Roulette is a casino game, not an investment and not a reliable way to make money. RouletteWhiz explains the game, its bets and the systems players use, but no strategy can remove the house advantage or guarantee a profit.
If you choose to play for real money, decide what you are prepared to lose before you start and treat that amount as the cost of entertainment.
Choose your spending limit before the first spin, not after you start losing.
A losing run does not make a win more likely on the next independent spin.
Stopping is the right decision when gambling stops feeling like entertainment.
Roulette is a game of chance
Every roulette spin is an independent event. Previous results do not tell you what the next number will be, and a number that has not appeared for a long time is not suddenly due.
Betting systems can change how much you stake and how your bankroll moves during a session. They cannot change the mathematical advantage built into the roulette wheel.
Martingale, Fibonacci, Labouchere, James Bond, 3/2 and other staking methods can be interesting to test and compare, but none of them turns roulette into a positive-expectation game. Progressively increasing a bet can also make losses grow very quickly.
RouletteWhiz includes strategy calculators and simulations so players can see how different approaches behave. Simulated results are not predictions of future real-money results.
Set a gambling budget before you play
A gambling budget should be separate from money required for normal living expenses.
Do not gamble with money intended for:
- rent or mortgage payments;
- food and household bills;
- debt repayments;
- savings you cannot afford to lose;
- medical or family expenses;
- money borrowed from somebody else.
Once you reach the amount you decided you could afford to lose, the session is over. Increasing the limit because you are behind defeats the point of setting one.
Use time limits as well as money limits
It is easy to lose track of time when spins happen quickly, particularly when playing online.
Decide how long you intend to play before starting. Take proper breaks and avoid playing continuously for long periods.
Many gambling sites provide session reminders, time limits, deposit limits, loss limits, cooling-off periods and self-exclusion tools. If those controls are available, use them before they become necessary rather than waiting until gambling feels difficult to control.
Do not chase losses
Chasing means continuing to gamble, or increasing your stakes, because you are trying to recover money already lost.
This is particularly relevant to roulette because many betting systems involve increasing stakes after losses.
A bigger next bet does not make the next spin more likely to win. It only puts more money at risk.
If you find yourself thinking that you need one more spin to get back to even, that is a good reason to end the session.
Keep gambling separate from alcohol and strong emotions
Do not gamble when your judgement is impaired by alcohol or drugs.
It is also sensible to avoid gambling when you are angry, stressed, upset or desperate to solve a financial problem. Those are exactly the situations in which spending and staking decisions can become harder to control.
Signs gambling may be becoming a problem
There is no single amount of money or number of gambling sessions that defines a problem. What matters is the effect gambling is having on your life.
Warning signs can include:
- spending more money or time gambling than you intended;
- repeatedly increasing your limits;
- chasing losses;
- borrowing money to gamble;
- using money needed for bills or essential expenses;
- hiding gambling activity or losses from other people;
- feeling restless or frustrated when you cannot gamble;
- thinking about gambling for much of the day;
- gambling to escape stress, anxiety or other problems;
- allowing gambling to interfere with work, relationships or sleep;
- continuing even though gambling is causing financial or personal harm.
You do not need to wait until gambling has caused a major problem before taking action.
Ways to put some distance between you and gambling
Reduce the amount that can be deposited during a day, week or month.
Use a cooling-off period if you want a temporary break from an operator.
Ask operators or a recognised exclusion service to prevent access for a longer period.
Blocking software can add another barrier between you and gambling websites or apps.
Making deposits less immediate can create useful time to reconsider a decision.
A friend, family member or gambling support service can help you look at the situation from outside the gambling session.
Self-exclusion
If limits and short breaks are not enough, self-exclusion is a stronger option.
Most regulated gambling operators provide a way to exclude yourself directly. Depending on where you live, there may also be a national or multi-operator exclusion scheme that can block access across a larger group of gambling sites.
If you self-exclude, do not try to work around the exclusion by opening accounts with other operators. The point is to create distance from gambling, not to find a different route back in.
Blocking gambling websites
Gambling-blocking software can be useful alongside self-exclusion and financial controls.
BetBlocker provides free tools designed to restrict access to gambling websites and apps and is available internationally. It can be used without registering an account.
No single blocking method is perfect, so using several barriers together can be more effective than relying on only one.
Where to get help
RouletteWhiz is not a counselling or treatment service. If gambling is causing problems for you or somebody close to you, specialist organisations can provide confidential support.
A global service providing practical and emotional support for people affected by gambling. Live text support is available in multiple languages.
Call or text 1-800-MY-RESET. The service connects people with problem gambling support and local resources across the United States and its territories.
Call 0808 8020 133. Free support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with online support also available.
A free service for UK residents that can exclude you from gambling websites and apps operated by participating licensed gambling companies.
A free worldwide tool for restricting access to gambling websites and apps across supported devices.
You do not have to win your money back before you stop, and you do not need to wait until the situation gets worse before asking for help.
If you or somebody else is in immediate danger, contact the emergency services available in your location.
Underage gambling
RouletteWhiz is intended for adults.
You must meet the legal gambling age that applies where you live before using a real-money gambling service. Age limits vary between jurisdictions and gambling products.
Parents and guardians should consider device controls, payment controls and gambling-blocking software if they are concerned about a young person’s access to gambling websites.
How RouletteWhiz approaches gambling content
RouletteWhiz exists to explain roulette clearly. That includes explaining betting systems that players genuinely use, but it also means being clear about what those systems cannot do.
We do not describe roulette systems as guaranteed ways to make money. We do not claim that previous spins predict future results, and we do not believe increasing stakes changes the underlying odds of the game.
Some pages contain affiliate links to gambling operators. RouletteWhiz may receive a commission if a visitor follows one of those links and completes a qualifying action. That commercial relationship does not change the mathematical risk involved in gambling.
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