The Best Online Roulette Casinos in Canada 2023

What is Roulette?

Roulette is a table game that was forged out of the rubble of a failed experiment by the French mathematician, Blaise Pascal, in 1655. He was trying to invent a perpetual motion machine, and instead developed one of the world’s most popular casino games. 

Pascal’s roulette wheel had 36 numbered pockets: 18 red and 18 black, with a ball in the middle that spins as the wheel turns. Players place bets on the outcome of where the ball will settle before the wheel is spun, and hope that either their number or colour comes up. 

As roulette’s popularity started moving across the continent, modifications were made to the wheel to help increase the house’s advantage. In 1842, King Charles III of Monaco commissioned a roulette wheel to be designed with an ingrained house edge, which introduced the single-zero pocket. This pocket belongs to the house, meaning that all bets are lost when the ball lands on it. 

When the roulette wheel reached North America, a double-zero pocket was added to further enhance the casino’s house edge. These changes have split the game into different variants, all of which are available to play at the best roulette casinos online.  

Although roulette is a game of chance, this hasn’t prevented great thinkers of the game from concocting strategies on how best to approach the wheel. While there are no guarantees in roulette, the logic of these strategists is interesting to trace – check out the systems of Martingale, D’Alembert, and Paroli to get inside the minds of the roulette greats.

Roulette Variations

Roulette’s appeal is widespread throughout the world. As a result, you’ll find lots of different variations at the top roulette casino sites. Here’s how they work.

European Roulette

European Roulette is the most popular variant, with 37 pockets in the wheel: 18 red, 18 black, and a green single-zero pocket. European Roulette is the most-played because solo green pocket generates a house edge of 2.7%, and this is among the lowest of all roulette variants.

American Roulette

The American Roulette wheel shares the same layout as the European, but with one important difference: a double-zero pocket in addition to the single-zero, thereby delivering a greater house edge of 5.26%.

French Roulette

Pascal would be pleased to know that French Roulette is still among the most played variants in the world. The layout of the wheel is the same as the European, giving them an equal house edge of 2.7%, but the French variation has a unique ‘La Partage’ rule – if a player makes an even-money bet (on odd or even numbers, for example), they’ll only lose half their stake if the ball lands in the single-zero pocket.

Multi-Wheel Roulette

The top roulette casinos will also offer their players Multi-Wheel Roulette, where punters can wager on up to eight roulette tables at once. The game developer Microgaming is chiefly responsible for making Multi-Wheel Roulette a possibility in recent years – all tables of its multi-wheel format are played in the European style, meaning there’s a single-zero pocket on each one and every wheel has a house edge of 2.7%.

Bets and Odds

Bets at the roulette table fall into two categories: inside bets and outside bets. If you’re new to roulette, we recommend starting with small outside bets to begin with, or even using the online casino’s free to play version first. That way you can get up to speed with the gameplay before committing real money to wagers. See below for a breakdown of inside and outside bets, and the kinds of odds players can expect from both.

Inside Bets

Inside bets are harder to achieve but have higher odds and larger payouts as a result. Here are some examples of inside bets:

• Straight-up: bets made on a specific number, paying out at 35/1;
• Split: bets made on two adjacent numbers, paying out at 17/1;
• Street: bets made on a row of three numbers, paying out at 11/1;
• Basket: bets made on five specific numbers, paying out at 6/1.

Outside Bets

Because the roulette wheel is divided in half by both colours and numbers, it lends itself well to outside bets – bets that generally have a 50% chance of coming off, but generate small payouts as a result. Here are some examples of outside bets:

• Red or black, which pays out at 1/1;
• Odd or even, which pays out at 1/1;
• Low or High: bets that are called at numbers 1-18 for low, and 19-36 for high, which pay out at 1/1;
• Dozens: roulette wheels are split into three dozens (1-12, 13-24, and 25-36). You can bet on the ball landing in a specific dozen, paying out at 2/1.

Live Dealer Roulette

Online roulette games now include live roulette, where casino sites use video streaming technology to re-enact the feeling, customs, and atmosphere of a real brick-and-mortar casino. Players of live dealer roulette can enjoy the pace and authenticity of a real casino from the comfort of their own home, taking their seat at the roulette table alongside a professionally trained croupier who takes bets, spins the wheel, and converses with players in real time. 

