Live roulette tables provide online gamblers with a nearly authentic land-based casino experience. They can place bets on roulette action streamed live from game studios of leading software providers like NetEnt Live, Evolution Gaming, and Ezugi. But they often wonder: are these live roulette tables fixed or completely random?
The direct answer is that live roulette tables are not fixed if you play the game at a legit and licensed gambling site. Remember, there are shady and online scam casinos running rigged roulette tables.
Players usually win at first before they experience a sudden losing streak and soon deplete their bankrolls.
So, sign up at a legitimate and proven online casino if you want to play live roulette games that are not fixed. The gambling site should hold a valid license from a well-regarded and trusted regulatory body, such as Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) and UK Gambling Commission (UKGC).
Thankfully, all online gambling sites we recommend are licensed, regulated, and proven fair. They run tried-and-true live dealer roulette tables powered by industry-leading software providers with valid gaming licenses. For instance, Evolution Gaming and its subsidiary Ezugi are licensed and regulated by more than 25 respected regulatory bodies the world over.
Most players who say live roulette tables run by these legit gambling sites are fixed suffer from the so-called gambler’s remorse. Losing is unavoidable in roulette gambling, and these players are unwilling to accept they lost. They post fixing claims because they are looking for someone or something to blame for their losses. It is part of the gambler’s fallacy, paranoia, and superstition.
That being said, we can guarantee that live roulette tables run by the following game studios are legit and not fixed…
- Ezugi
- Evolution Gaming
- NetEnt Live
- Microgaming Live
- Playtech Live Gaming
- Extreme Live Gaming
- Authentic Gaming
So, where do online roulette rigged claims originate from? For one thing, there are many videos on YouTube that claim numerous ways casinos rig live roulette games. They state that rogue gambling sites use the following rigging techniques:
Common Techniques Allegedly Being Used to Fix Live Roulette Tables
Ball flicking
They can claim that dealers flick the ball, drop it from a specific height, and use magnetic/weighted balls to ensure the desired outcome.
Adjust wheel speeds
Some players claim dealers spin the wheel at different forces or speeds to ensure the ball lands on the desired number.
Wheel Braking
This technique involves using some kind of braking system underneath the roulette wheel to stop it at a certain point and ensure most players lose.
Ball Tripping of Online Roulette Games
Another method commonly mentioned by players online is ball tripping. This technique involves fixing the table in such a way that they control where the ball will land on the wheel head. The ball is tripped or caused to dislodge prematurely from the track so that it lands on a specific section of the wheel head.
There are many other ridiculous accusations leveled against live roulette game providers. It might be true that some rogue providers fix their tables, but reputable live gaming software providers do not. Just ask yourself: why would an award-winning software firm like Evolution Gaming rig its live roulette tables when billions of dollars in revenue and its reputation are at stake?
Are roulette tables fixed?
The answer depends on where you are playing roulette. There are fraudulent, bad, and shady casinos that rig or fix their roulette tables in order to fleece you of your money. It is easy to spot these rogue gambling sites if you read unbiased online casino reviews. Lack of gambling license, vague terms & conditions, and limited information on the website are some common signs you should be looking out for.
If you’re playing at legit casinos, we can say unequivocally that their roulette tables are not fixed. These gambling sites are typically licensed and regulated by highly authentic regulators like MGA, UKGC, and Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC). Their casino gaming products, including roulette games, are typically audited and tested by trusted third-party testing agencies like TST, eCOGRA, and NMi for fair play and transparency.
We must reiterate that most online and land-based casinos do not fix their online roulette games.
They do not need to because roulette games give the casino a mathematical advantage over the player. This advantage built into the roulette game is called the house edge, often ranging from 1.35% to 5.26%, depending on the variant.
Bad Luck When You Play Roulette vs. Fixing
A bad run of losses is typical when playing roulette. In reality, most players can sometimes confuse bad luck or a losing streak with the possibility that a roulette table is fixed. After all, roulette is a game of chance, where luck plays a significant role.
