Many Ways to Play

If you’re a fan of Bitcoin, you know that while the currency has improved its reach, it can still sometimes be uncertain as to how easy it will be to spend it at a particular merchant or in a given industry. But as you might have suspected, the online gambling industry has been fairly welcoming to the digital asset. This isn’t to say that it is universally accepted – there are plenty of sites that do not offer Bitcoin (BTC) as a banking option – but there are more than enough reputable and trustworthy sites that do that it should never be a problem for anyone who wants to fund their gaming account from a wallet address.

This means that there are a number of great, well-known Internet gambling sites that allow you to deposit and withdraw in BTC. Through these sites, you might be able to play roulette games provided from any software provider you can imagine, including popular companies like Playtech, IGT, Microgaming, and many more.

But of particular interest to us are the dedicated Bitcoin casinos that have begun to sprout up online over the last few years. These sites aren’t just about letting you deposit in BTC, but letting you play in the currency as well. At these gambling websites, you may not even be able to make deposits through other methods: many offer only BTC, or perhaps a variety of cryptocurrencies without any use of credit cards, bank accounts, or other traditional financial instruments.

These dedicated sites are usually created using software such as SoftSwiss or Coin Gaming, both of which specialize in providing backend solutions and gaming platforms to for operators who want to create Bitcoin casinos. These platforms allow for the integration of software from a variety of different companies, meaning you’ll see a mix of original games and those of other established providers whose products can be seen at sites throughout the industry.

That means you might see a dozen or more roulette options when you go to a particularly large Bitcoin casino sites. However, the games generally break down into three categories, as follows:

American Roulette: If you’ve played in a North American resort, this is almost certainly the version you played. With two zeroes on the wheel but the same payouts as other versions, it is the least player-friendly option, as it has a much higher house edge than the alternatives.

European Roulette: A much better option, this is the format of choice in Europe and most of the rest of the world, as well as in high-stakes or VIP rooms even in many American casinos. There’s only one zero on the wheel, which cuts the house edge nearly in half, putting it in line with most other table games.

French Roulette: In the online world, “French roulette” is the name given to those versions that use the full European rules you would see at land-based resorts. While “European” tables on the Internet are simple standard single-zero wheel games, the French versions offer the la partage rule. This rule returns half of your stake should you lose on an even money bet because the ball lands on the zero. This cuts the house edge by half on these bets (such as odd/even or red/black) over a standard European game, making this even better for players. Furthermore, these tables typically include the French “call bets,” which are designed to cover various portions of the wheel.

At major gaming sites, you’ll find that multiple versions of each of these games could be available. SoftSwiss themselves have good versions of each, but you might also find creations from NetEnt, Betsoft, or other providers as well. While in the case of roulette it is likely that many of these games will be functionally identical, the graphics, animations, and overall style may be different, and you may well find one option that you like better than the others for one reason or another.

There’s another type of online roulette we’d like to mention here as well. Live dealer games have become increasingly popular at many sites, and Bitcoin casinos are among those who spread live roulette. These games don’t rely on random number generators; instead, you’ll get to watch on a video stream as a real person, operating out of a studio that is designed to look like a casino, spins the wheel in order to figure out the winning number each round. Provided by companies like Ezugi and NetEnt, these games are a very entertaining way to get what many feel is a more authentic gambling experience than normal Internet-based games can provide.

Provably Fair and Anonymous Play

While cryptocurrency enthusiasts don’t need an excuse to give Bitcoin roulette a try, there are a lot of benefits for gamblers of all stripes as well. Perhaps the most famous of these is the fact that many games at these sites are “provably fair,” which is one of the more reassuring things you can hear about a gambling site. But what does it really mean?

First of all, understand that not all games played in BTC qualify as provably fair. For instance, the live games we’ve mentioned above wouldn’t fit this bill, as the provable part of the equation comes from cryptographic methods that rely on using a random number generator for part of their process. If a game qualifies for this designation, it will be noted as such, and there will be tools in the game that you can use to verify the results of each bet for yourself.

Generally, this is done through providing information about the randomization process to you through the hash function. These games generally also allow the user to put in an input function: in a roulette game, that might mean inputting a number of pockets you would like to travel beyond what the random number generator determines on its own.

Once you’ve done that, the spin will be played out, and you’ll get to see the results. You’ll then be given access to a number – the combination of the randomly chosen spin result plus a secret random number, then run through a hashing algorithm – that serves as a “fingerprint” for that game. Using a tool included in these games, players can then use their fingerprint to show that it matches the original, RNG-derived spin. That, plus their selected input value, should match the actual result that was obtained. This kind of verification mechanism can reassure both players and operators that games are fair and random.

Of course, Bitcoin itself has some advantages for players as well. These days, many jurisdictions have stronger controls over funding for online gaming sites if they aren’t explicitly regulated by the government. This has caused problems for players who want to use their bank accounts or credit cards to fund an Internet gambling account. However, Bitcoin doesn’t suffer from these regulations: there’s virtually nothing governments can do to stop the flow of BTC to and from sites, making it an excellent workaround in grey markets. Plus, the usage of the currency is essentially anonymous for most users, which is a plus for many people who don’t want their gambling activity to potentially be uncovered by others.

Spin and Win

Roulette is one of the most popular casino games of all time for a good reason. It offers players the opportunity to win big on every single spin, and there’s no real strategy involved: most of the bets have exactly the same house edge, and even in French Roulette, it’s easy to explain which choices offer the best odds (hint: it’s the even money bets). This makes for a relaxing and laid back atmosphere where players can celebrate wins together and be social while the game continues at a comfortable pace. Much of this feeling exists in online roulette as well. The pace of the game is usually up to you, and the same big win potential is always there, meaning each spin is thrilling without being intimidating.

Bitcoin roulette combines all of these great elements with the benefits of the world’s most popular cryptocurrency. Playing in BTC is a great way to get into Internet gambling, especially if other funding methods aren’t feasible for you to use. With more sites than ever allowing you to play in the currency, there’s no better time to jump into the world of Bitcoin roulette and take your chances on this classic table game.