Online Roulette Casinos in South Africa

Best Online Roulette Sites in South Africa (2024)

Roulette has long been one of the most popular casino games in the world, with South Africans increasingly joining online casino sites so they can play their favourite game on the internet.

Online roulette works in just the same way as it does offline, with players having to accurately guess where the ball will land on the wheel - the only difference is that it is all virtual.

The rise of live dealer roulette games has provided those who want to play the game with another option, with this variation providing a social experience led by a human host.

With so many online roulette sites in South Africa these days, it is not easy for players to decide which is the right one for them to join if this is the game that they want to play.

An Introduction to Online Roulette

Roulette is one of the oldest casino games around, with internet sites having offered people the chance to play it online for a significant amount of time now.

South Africans have been able to play online roulette at casino sites for many years and the number of different operators in the market is growing all the time.

Of course, joining online casino sites gives players access to a lot more than roulette, with a variety of games available to play such as slots, poker, blackjack, baccarat and more.

But roulette will be the prime draw for a lot of South Africans, who might be keen on trying out some of the variations of the game that are available at casino sites in the country.

European roulette is one of the most popular types of online roulette in South Africa but people are sure to have their own favourites, though it is important to keep the house edge in mind.

Roulette has a relatively high house edge compared to other casino games such as baccarat and blackjack. The presence on the wheel of green space for zero means even a bet on red, black, odds or evens is not quite 50/50 in terms of the odds of winning a bet. Some virtual roulette wheels even have two double zero spaces in green, making their house edge worse.

Speed Roulette is another variation of this classic casino game that is growing in popularity. The faster pace of the action makes it even more exciting for South African users to play online.

Roulette will always be popular as it is so simple, with players just having to pick a number and hope that it comes up on the wheel. But what are the top roulette sites in South Africa?

How We Choose the Best Online Roulette Casinos in South Africa

All of the best online roulette casinos in our list excel in these six key areas to provide a safe, legal, and fun gaming experience for all South African players.

Safety

All of the casino sites on our list are legal, licensed, and safe for players from South Africa. Read our online gambling laws guide for more information.

Game variety

The best online roulette sites offer a wide variety of games including European and American roulette, speed roulette, and more. All of the online casinos in our list offer 100's different roulette games with plenty of RNG roulette games and live roulette tables to choose from.

Random Number Generator roulette games are available on almost all online casinos, and they come with different variations and payout percentages. The higher the payout percentage, the better! The random number generator (RNG) roulette games are run by a computer that creates random sequences to make sure the game is fair and completely random. The previous spins do not affect the result in any way.

Fair play

All online casinos on our list are independently checked to ensure the RNG roulette games are fair. The offshore online casinos in our list hold trusted and respected gambling licenses such as the UK Gambling Commission license. These licenses ensure the online casinos are independently checked at regular intervals to ensure fair, and safe play.

Payout percentage

Compare the best online roulette casinos with the highest payout percentages. We do not recommend playing on any RNG roulette games with a payout percentage below 95%.

Customer Service

We believe all online casinos should offer 24/7 customer service with several forms of contact, and almost all of the roulette sites on this list provide 24/7 support. If the support is not open 24/7, the opening hours cover most of the day, and we have had positive experiences using the support.

Mobile

We test the best mobile sites and casino apps for online roulette betting and provide step by step guides for how to download each app. Compare our list of the best mobile casinos for playing roulette, and other popular casino games including baccarat, poker, blackjack and more.

A Complete Guide to Online Roulette in South Africa

Roulette is perhaps the most simple online casino game out there, but for those who have never played it before it is still worth giving a quick guide for how to play online roulette in South Africa.

Joining an online casino to play roulette is the first step. This is a quick and easy process with the registration and verification steps unlikely to take more than a couple of minutes. South Africans should remember to use a welcome bonus code when they sign up to play online.

After selecting a site to join, the next move is to pick what type of roulette game to play. We will go over the different versions of online roulette a little later, but European roulette is probably the best place to start. This is a standard type of roulette that almost all online casinos now offer.

In roulette, there is a wheel with numbered slots from one to 36, while there will also be at least one green spot on the wheel for zero. This space ensures that even if people bet on red or black, their odds of winning are not quite 50/50 as the ball could land in that green zero spot.

To place a bet at online roulette sites in South Africa, players first need to pick their stake. There is usually a coin icon that is used to do this, while arrows can also be used to either increase or decrease the amount of money that is being spent on a bet on each spin of the wheel.

After deciding how much to bet, players have to decide where to put their money. While there are some roulette strategies out there - we have some top tips and advice for playing online roulette in South Africa down the page - essentially it is all luck whether or not a player wins.