Live dealer roulette games are often facilitated by multiple camera angles, bringing players high-definition shots of the action. Players can interact with other players and the dealer via the live chat feature, who’ll respond to questions and conversation by speaking directly into the camera. It’s this touch of personalization that some feel is missing from online gambling, with live dealer casinos filling an important gap in the market.  

If you’re interested in playing at a live roulette casino, bear in mind that they’re more expensive for the site to run, and minimum bets are usually inflated to compensate. Traditional online roulette games can have their minimum bets set as low as $0.25, but you’re more likely to see minimum bets at live roulette tables closer to $1.

Mobile Roulette

Gone are the days of playing online roulette exclusively on a desktop. Today, the best Canadian online casinos have mobile-optimized sites that adjust easily to different browser preferences and operating systems without skipping on quality. 

The top casinos will also have dedicated apps available for mobile casino players to download. We generally recommend installing a native apps on your device if one is offered by your online casino as they offer players a more bespoke gaming experience. Not only can players expect faster loading times and slick user interfaces on these mobile casino apps, but the app’s push notifications also represent the best way for players to keep up to date with casino bonuses and promotions.

How We Find the Best Roulette Sites 

Here at Best Online Casinos, it’s our job to bring you the top options for playing online roulette in Canada. Our expert team reviews a wide range of different roulette casinos with certain key criteria in mind — only once we’re satisfied a site has everything players need to have a safe and enjoyable experience will we recommend it to our readers. Check out some of the main aspects we look out for below.

Games Selection

One of the first things we check when reviewing roulette casinos is the variety of the games selection. Whether you’re looking to play solo on an RNG game or chance your arm at live dealer roulette, the best sites offer all the top variations, such as European, American, French, Mini Roulette, Lightning Roulette and Double Ball Roulette.

Software Providers

We also look closely at the software providers contributing to the roulette games catalogue. If a roulette casino hosts games from top brands such as Evolution Gaming, Playtech, and Microgaming, this is certainly a good sign that you’ll be able to enjoy a range of high-quality roulette games.

Fast Withdrawals

Away from the games themselves, there are plenty of practical aspects to consider. For instance, players shouldn’t be kept waiting for their cash once they’ve withdrawn it from the casino. The best sites keep processing times to a minimum while supporting fast withdrawal payment methods such as e-wallets.

Customer Support

It’s crucial that a roulette site offers prompt, friendly, and helpful customer support for Canadian players. The best sites offer 24/7 live chat support, so players can get assistance whenever they need it. It’s also helpful for players to be able to get in touch via email or phone, as well as having access to a detailed and informative Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page.

Roulette Betting Strategies

Roulette is a game of pure luck, meaning that — unlike other table games such as poker and blackjack — players are unable to affect their chances of winning. However, there are some strategies for even money bets that focus on how much players wager per round. This not only adds some extra fun to the game, but helps players to keep track of how much they’re betting. With any strategy, it’s a good idea to have a set amount of money put aside to wager and to end your session when it runs out.

Fibonacci

Based on the theory developed by Italian mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci, with this strategy the amount you bet follows each number in the following sequence.

1 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 5 – 8 – 13 – 21 – 34 – 55 – 89 – 144 – 233 – 377 – 610 – 987

As you can see, each number is the sum of the previous two numbers. Each time you win, you move back two numbers in the sequence and bet that amount. If you lose, continue to the next number.

Labouchère 

The Labouchère system is another strategy for even money bets and involves deciding how much you want to win. Then, split the figure into a sequence of smaller numbers. For $10, you could use:

1 – 1 – 1 – 2 – 2 – 2 – 1

Take the leftmost and rightmost numbers from the sequence, add them together, and bet that amount. If your bet wins, eliminate those numbers from the list. If your bet loses, add it to the end of the list. If the whole list gets crossed out, you’ll have reached your target. 

Martingale

The Martingale strategy is one of the simplest but also the riskiest. Begin by placing an even money bet such as red/black or odd/even — if you lose, you bet double the amount on the next round. If you win, return to betting the initial amount. The theory goes that even after a streak of losses, the player will eventually recoup their money by betting bigger, but this relies on having a much larger bankroll than most players are comfortable using. It’s also possible to hit the table limits rather quickly, and that’s where the strategy falls apart. The best way to try this system is by playing free roulette first.

