Player Alert: Avoid the Fancy Roulette Variations Online

An online casino is an agile gambling platform.  Bonuses are virtually redeemable, banking is quick, easy and secure – and hundreds of gaming titles are available on-demand.  Without the limitations of reality, casino games have been reshaped and reimagined… but not always to the players’ advantage.

Anything Goes at the Online Casino

The flexibility of online casino software means that anything goes.  Classic casino games like poker, blackjack and roulette have been given a millennial makeover.  These days, players can pick and choose from a multitude of variations.

The truth of the matter is these ‘oh wow’ variations may provide a more immersive gambling experience but they fail dismally when it comes to key indicators like the payouts, average payout percentage and house edge.

In the days preceding the internet, roulette was – and still is – available in three classic variants: French, European and American Roulette.  The rules or structure of the wheel basically differentiate one from the other.  Now days, there are so many variations of online roulette, it is difficult to keep track.

Are Variants Better than Classic Online Roulette?

The hot button question is… are innovative versions of online roulette better than the casino classics featured at Springbok Casino?  The answer is a resounding no – and by the end of the article you will know why!

Let’s take a look at four variations of online roulette that may have side bets, progressive jackpots and unique paraphernalia but really aren’t such great gambling propositions after all.

Roulette Royale – Back-to-Back Hits Count

If you are the type of player who is looking for a big win at the online casino, Roulette Royale is your game.  It is based on single zero European Roulette, so the bet types and rules of the game are undoubtedly familiar.

In this version of online roulette you can play the usual inside and outside bets, singly or as a combination wager.  You also have access to the so-called French bets via the Expert mode – neighbours, voisins du zero, tier du cylindre and orphelins.

A Low Probability Mandatory Side Bet

Why is Roulette Royale so unique?  Well, unlike the European Roulette that you can play at Springbok Casino, this game has a mandatory side bet.  What you are essentially betting on is hitting the same number in consecutive spins.

The odds associated with the side bet are pretty sensational – 15:1 for two consecutive hits, 200:1 for three and 3000:1 for four.  When you achieve the same number five times in a row, the progressive jackpot is yours.

What are the chances of hitting the jackpot?  According to the number crunchers, there is a 1 in 1,874,161 chance of walking away with the prize.  Besides having to spend more when playing Roulette Royale at an online casino, the RTP and house edge are seriously below par at 93% and 7%, respectively.

Mini Roulette – Small in Stature and Payouts

Mini Roulette is the petite form of the online casino classic.  In this variant the wheel features just 13 pockets – 1 to 12 and a single zero.  As there are fewer numbers in play, the odds of hitting the zero are significantly higher.  To offset this handicap, half the player’s stakes are refunded when the ball lands on zero.

Reduced Odds

The major drawback of this game relates to the odds.  Rather than banking 35:1 for a straight-up numbers bet, you only get 11:1.  A split bet pays 5:1 rather than 17:1, a street bet delivers 3:1 instead of the traditional 11:1 odds and you win just 2:1 for a corner bet that usually pays 8:1.

In addition to the pared down winnings, Mini Roulette has an edge of 3.85% and an RTP of 96.15%.  When compared to the 2.7% edge and 97.3% RTP of European Roulette, it pays to play online roulette right here at Springbok Casino!

Double Ball Roulette – Requires Double Hits or You Get Next to Nothing

As you have probably guessed, Double Ball Roulette has one wheel and two balls.  Besides the extra hardware – which is really software at the online casino – the game is essentially the same in structure as the classic version of roulette.

Double the Balls and Half the Payouts

Where this variant differs from the norm is the bets.  You can go for the outside bets but in order to win, both balls must deliver the goods.  When you do that, you win double the payouts.

Alternatively, you can play the inside bets where only one ball has to hit a chosen number.  The downside with these bets is the payouts are halved.  The only good news is Double Ball Roulette has the same RTP and Edge as European Roulette.

Marvel Roulette – High on Aesthetics but It’ll Cost You

If action characters and superheroes are your thing, you are likely to find Marvel Roulette highly entertaining.  Not only do the likes of Spiderman, Iron Man, Wolverine and Ghost Rider peer over the layout, there’s an extra bet on the Marvel branded layout.

When you look carefully at the wheel, you will notice a blue bonus pocket and that is ideally where you should bet on the ball landing.  Why?  The blue pocket is essentially the entry point to the Marvel Mystery progressive jackpot.

Here is how it works.  You bet as you would do on the inside and outside bets on the layout and place a side bet on the bonus pocket.  If your predictions are spot on in the normal course of events, you are paid out at the traditional odds.

A Paid-For Shot at Unlocking the Jackpot

If, however, the ball lands in the blue pocket, you are whisked away to a second screen featuring a three-reel classic slot.  Your mission is to hit three matching symbols across the reels in three spins.  The reward?  A constantly accumulating jackpot juiced by a network of players.

Although there is a game within a game in this version of online casino roulette, it is not a bonus game.  You have to pay for the chance of unlocking the slot – and even then, the probability of hitting the jackpot is negligible at best.

To make matters worse, Marvel Roulette has an edge of 4.27% and an RTP of 95.73% – and that is not a positive sign at all.

Top Tip: Play European Roulette at Springbok Casino

Now do you understand why the online casino games with whistles and bells are not always the best bets?  Just because it appears to be all jazzed up, it doesn’t necessarily equate to more money in the bank and bigger wins at an online casino.

Sometimes – most of the time – sticking to the basic game variants is your best bet… and after sizing up a few roulette variants here, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that you are much better off playing European Roulette at Springbok Casino instead!