Users might just decide to bet on their favourite number, or hedge their bets by putting down wagers on a range of different options. To actually place a bet when playing online roulette, users just tap or click on their preferred option after selecting the stake, then the cash will appear on the table. If the bet is a winner, then the winnings will be automatically returned to their account.

Bets in online roulette games are broadly in two categories: inside and outside. Inside roulette bets are those on numbers, while outside bets are on options such as red/black or odds/evens. Inside bets can be a straight - for example, just betting on the number one - or a split, which covers two adjacent numbers, with a reduced potential payout as a result. A corner or square bet is another type of inside bet, with this one referring to covering four nearby numbers.

Various outside bets are available. Red or black is the most famous but odds or evens is another popular option when playing online roulette at South African casino sites. Players also have the option to bet on 1-18 or 19-36, which is low or high. Another option is to place a column bet or on a number in a particular dozen to be the one that comes up at the end of a spin.

It is clear there are almost limitless betting options in roulette, but what are the different versions of this online casino game that South Africans can pick from if they want to play online?

Types of Roulette Games 

Many online casino games have a lot of different versions and roulette is no different. South Africans have lots of choices when it comes to online roulette, such as these top options:

• European Roulette: The most basic version of roulette for newcomers is European. In this type of roulette game, there are 37 spots on the wheel with a single green space for zero. A low house edge of about 2.7 per cent makes European roulette a fantastic choice of game.
• French Roulette: This type of roulette game is very similar to European roulette, with the same layout of the wheel. The only difference is some of the bets are given a different name here. The house edge for French roulette is the same as European roulette, set at about 2.7 per cent.
• American Roulette: In American roulette, the wheel is a bit different. There are 38 pockets, with the extra spot taken by a second green space for zero. What this means is the house edge for American roulette is higher than in French or European roulette at more than five per cent.
• Video Roulette: With this type of game, users place their bets on a digital roulette table. This suits those who are happy to play online casino games solo and do not like live games.
• Live Roulette: Live dealer games continue to get more popular in South Africa, with an increasing number of people opting for roulette in this section of their online casino site. In a live roulette game, there is a human host and users can watch a physical wheel spinning around. Various live roulette tables are offered, suiting all types of stakes. Those who want to play at low stakes can play live roulette but there are also VIP rooms that are aimed at high rollers.
• Lightning Roulette: South Africans who want to dial up the pace of their online casino games should consider opting for lightning roulette on their preferred site. In a game of lightning roulette, certain spots on the wheel will be struck by lightning, leading to bigger potential profits as a result of the massive multipliers that are dished out in the game. The chance to win a huge amount of cash from one spin of the wheel makes lightning roulette increasingly popular in South Africa.
• RNG Roulette: RNG stands for a random number generator, so this means any standard type of roulette game that is not a live dealer option at live casinos. RNG means the outcome of the spin of the wheel is calculated by a computer, with games tested to ensure they are fair.
• Double Ball Roulette: As the name suggests, this variation of online roulette features not just one ball, but two. The excitement is ramped up as a result of the extra ball being in play here. Naturally, the odds and payouts on offer in this type of roulette change due to the extra ball.
• Multi Wheel Roulette: An alternative to double ball roulette is multi-wheel roulette. South Africans can place bets on six wheels if they opt to play multi-wheel roulette games online. Placing bets works in the same way, but players can win on six different wheels at once. 

Playing Online Roulette for Free in South Africa

South Africans who are new to online roulette might prefer to start playing for free. The benefit of this is it allows them to try out a few different variations without risking any of their own cash.

There are a couple of ways to play online roulette for free, with the first of them using the demo mode. A lot of the top roulette sites in South Africa have demo mode options available to use.

This means users play with virtual money, so there is no risk of losing cash, although obviously, they are not winning any cash either. It is all for free, with demo mode as a way to play just for fun.

The main alternative way to play online roulette for free without resorting to demo mode is to make the most of the many generous no deposit welcome bonuses that are available at online casinos.

Whenever a new user signs up for an account at a South African online roulette site, they will have the chance to claim a welcome offer. This is often in the form of a deposit bonus, which might double the amount players choose to deposit into their new account.

There are some terms and conditions to worry about, though, such as wagering requirements or a time limit, while some online casinos also have a maximum win limit for bonus money usage.

Playing Online Roulette for Real Money in South Africa

After starting to play online roulette for free, South Africans might then opt to make the leap and learn how to play online roulette for real money at casino sites that are open in the country. Most online casino sites in South Africa have plenty of ways to play roulette for real money. These might range from RNG roulette games to live dealer options for this popular casino classic.

The difference between playing online roulette for free and playing online roulette for real money is an obvious one: there is real money being risked on every single spin of the wheel.

It is important to know about house edges and payout percentages when learning how to play online roulette for real money. As we detailed above, American roulette has a relatively high house edge when compared to the other main options: French roulette and European roulette.