We believe that players can still lose when playing roulette at licensed casinos. The outcomes of roulette games are entirely random. You have an equal chance of winning or losing each spin if you place a bet on the same number over and over again.
Defining a Fixed or Rigged Roulette Table
Perhaps it would help shed some light if we understand what a rigged roulette means. In casino lingo, a rigged online roulette game is one that is fixed so that the outcome is deliberately manipulated to benefit a specific party. In most cases, that party is the house.
When online roulette games are rigged, they are fixed so that the ball lands on a number that causes most players to lose money. A genuine roulette table should be 100% non-manipulated; anything short of that means the game is broken, fixed, or rigged.
A rigged roulette table can still maintain an element of randomness. In many cases, the “fix” that deliberately manipulates the roulette outcomes for the casino is called the house edge.
Understanding House Edge – The Legal “Fixing” of Roulette
You have probably heard the cliché saying that goes … “the house always wins.” The truth is that the house (aka casino) always wins in the long run because of the house edge. As players, we know what we are getting ourselves into when we play roulette.
Every casino game, including roulette, has a built-in house advantage which ensures that the casino always makes a profit over time. In other words, the house edge ensures that over an extended period of play, the Player Payback Percentage (also known as return-to-player percentage or RTP) is always lower than 100%.
The house edge is legal, and there is nothing wrong with it. This mathematical advantage is a commission or a cut the casinos take for allowing you to play roulette and potentially win some money.
If you think about it, the house edge is the only way casinos can legally “fix” their roulette tables. It is a price you must pay as a gambler.
If you play roulette online, the software developer (and not the casino) handles the house edge. This house advantage is incorporated into the gameplay and odds. The mechanics and gameplay features, including the house edge and the RTP, are verified and approved by the gambling regulator, such as UKGC or MGA. They validate the paytable of each roulette game and ensure that it continues to pay out the stated RTP over the long term.
The house edge is factored into the payout odds for landing on a particular number. The odds of payment are slightly lower than the actual probability of it landing. As you may already know, the European Roulette wheel has 37 numbers, yet the house pays a winning straight-up bet 35 to 1. Because the RTP comes from the game’s payout odds, it is tough for anyone to rig or fix the roulette table beyond the house edge.
Is live roulette actually live?
Resoundingly yes!
Live roulette games are actually being played and streamed live from an actual brick-and-mortar game studio somewhere in the world. They use physical roulette tables like the ones you’d find at a land-based casino. All genuine live roulette software providers employ human dealers and provide real-life human interactions.
The functioning of live roulette is 100% similar to that of dealers in a brick-and-mortar casino. They use real balls, wheels, and felt tables. The only difference is the betting grid, which allows players to place their bets virtually.
The live roulette room usually features a camera or a set of cameras that record and stream the action live in high definition from many angles.
As with regular casinos, the croupiers can be changed after a certain number of spins.
Most live gaming software providers have a state-of-the-art game studio with multiple live-dealer games being played simultaneously, often in different rooms or sections of the room. Some software firms can even run numerous game studios in different parts of the world.
For instance, Evolution Gaming – the undisputed leader in live dealer gaming – runs several game studios in many regions of the world, including Macau, Paris, London, Riga, Connecticut, Atlantic City, Malta, Vancouver, and Las Vegas.
Are roulette tables rigged online?
Again, the answer is yes and no.
Conversely, roulette tables are not rigged at legit online casinos. We are talking about licensed gambling sites that use trustworthy roulette software from reputable brands like NetEnt, Microgaming, Yggdrasil Gaming, Play’n Go, NextGen, Evolution, and Playtech.
As we have explained, all roulette tables have a built-in mathematical advantage in favor of the casino. But house edge is legal and generally not considered a form of online rigging.
