There is so much confusion and incorrect information floating around the internet. We’ve got you sorted when it comes to roulette games with our breakdown of the common myths.
Whether you’re a self-proclaimed gambling professional, or a beginner just testing the waters, roulette is one of those casino games that always has people talking. It’s a game that gets you pumped, the clicking as the wheel spins round and round, the fancy betting strategies, and the sheer number of players you see enjoying themselves.
Roulette is a fantastic casino game to get stuck into, but it comes with a few caveats. These caveats aren’t anything too stressful – instead, they consist of misleading information and roulette myths that will negatively impact your gambling experience.
We’ve made it easier than ever to separate the duds from the diamonds, here you’ll find 10 roulette myths that you shouldn’t believe. Plus, Cheeky Hot Press also features the top-rated casinos for free roulette games and real money sites.
We also suggest spending some time reading our helpful player resources. Our winning online roulette strategies guide is a great tool that you can use to avoid missing any winning opportunities.
Common Roulette Myths
This page covers the 15 common roulette myths throughout this page. However, you can use the content links that are included below to jump ahead to something that sticks out to you.
- There is only one roulette game to play
- House edge is always the same in roulette
- Casinos rig their roulette wheel
- French and European Roulette: Different names for the same game
- Hedging the board is the best strategy
- Roulette is the devil’s game
- Bonuses give you better chances of winning
- Dealers control where the ball lands
- Gambler’s fallacy and the problem with ‘due’ numbers
- It’s possible to use mathematics to predict winning numbers
- Martingale system is a foolproof strategy
- Players can beat the house edge in roulette games
- Winning in roulette means sticking to one bet
- It’s impossible to win big
- Online roulette wheels are rigged
There is only one roulette game to play
We hear it all the time, players barking on how there is only one roulette game available and makes it boring fast. This is the most straightforward myth that will ever be busted. When it comes to roulette, there are three different variants in the most traditional sense. Each of these games has its own quirks or slightly alternate rules, but they are similar.
If you play at online casinos, you may also find various games that are different even further – one that comes to mind is multi-wheel and multiplayer roulette games. This further variation comes down to the software developer when designing the game. However, all roulette variants are based on the three-game types.
What are the game variants
The three games to enjoy are:
- European
- French
- American
The easiest way to differentiate between them is that the Euro and French versions have a single green zero. American roulette has the single zero and a double zero.
European and French options are similar; they both feature 37 numbered pockets and one zero. There is also a little variation in the rules, but we will touch on that with a myth coming up soon.
House edge is always the same in roulette
Roulette is the same, and so the house edge is always the same too. This is completely incorrect. The reason American roulette was introduced to casinos was to increase the house edge for casinos! Typically you will experience a 5.26% house edge on American roulette games. This is almost double the 2.7% edge that is featured with the European and French games.
Casinos rig their roulette wheel
We find it ridiculous just how many players and armchair experts sit back and comment about casinos rigging their roulette wheels. As you’ll pick up a few times in this article, casinos don’t want to rig their games. They make plenty of money, making the games unfair would reduce their revenues because players would avoid them.
With this in mind, it still surprises us to see how many players think this myth is feasible.
Okay, full disclaimer, in the old days – casinos did rig wheels. This only happened at dodgy gambling houses and when we say old days we mean the very first practices that can be traced back to 1873 (Joseph Hobson Jagger aka the ‘Full Monte’).
It is also widely accepted that Al Capone used to rig the tables at his gambling outfits during the prohibition days in Chicago during the early 1920s. C’mon, its Al Capone! Did you think mobster gambling dens would be fair and by-the-book?
In modern-era casinos, there is no possibility of a casino rigging its games. The industry does not need this tactic, either. Online and offline gambling is trending significantly, especially in the post-pandemic-laden Novel Coronavirus world we now live in.
Many of the big casino gaming and gambling markets worldwide are legislated and highly regulated to ensure players are given a fair chance. Well, as fair as it can be without making casinos hand over free money left and right.
French and European roulette: different names for the same game
This is likely the most common myth you’ll come across among gambling circles. What to play – French or European roulette? Doesn’t matter because they are both the same game with a different name – right? This isn’t the truth.
These two variants may look the same visually but they are not the same game.
Variations in the two games come down to specific details rather than the gameplay or betting options. French Roulette is known as ‘La Partage’, which is the rule of outside bets for the ball landing on zero.
With French roulette, making an outside bet (as opposed to inside bets) allows players to receive back half their bet if the ball lands on the zero.
Hedging the board is the best strategy
This is a roulette myth that one could almost get away with thinking was true. Only because in a sense, hedging the board is an alright strategy. It is certainly not the best strategy though, and depending on how you look at it, you might agree with it or be completely against using it.
