Roulette fans know very well the importance and the pleasure of playing with real dealers, and now, with the help of live roulette games, you have the opportunity of doing so online, instead of having to dress up to go to land based casinos. The games are transmitted through HD live streaming from luxurious studios around the world and the beautiful dealers are as friendly as they are skilful. These are but few of the many perks of playing online. Read on to find out more about the games that are available at some of the most renowned casino operators, their special features, limits, bonuses and more.
Which Are the Best Roulette Games to Play with Live Dealer?
When it comes to playing live roulette for real money, there is more to choosing the right casino than just bonus offers. You need to find a site with a large number of variations, both in terms of themes and rules, but also in terms of wagering limits and mobile offering, about which you can read more in the dedicated paragraphs. The importance of variety comes from the RTP of the individual games offered. Usually, online casinos offer 3 roulette games: European, French and American. However, when it comes to playing with live dealer, only the first two can be found in their collections. And truth be told, it’s for the best since the latter has the worst RTP of all – 94.74%, which means that the house edge will diminish your chances of winning.
The two variants that you want to play live are European Roulette and French Roulette, with the latter slightly in the lead. That comes from the La Partage rule, thanks to which you will get half of your bet back in case the winning number is 0. This rule raises the RTP from 97.3% to a generous 98.65%. Other interesting variations can be found at casinos that feature Extreme Live Gaming titles, such as Ra Roulette. You recognize the name from the renowned Novomatic slot Book of Ra. Fans of this slot will be impressed with this variation, as the whole theme of the Ra Live Roulette revolves around it. There are no differences in terms of payouts, only in the fact that some other winning opportunities are at hand, thanks to the 1-reel slot with 7 symbols from the slot. While this sidebet may hide some pretty enticing payouts, it also raises the house edge, so it’s not recommended to play it with high stakes.
Software Providers Compared and Wagering Limits
While there are not many differences between the live tables in terms of rules and payouts, except the La Partage rule, you will find that each provider features something special and unique. The best example comes from the Immersive Roulette, powered by Evolution Gaming, which you can find at 888 Casino and BetVictor Casino. This game has won ‘Game of the Year’ at the 2014 EGR, which goes to prove once more that Evolution Gaming is the best provider of live dealer games. The 200 frames per second live stream and the crystal clear of the game will make you immerse in the action with the help of the slow motion replay of the ball falling in the slot.
As far as Playtech casinos are concerned, Ladbrokes Casino for example, there are few features that stand out, such as the Fast play and the changing wagering limits that you can set prior to opening the table. Microgaming, on the other hand, will give you the chance to get close and personal with Playboy bunnies. The beautiful dealers are dressed in Playboy outfits, adding a certain charm to your experience. NetEnt stands out with a full HD, user friendly interface and slightly higher wagering limits that can reach up to £75,000.
Mobile Live Roulette
When it comes to playing on your mobile phone or tablet, there are two ways of going about it – you can use the web-based app and play in your device’s browser or you can download dedicated apps. Such apps can be found on the official store for iOS users or from the casino site, for Android users. The reason for that is that Google do not allow real-money gambling apps on their store, as opposed to the iOS store. As far as Blackberry and Windows OS mobile users are concerned, there are no downloadable apps, but they can still use the web-based ones.
Special Offers and Bonus Opportunities
There are few things to consider when claiming bonuses if you want to play roulette, especially live dealer games. First of all, you should know that roulette has a pretty low contribution to the wagering requirements if you decide to claim the regular bonus, instead of dedicated live tables offers. The contribution is usually somewhere between 0 and 25%, which means that if you play £100, only £25 may count towards the requirements of the terms and conditions, as opposed to slots that usually count 100%. But fear not, there are special bonuses that you can claim, as is the case at Ladbrokes Casino, where you get an instant cash bonus of £50.
But there are also promotions during which you can get an extra winning opportunity. Take 888 Casino for example. During the Lucky 8 event, you will receive £8 for free every time the winning number is 8. What you have to do, you ask? Easy – just play! If you have placed a bet during that spin and the ball falls in the number 8 slot, you are already a winner.
Tips and Betting Strategies
If you are a professional roulette player, with aspirations to become a high roller, surely you have tried one or two roulette strategies or progressive systems like Martingale or Fibonacci. Despite the popularity of these and other betting systems, I have to tell you in all honesty that they do not work, unless you aim to go broke in a short period of time. What I would recommend is using more complex bets, such as number or dozen maximums and call bets, since they cover more numbers and your chance of winning is higher and you can use smaller bets.
I mentioned earlier that you should also check the RTP of a certain game before you start playing. So stick to French Roulette and you can expect fair odds and all the special racetrack bets are at your disposal. Remember that games like Ra Roulette feature sidebets that raise the house edge, so they do not work in your favour.
Is Playing Live Better than RNG?
Taking the human and the entertainment factor into consideration, we can say that live roulette tables have more to offer than RNG ones. First of all, the friendly atmosphere on such tables let you get as close as possible to a real casino experience and you can chat with the dealers and other players. On the other hand, the downside of such games is the limited betting time, which usually varies between 10 and 30 seconds. But there is also a solution for this, since most providers will offer you the Autobetting and the Favourite Bets options. So you can pre-set your betting profile and simply cover your wagers with one single click. Also, you can use the Double and Spin feature, which doubles your previous wagers. Overall, it’s up to you to choose your favourite type of game, but my favourite has always been the live dealer roulette.