Here are the top reasons why online roulette tables are difficult to rig at legit casino sites …
The Power of Random Number Generators
Random Number Generators (RNGs) are pieces of computer programs or algorithms that generate billions of random numbers in a split second. As the name suggests, these random numbers help to ensure the outcome of each spin is 100% random and independent of the results of the previous spins.
When you select Spin, the algorithm chooses one of the random numbers the RNG generated. That means each roulette number, whether zero, double zero, or anything from 1 through 37/38, has an equal probability of being selected as the outcome of each spin.
By randomizing the outcomes, RNGs make an online roulette game completely unpredictable and thus fair to everyone. More importantly, RNGs ensure that no one, including casino operators or game developers, knows the outcome of any given spin.
Clearly, that would make it exceedingly difficult for anyone to rig online roulette wheels or tables.
Third-Party Testing and Audits
Legit online casinos offer Provably Fair roulette games. These games use trustless technologies like Bitcoin and hashing to allow anyone, including players, to check game results for transparency and fair play.
It is important to note that online casinos don’t manage or control the RNGs. Most reputable online casinos often have their roulette RNGs tested, validated, and audited by independent 3rd-party agencies like TST and eCOGRA. Software developers like NetEnt and BetSoft programmed the algorithm to run autonomously.
Third-party testing labs do not work for casinos or software developers, so they have no conflict of interest. They are not incentivized to certify any roulette game to be fair unless it is indeed safe, secure, and fair for players.
Online Gambling Regulation and Licensing
We cannot deny that there are rogue online casinos that are most likely providing players with rigged roulette tables. These shady gambling sites are often unlicensed and unregulated, so they have no oversight.
Thankfully, legit online casinos are constantly under the oversight of the gambling regulators that license them. Regulatory bodies like MGA and UKGC are vested in making online roulette tables fair. If they find any signs of foul play on the casino side, they will revoke their gambling license and perhaps freeze their financial accounts.
These regulations ensure that online casinos are always toeing the line and do not rig their roulette tables.
It is hard to execute
Rigging a roulette table is hard to pull. With regulators always watching, complex software programming, RNGs, and a lack of perfect dealers, executing a complete fix of a table can be extremely difficult.
Potential Ways Rogue Casinos Can Fix Roulette Tables Online
On the other hand, shady gambling sites always look for ways to rig their games and skew the odds even further toward their advantage. They cannot simply pay an incorrect amount when a player lands a winning number.
Instead, they use specific techniques to rig online roulette tables…
Using highly skilled dealers
Some casino dealers are said to be so adept at their art that they can drop the ball in any specific number they like. It is not difficult to understand how that could work. If few or no wagers have been put on a particular number, casinos will profit the most from landing the ball on that number.
Under ideal conditions, expert dealers may repeatedly replicate the action and land the ball on a particular section.
However, there are still issues with the hypothesis that dealers can control the outcome by spinning the ball and the wheel in one specific way.
Using rigged roulette equipment
This is the most popular technique for rigging roulette tables and wheels at land-based casinos. Although barely any evidence supports this claim, players believe that roulette tables and when can be rigged using magnets and ball tripping. This way, the casino can influence where the ball will land and the spin’s outcome.
Using rigged or scripted online roulette software
Again, rogue online casinos are rarely regulated and can use adulterated roulette software. They can fix game odds, RTP, and house edge to ultimately favor the casino. For instance, the roulette software can be re-programmed to reduce the RTP to around 60% instead of 94.74% if it is American Roulette. That means players will lose an average of $40 instead of just $5.26 for every $100 wagered over an extended period.
Do roulette tables have sensors?
Yes – modern roulette tables have sensors beneath the wheelbase. They are usually connected to a concealed computer or microchip that collects and analyses data for diagnostics and reporting purposes. These sensors are not intended for ill purposes like rigging but to ensure the roulette system works as intended.
Can Live Roulette In An Online Casino Be Fixed?
Yes, live roulette in an online casino can be fixed if you’re playing at a rogue gambling site. They can use rigged or fake roulette software that gives the casino more edge than usual.