8 Most Common Myths About Roulette Debunked

1. Online Roulette is Rigged

One of the easiest online roulette myths to debunk is that the game itself is rigged. On the rarest of occasions, you may be able to find a defective roulette wheel at land-based casinos that could give you or the casino an advantage. These wheels are usually removed from play until they are fixed.

The fear with online wheels is not that they are broken but that the casino intentionally “fixed” the game in their favor. However, this is not the case as long as you play at safe casino sites.

Casinos use random number generators (RNGs) to ensure the results of their games, including roulette, are random. Secure sites have their RNGs checked regularly during third-party audits. So, as long as a site has a good track record in these audits, you can play roulette without fear of the game being rigged.

The reality is that the casinos make money when the games are fair, so rigging them could ruin a lucrative long-term business for a quick buck.

2. There Are Winning Roulette Betting Systems

Another commonly held belief in online roulette is that the right betting system can guarantee wins in the long run. The truth is that no betting system can help you overcome the house, and even the best roulette strategies have their flaws.

It’s still better to have a systematic approach to the game instead of randomly throwing chips on the table.

However, you should be wary of roulette systems that claim to guarantee success. Negative progression systems, such as the Fibonacci system, for example, claim to protect you from losses by increasing your stake after a loss. However, table betting limits and bankroll limitations can prevent these systems from working effectively.

One of the reasons no system is perfect is that, thanks to RNGs, each spin in online roulette is random. Also, the house edge all but guarantees that the casino will win if you play long enough.

3. There’s No Strategy In Roulette At All

No strategy is perfect, but some players go too far the other way. Even though the outcome of each round of roulette is random, there are still things you can do to improve your chances to have a winning session or at least, lose within reasonable limits.

Some of the factors to account for your strategy include your bankroll, stake amounts, and the types of bets you want to make.

Having a plan for how much you want to wager, and which bets you want to make will allow you to enjoy the experience and avoid big losses.

Also, having a strategy in place will make it easier to track your results and manage your bankroll.

4. The Previous Spin Matters

As I mentioned above, many roulette players are superstitious. This is the reason we have  multiple roulette strategies that claim they can predict the next spins. These systems use the outcome of previous spins to predict the next ones.

There are many systems that fall into this category, such as hot numbers systems, cold numbers systems, and cursed or blessed tables, to name a few.

The truth is that all of the strategies that use this method rely on the Gambler’s Fallacy. In theory, a series of even numbers, for example, should increase the chances of an odd number appearing. However, each spin is independent of the previous ones, so the results of each spin are unaffected by the results of other spins.

In the long run, the number of odd and even numbers will balance out. However, this is usually over thousands of spins, not just a handful of them. The roulette has no memory!

5. Croupiers Can Control The Outcome Of The Spin

Some roulette players also claim that the croupier can control the outcome of the spin. This skill would be useful if you could avoid landing on numbers that would pay out huge winnings. In practice, though, this skill is impossible to master.

Online players do not need to worry about this myth either. Even if you are playing live dealer roulette, the croupier cannot control the outcome of the spin.

For one, the wheel itself and the ball are both spinning. This would make it nearly impossible for even the most experienced dealer to land the ball in one specific spot. Also, it does not make sense for the croupier to even try to cheat the players.

A reputation for having unfair games would severely hurt a casino’s ability to attract customers. Also, the game already has a house edge that guarantees the casino will win money from players in the long run.

6. All Roulette Wheels Are Created Equal

Another misconception about roulette is that all roulette wheels are the same. This is less of a myth and more of a belief held by inexperienced players. Simply put, the type of roulette you are playing can significantly affect your chances of winning.

American roulette, for instance, has two zeros on the reel instead of just one. This almost doubles the house edge compared to games with a single-zero wheel.

American Roulette Wheel

On top of that, there are factors like betting limits, side bets, and more. Make sure to only join the best tables for your needs to enhance the experience and improve your chances of winning.

7. There Are Even Money Wagers

One of the easiest myths to fall for in roulette is that even money wagers exist. Many tables even highlight these bets and present them as a 50-50 proposition.

The bets typically referred to as even money bets in roulette are:

• Red or Black
• Even or Odd
• High or Low

There are 18 red/black, high/low, and odd/even numbers on the roulette wheel. On the surface, it looks like there is a 50% chance for any of these bets hitting.

In reality, you cannot forget about the green zero spot or spots in the case of American roulette. So, instead of an 18 in 36 chance of getting black, you have an 18 in 37 or 18 in 38 chance, depending on the variant you’re playing. Simply put, the presence of the zero gives you a less-than 50% chance on the so-called even money wagers.

You do not get the benefit of higher payouts for the increased risk, either. These bets still have even money payouts despite not offering even money odds.

8. Hedging With Multiple Wagers Works

Rounding out my list of online myths about roulette is the belief that you can hedge your bet by making multiple wagers. In theory, you can virtually guarantee a win by betting on both sides of an even money wager.

For instance, betting on red and black covers nearly all of the outcomes on the wheel. This strategy is also known as zero-risk wagering.

Assuming you avoid the zeros, you will win at least one of your wagers. However, you are also guaranteed to lose at least one of your bets with this strategy. So, at best, you will simply break even with this method.

It would only make sense to do this if you’re clearing a bonus, but online casinos are not stupid. Most of them forbid  covering more than 2/3 of the wheel with your wagers when you’re playing with bonus money.