This is due to the fact there are two green spaces for zero on the wheel in American roulette. This type of online roulette game is therefore quite poor value compared to the alternatives. Those South Africans who want to get the best bang for their buck when it comes to a type of online roulette game are therefore advised to play European or French roulette games instead. It can be a lot harder to win real money playing American roulette rather than European roulette.

When learning how to play online roulette for real money, it might be beneficial for South Africans to follow online roulette tips and advice. Let's have a look at some top roulette strategies next.

Playing Live Roulette Games 

The closest experience to visiting a brick and mortar casino is to play live roulette games. This option, which is available at various online casinos, gives players the chance to watch a dealer at the roulette wheel.

The best live casinos offer live HD streams and several interactive features including a live chat to speak to the dealer and other players. The online casino sites in our list have partnered with some of the best live casino gaming providers in the industry, and offer fantastic and realistic experiences of the roulette table.

Anyone who is worried about the chances of online roulette games being rigged by the casino should try out live casino games as they can watch a physical wheel in action.

Playing live roulette games can be a social experience as players are able to talk to both the dealer and other fellow players at the wheel through the use of a live chat facility.

Live casino games such as roulette also often have special bonuses and promotions available.

House Edge in Roulette Games

Like all games at the online casino, roulette has a house edge. This can vary a great deal depending on the type of roulette game that is chosen by the player, as well as their bet.

For a standard outside bet on a European roulette wheel, there is a house edge of around 2.5%. This is due to the presence of that green zero space on the wheel, along with 1-36.

American roulette wheels at the online casino often have two green spaces for zero. This pushes up the house edge for roulette bets to more than 5%. It is a significant jump and American roulette is therefore one of the worst value games to play at casino sites.

Mini roulette is another type of roulette game that has different odds and a worse house edge than European roulette as a result. Due to the fact, there are fewer spaces on the wheel, the odds of a player winning are theoretically bigger, but they will win less cash as a result.

House edge might not seem as if it is important, but anyone playing a lot of roulette games at online casinos will find it harder to earn a profit if they play games with a high house edge.

It is still possible to win at roulette, of course, but it makes it harder when the house edge is high. To improve your chances of winning, follow our basic roulette tips and strategy.

Online Roulette Tips and Advice

Roulette, like most online casino games that can be played in South Africa, is mostly about luck. However, there are some roulette strategies that some players believe help them to win at the virtual wheel more often than not. These typically refer to the stakes that are used in games.

Choosing the right type of roulette game to play at South African online casinos is also key. As mentioned above, the higher house edge in American roulette games makes this a poor choice.

It is always worth remembering when playing online roulette that the result of the last spin of the wheel has no impact whatsoever on the next one. They are completely independent, regardless of whether there is a live dealer hosting the game, or if it is a type of RNG roulette. Many players who pick roulette games at online casinos in South Africa fall into the common trap of believing that a run of red numbers winning means it is inevitable the next spin will be black. But the odds of a black number coming up stay the same even if the last 10, 15 or 20 spins all came up red.

One of the most common types of roulette strategies that players use is the Martingale system. Like most of the popular roulette strategies, this is a form of betting progression that theoretically means players should always come out on top, though this might well require a large bankroll.

When using the Martingale system to play online roulette in South Africa, players pick one of the standard bets such as red or black, or odds and evens, and stick to it throughout. Every time they have a losing spin, they double their stake for the next round. When they win, the stake goes back to the amount of money they staked on the first spin. So for example, a player might bet R10 on red on their first spin. If it comes up black, they bet R20 on red on the next spin. The trend continues, so another losing spin means an increase to R40 for a bet on red, then up again to R80 if there is a fourth black winning spin in a row. Due to the law of averages, there will always eventually be a red result, after which a player reverts to placing a bet of R10 on a spin.

An alternative roulette betting strategy to the Martingale is using the Fibonacci sequence. This is a bit more complicated as users need to remember the series of numbers involved, which adds the previous two numbers together to make the stake for the next bet. The series of numbers that is used for the Fibonacci sequence is as follows: 0-1-1-2-3-5-8-12-20-32-52-84 and so on.

Both the Fibonacci and Martingale roulette strategies have the same downfall, which South Africans need to know about before they decide to try it out for themselves. Due to the chance of a long run of losing spins, it is possible that the stakes involved start to get very big, very fast. A large bankroll is required to make the Fibonacci and Martingale roulette strategies work.

A safer system that can be used at the leading online casinos in South Africa is known as the D’Alembert roulette strategy. Here, players need to increase their bet by one unit after a losing spin and decrease the stake by one unit after a winning spin of the wheel. As with any type of online gambling, no strategy can ever be guaranteed to turn a profit - otherwise online casinos would all go out of business! - so it is important to never bet more than you can afford to lose.