything between 1-12 loses your entire stake of R200. If you just want a simple strategy that wins more often than it loses, then this might be right for you.

The All-In Roulette Strategy

The All-In online roulette strategy is the ultimate risk vs. reward system. In this non-progressive strategy, you will bet big, meaning you’ll either come out way ahead or lose it all.

How to Use the All-In Strategy in Roulette

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Take your entire bankroll and place it on a single bet.
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If you win, you can either collect your winnings and quit, or bet it all again.

It’s that simple. This is a strategy only for risk-takers, as pure luck will determine whether you hit your bet. If you’re comfortable with extreme volatility, you’ll enjoy this system. As you only need to win a few bets to hit your profit target, you only need to get lucky in the short run, not beat the house over the long term.

The Constant Bet Roulette Strategy

The Constant Bet strategy is actually the way many people play roulette. It’s as simple as placing the same bet repeatedly and remaining consistent throughout your session.

How to Use the Constant Bet Strategy in Roulette

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Choose the bet size that you’re comfortable with.
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Pick a bet you like on the roulette table.
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Place your standard stake on that bet.
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Repeat for as long as you wish to keep playing.

While this might not even sound like a system, this is an adaptable option that can fit many players. If you’re looking to take risks, you can bet larger or on single numbers. Those who want more conservative play can use the Constant Bet strategy with even bets and small units.

Key Factors that Affect Your Online Roulette Strategy

Before you implement any online roulette strategy, it’s important to understand the factors that can impact how much success you’ll have using it. Here’s a look at a few key things to consider before deciding which strategy to use.

Roulette Game Variant

While the strategies listed here will work on any version of standard roulette, they work much better on some variations than others. Whenever possible, stick to European roulette – which has only one zero on the wheel – instead of American roulette, which features both a zero and a double-zero. Both games offer the same payouts, but the added double-zero means the house edge is much larger in the American version.

You may find even more success when playing French roulette. These tables use the en prison rule. If you’re making even money bets on these tables, and the result is a zero, you won’t lose your wager. Instead the bet is held and, if it wins on the next spin, you get your money back. This essentially cuts the house edge in half on even money bets compared to standard European roulette.

Minimum and Maximum Stakes

If you are going to use a progressive strategy, you must know the minimum and maximum stakes allowed at the table. Ideally, you want to pick a table that caters to stakes you’re comfortable with, but also with a wide range of bets. The bigger the gap between the minimum and maximum limits, the better.

This is important in systems like the Martingale, where you’ll be regularly doubling your bets. You want to have the flexibility to double as many times as possible without hitting the table limit. The more you can double, the more effective your strategy will be.

Different Payouts

Some online roulette games may have rules that vary from the normal odds and payouts we’ve discussed here. You must know about these ahead of time, as they can impact the kinds of bets you should make, or even which games you want to play.

For instance, consider the common Mini Roulette variant, available at many online casinos. This version of the game features only the numbers 0-12, rather than 0-36. While this can be a fun way to mix up your roulette play, the house edge on even money bets is 3.85%. This is much higher than the 2.70% in European roulette. You should avoid games with higher house edges if you are using progressive online roulette strategies that rely on even money bets.

How to Win at Roulette in South Africa

To win at roulette, you need to consider all the above factors. Even when you do, your results will go through difficulties, as no strategy is perfect, and roulette is largely a game of luck. The way to get the most out of your online roulette strategy is by remaining consistent and sticking with your plan through your wins and losses.

Test Your Strategy with the Best Online Roulette Casinos

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FAQs

Is there a strategy to win roulette?

There are several online roulette strategies designed to help you win. While no strategy can guarantee success, these systems help you shape your sessions to get the best results. As there are so many roulette strategies around, you’ll easily find one to suit your risk appetite and budget.

How do you win online roulette every time?

There is no way of ensuring a win each time you play online roulette. Since roulette is a game of luck, there will be days when the ball simply doesn’t bounce your way. That said, a good roulette strategy can help improve your odds of getting the results you want out of each of your gaming sessions.

What is the best bet in roulette?

The single best bet in standard roulette is an even money bet on a table using French roulette rules. These tables include player-friendly rules that give you a chance to win back your bet when the ball lands on zero. Because of this, the house edge is an exceptionally low 1.35%. These bets are available in many online roulette games, including some live dealer tables.

Can online roulette be rigged?

At safe roulette sites, it is impossible for the casino to rig the game. This is because they must pass independent fairness tests and use verified RPG mechanisms. At Casinos.co.za, we only ever recommend roulette sites that have the certification to prove their games are fair. Our top-rated sites are also regulated by top-tier authorities, to ensure your money is always secure.

Where can I practice online roulette strategies?

The best way to practice online roulette strategies is by playing free roulette games. Each of our recommended roulette casinos offers free versions of their games. This allows you to test out betting systems without risking your cash. With free games, you can also gain confidence and familiarize yourself with the game.