We all know what the appeal of playing roulette is in an actual casino – especially in a more up-market one that really makes the most of the game’s inherent glitz and glamor. It’s a fun, thrilling game of chance with a large social component and it’s really little wonder that roulette tables are so often packed beyond capacity.
What, however, is the appeal of playing roulette online without the physical presence of that fan-favorite roulette wheel and without the social aspect of having other players to interact with between bets?
To answer that, it’s worth keeping in mind that there are two kinds of online roulette.
Playing the AI
One version is basically the same as an online slot machine where you play against a computer and whatever representation of a roulette table there is, is nothing more than the same sort of random number generator (RNG) that powers other fully computerized online gambling games, but most especially slot machines. Even calling it an AI is a bit of a misnomer because however fun these games can be, you are, in effect, playing a fancy calculator.
That said, these roulette games do have the following advantages:
- Cheap buy-ins
- You’re not dependant on the availability of real-world croupiers
- Easy to play from wherever you are, whenever you feel like
- The same mechanics as online slots is hidden behind a game that you may simply enjoy more
- The technical requirements to play this sort of online roulette are very low – just a basic internet connection and a very basic smartphone or computer
Playing Live Games
On the other hand, the other type of online roulette game is much closer to playing the real thing. Live online roulette games do exactly what they say on the tin: you get to join in on live, real-world roulette games, but from the comfort of your own home. Unlike the other version of online roulette, you may need a slightly better internet connection and device to join in properly. Not super high-end or anything but something that can handle live video streams.
Also, be sure to play on a reputable platform as live online roulette can quickly become about some pretty serious money and you don’t want to lose any of it to a sketchy site.
That said, here are some of the big advantages of playing live online roulette:
- Play the real thing from the comfort of your own home
- Save on gas costs and lengthy commutes to the casino
- Enjoy the real thrills of watching a real roulette wheel at play
- You’re not playing against a machine but against a real physical roulette wheel spun by a real, physical croupier
- Higher stakes than automated roulette games
- The best ones have chat rooms where you can reproduce the social atmosphere of playing at the casino
Now, does any of this mean that playing online can ever fully match the thrill of playing in a real casino? No. But live online roulette is much closer to the real thing than most other forms of online casino games.