Roulette Software Providers

When you’re looking to play roulette, it’s helpful to know the top software providers for this category. That way, you’ll know which developers to look out for when you’re browsing the casino’s games library. Let’s take a look at some of the best in the business.

Playtech

Playtech develops a range of online casino games including slots and table games, and has been at the forefront of developing HTML5 roulette for mobile casinos in recent years. There are lots of roulette variations to explore with this provider, with its live games particularly standing out. 

The games are streamed around the world from multiple locations including a dedicated studio in Riga, Latvia, which opened in 2017 and is the largest of its kind in the world. The developer’s Spin & Win Roulette game is a highlight — it uses augmented reality technology to put the player in the driving seat, while the roulette table is set upon a stunning cityscape backdrop. If that wasn’t enough, there are 100x multipliers up for grabs during the game.

Microgaming

Microgaming is another of the industry’s leading software providers, bringing top-quality slot games, table games, and live casino games to sites around the world. Its Roulette Royale game was released back in 2002 and is a great option for players looking for something with a retro feel.

In more recent times, Microgaming’s Gold Series has offered players immersive and realistic gameplay in European, French, and Multi-Wheel variants. What’s more, Real Auto Roulette, Multifire Roulette, and Sapphire Roulette have a premium and understated design that feels truly authentic — you can even test out these games for free on Microgaming’s website before having a go at the real thing. There are plenty of live roulette games available with Microgaming too, each hosted by experienced and charismatic croupiers.

Evolution Gaming

Last but certainly not least, Evolution Gaming is arguably the king of the live casino sphere and its roulette offerings are up there with the best. Classics such as Live European Roulette and Live American Roulette are supported by innovative titles such as Lightning Roulette, which features a stunning black and gold Art Deco backdrop and Lucky Number multipliers. 

Immersive Roulette is another variant designed to offer ultra-authentic gameplay, with Hollywood-style cameras, 200 frames-per-second HD video, and slow motion replays enhancing the experience. Meanwhile, if you’d prefer to kick things off solo, First Person Roulette features a ‘Go Live’ button you can click any time to join a game with other players. Ultimately, you know you’re in good hands when playing an online roulette game with Evolution.

Roulette Payment Methods

There are plenty of different payment options available when playing online roulette in Canada, each with a range of benefits and drawbacks. It’s a good idea to check out your options before you start to play, to ensure you enjoy the smoothest experience when depositing and withdrawing funds. Let’s take a look at the main options available for Canadian players.

Visa and Mastercard

Using a Visa or Mastercard is one of the simplest ways to deposit and withdraw funds to and from your casino account. Not only are they ubiquitous across Canadian casino sites, but they also offer excellent security through Visa Secure and Mastercard SecureCode.

To add funds using a bank card, you’ll simply need to choose this option on the casino’s cashier page and enter your bank details. One of the best things about Visa and Mastercard is that deposits made with them are virtually always eligible for casino bonuses such as welcome offers.

Players can save their card details with the casino to save time when depositing and withdrawing cash. That said, withdrawal speeds aren’t the fastest with this payment method, taking 3–5 days at most sites. Thankfully, the new Visa Fast Funds service is speeding this process up considerably, with money landing in your account in just 30 minutes.

e-Wallets

e-Wallets such as ecoPayz allow you to make deposits and withdrawals at the casino without sharing your bank details. Instead, you’ll just need to connect the digital wallet to your bank when you create an account. You can store money in your e-wallet to use online, or simply use it as an intermediary to send payments from your bank to your casino account.

When playing online roulette in Canada, you’ll want to be able to access your cash with minimal delay. Digital wallets are generally the best option for this, offering fast withdrawals of just 1–2 days and often quicker.

Drawbacks of e-wallets include the fact that they’re often excluded from deposit bonuses, in order to prevent bonus fraud with players opening multiple accounts. What’s more, some e-wallets charge fees to make transactions, so be sure to check these with your provider.

Interac

Interac is an interbank payments service popular with Canadian casino players. It acts as an intermediary between the casino and your bank, allowing you to make a deposit using funds from your bank account but without sharing your details with the casino. By selecting Interac Online at the casino cashier page, you’ll be prompted to log in to your bank to complete the transfer.

Players can also withdraw cash from the casino using Interac. It’s one of the fastest options available, with payments usually reaching your account in under an hour.