Many different betting structures allow players to hedge the board. This means to play several bets each round and reduce your chance of losing while hoping for the bigger wins.
Unfortunately, players always overlook the one common denominator. It doesn’t matter how many bets you place or what you place them on – your odds of winning each bet doesn’t change, and neither does the house edge.
While hedging your bets can increase your control of the board, you won’t be able to cover the entire layout of numbers and be reasonable at the same time. Even the best hedge bet strategies still have a section of six to 12 numbers that aren’t covered.
If you do go for this approach, don’t place your bets randomly. Think about your choices so that you don’t double up and cover the same on numbers.
Roulette is the Devil’s game
Believe it or not, players often refer to roulette as the ‘devil’s game’ or ‘devil’s wheel’. No, it’s not because gambling can be addictive and problematic if you let it. The reason behind this pretense boils down to a number which is often known as the devil’s number or the number of the beast – 666.
That’s it! When you add each of the unholy numbers in any variant of roulette, the total of those numbers will equal 666.
Surely this means that the game originated from the fiery depths of the devil’s basement itself? Unfortunately, this wildly outlandish yet insanely interesting concept is just a myth and not true whatsoever.
The game was created by the late French mathematician, physicist, and religious philosopher Blaise Pascal. It was entirely accidental that Pascal invented the roulette wheel back in the 1650s too. Blaise Pascal inadvertently created what became the famous roulette wheel while trying to design and invent a perpetual motion machine that used less energy than it produced.
An interesting tidbit for you – some players believe that Pascal purposely created the wheel this way. However, this is a myth without any substance. There is no evidence to suggest that this was true – not even with Pascal’s background as a religious philosopher and his religious doctrine (the Pensées) that taught the experience of God through the heart and not through reason.
Even if you were to believe this exciting story, Pascal didn’t create the roulette game, rather the mechanical foundation that the entire game revolves (quite literally) around.
Bonuses give you better chances of winning
Online casino bonuses are fantastic ways that players can enjoy their gambling games for longer. We talk about them often and feature a collection of the best casino bonus codes. Using these types of promotions alongside your free roulette games and when you play real money, roulette is even better. Because you are mixing great odds and decent slow grinding wins with a larger bankroll to boot.
The downside is many players often think these bonus codes give you better chances of winning. This is and isn’t true; they won’t increase your chances of winning (as you’ll read about more on this page). Instead, roulette bonuses give you more chances of winning.
Promotions like the ones you find at reputable online casinos are reasonable and offer real value to players. Therefore, allowing players to stay in the game for longer and enjoying the experience, which means having more chances at whacking on a few extra units to their bankroll in the process.
Dealers control where the ball lands
As we mentioned earlier, casinos don’t want to rip players off and stop you from winning at their gambling games. Sure, they don’t want to be paying out players – it is a business after all. The problem with the myth that dealers control where the ball lands are that it goes against the casino’s business plan.
The gambling industry is growing exponentially online and at traditional casinos – see for yourself with this online gambling market research from Statista.
So, we know that casinos are fighting to attract more players/customers, but if the games weren’t winnable, no one would play, and these resorts and websites would not be making any money at all.
What is the dealer’s job in roulette?
Dealers have a relatively cruisey role when compared to other games like craps. in roulette, the dealer is there to:
- open each round and take bets from players
- release the ball into the wheel that is already spinning
- announce the winning number and pay out any winning bets
Casinos also have strict rules and operating procedures to ensure the integrity of every spin is random and fair.
Gambler’s fallacy and the problem with ‘due’ numbers
It can be easy to fall into the gambler’s fallacy and affect the way you play. It’s understandable to a degree, even the best of us think along these lines at some point. If you don’t know what a gambler’s fallacy is – it’s that feeling you get when you think something will happen because of past outcomes. Unfortunately, there is no link between any previous outcome and the next play.
The myth here is that players think that numbers are due to hit because they haven’t. For example, the last four winning numbers were red; therefore, the next number has to be a black one because of ‘its due a turn’.
It’s not feasible, the game is completely random, and the odds are always the same. It doesn’t matter whether you play live roulette online or at your nearest casino tables.
Enjoy the excitement of not knowing what is to come.
It’s possible to use mathematics to predict winning numbers
Yes, there is a myth going around that links math with what is effectively fortune telling.
Mathematics is great, but it doesn’t have a place in roulette when it comes to predicting the winning numbers in roulette. You’ll often find self-proclaimed experts and six to seven-figure gamblers confessing that all their tricks and secrets to winning are behind a mathematical equation.
It’s not true, and it doesn’t work like that. Don’t embarrass yourself and if you are looking to buy some guide book, think again.
No algorithm will help you alter physics laws or develop the ability to see into the future to determine which pocket the ball stops in.
Every spin of the roulette wheel is unique, just as online casinos can’t rig their wheels thanks to the random number generators that online roulette games are developed using.
We recommend spending the time and effort into learning up the various bets and what strategies give you optimal chances of winning. When in doubt, keep it simple.
Martingale system is a foolproof strategy
The Martingale system is an interesting topic among gambling circles. Since the early days, players have wanted a betting strategy that improves their odds of winning at real money games like roulette. Martingale is one of those strategies and likely one that you’ve played around with – even if you didn’t know it.
It sounds great in context and makes sense when you break it down and look at the strategy’s barebones. It’s why players see Martingale as a foolproof strategy.
Unfortunately, this is a myth and implementing Martingale betting systems in your gaming is easier said than done.
Why isn’t Martingale foolproof?
Martingale’s issue is that while some players may prefer the streamlined gameplay, it really lowers the enjoyment factor. On top of this, it really is only a strategy that can be implemented by players with a large bankroll – this is because of how the strategy works.
Losing a few hands quickly turns your $5 starting wager into a $40 wager in just three losing spins.
So, if the luck isn’t on your side and turns around a win sooner than later, you’ll be digging a large hole in your wallet. Realistically, what do you get when you finally win that $120 bet? Well, you get all your losses to this point back, plus a single unit – which would be $5 in this scenario.
Players can beat the house edge in roulette games
We don’t want to be the bearer of bad news, but if you didn’t already know this, then you need to be taken down a peg. It’s not possible to beat the house edge in roulette. Under no circumstances can you alter the edge that the casino has over players.
The familiarity and consistency are one of the best parts about roulette. It’s exactly why you can’t change anything, and the game will always be the same.
Players often think they are fancy and know everything. Placing bets across the table, thinking that they are tricking the house and leveraging the board to get a 50/50 bet. It’s not the case though, for starters – that is probably more or less leveraging your bet, but we will get to that soon.
The house edge will always be the same, your odds of winning may change depending on how you play but unless you can magic the green zero(s) off the wheel – it’ll always stay the same.
Our pro tip for players who want to lower the house edge – choose to play roulette’s French or European variants. Remember, the only way to win big is to bet big and get lucky or grind out steady wins.
Winning in roulette means sticking to one bet
Often players believe that you must stick to one bet if you will stand a chance of winning in roulette whether it’s because they’ve had some success with that particular strategy or have an incorrect understanding of how to win.
There is nothing substantial which says you can only win if you limit your gameplay to one bet.
What’s great about free games and real money roulette is that players have the option to make a range of different bets. There are actually 15 bets that you can play and 11 different payout possibilities. This is great because it means that there are multiple bets with the same odds.
It creates variation and makes games stay fresh for longer.
Regardless, sticking to one bet in roulette isn’t the only way to win – it is a great way to control your gambling and gives you a much better chance of winning than you would if you continued to chop and change between bets with high and low odds of winning.
Remember to play smarter, not harder.
It’s impossible to win big
There is a strange myth among gamers that surrounds getting a sizable profit when playing roulette games. The myth is that it’s impossible to win big amounts. We had to do some digging to help find out what truly powers this silly roulette myth, but we got there in the end.
What makes people believe that you can’t win big is the flexible bets that can be made. Many of the lucrative roulette strategies suggest placing bets that have better odds. These are also the ones that have lower payouts like odds or evens paying 2:1.
This creates a mindset with players that you have no chance of winning big because you only win if you are sticking to those bets. It’s not true, though, as we discussed in the previous myth – the beauty about roulette is that there are many different methods to implement to win.
Online roulette wheels are rigged
We often hear from players complaining that the online roulette wheels are rigged, and it’s impossible to play at internet casinos. This couldn’t be further from the truth! Remember, the goal for casinos to succeed is for their games not to be rigged!
The house already has an edge that players can’t do anything to overcome, so the casino is effectively holding all the cards anyway. They’ve no reason to be dodgy, plus, doing so can get them into some serious trouble and lead to losing their gaming licence.
Take our advice, don’t listen to friends, family or randoms when they make comments about online gaming and roulette wheels being rigged. It’s just baseless propaganda that more often comes back to a fault of the person. We find that most of the players whining about gambling sites are upset that they didn’t read the terms and conditions or dislike the fact that they weren’t lucky enough to score some wins.
Get Started with Reputable Online Roulette Games
So, you’ve had our rundown of 15 most common roulette myths, we’ve even thrown in some interesting pieces of information too. What do you do next? The logical piece is to check out our top online casinos and jump straight into the action with our best free roulette and real money casino games.
Please take a look at our sites but don’t forget to read through our helpful player resources. You’ll find plenty of decent value bonus codes to make the most of across Cheeky Hot Press too.
