Is Roulette Rigged?

No, not in regulated and licensed casinos. That is if you are playing at a government sanction casino, such as those in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. At least the game of roulette is not rigged in the way most players think they do. The licensed casinos have a lot of standards to adhere to, including, 

• A strict set of gaming controls provided by regulators in their jurisdictions
• Undergo independent third-party testing agencies to audit, validate, and certify their roulette games.
• Use RNGs and advanced encryption techniques. 

If they do not adhere to these strict regulations, casinos risk losing their gambling licenses and getting banned, not to mention losing their money to the government. The players also have to stick to a good strategy to win the roulette game.

However, some shady or fake casinos use illegal techniques to siphon as much money off players as possible. 

How is Roulette Rigged?

Here are the most common methods that casinos and players have tried to use to rig the devil’s wheel:

Past Posting

It involves a player or a group of players attempting to add high-value chips to the betting grid after the ball has landed on a pocket. The dealer may not notice or ignore the discrepancy if they collude with the cheaters.

It might seem to cheaters like an easy way to win “free money,” but it is a serious offense if they get caught. Cheaters can be escorted out of the casino floor, detained, or even arrested and charged in a court of law.

Top Hatting

In this technique, the croupier will pay out more chips on the winning bet so that their player partner can collect the ill-gotten proceeds.

Of course, pulling off a top hatting job can be extremely difficult nowadays. Many security cameras and personnel handle the casino floor. Plus, no dealer wants to risk jailing and losing their job because of top hatting.

Use of Magnets to Manipulate the Roulette Wheel

The most common technique for rigging physical roulette wheels in live dealer studios or brick-and-mortar casinos is using manipulated equipment. However, this is only seen in shady gambling establishments that are not regulated or licensed.

In states like Nevada and New Jersey, gaming control officers carefully inspect roulette equipment, dealers, and players.

Ball Tripping

Here, the dealer uses various ways to display the ball from the wheel track. The ball’s journey down the funnels can also be diverted so it lands in a particular pocket.

Many other ridiculous accusations are leveled against live roulette game providers. While it might be true that some rogue providers fix their tables, 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?

Rigged Roulette Equipment

Many different methods can be used to rig the roulette equipment’s hardware or software. A rogue casino can use a scripted online roulette wheel. These online roulette games are programmed to give an added edge to the casino.

There is a massive difference between faulty and rigged roulette equipment. If the casino’s roulette has a minor fault due to wear and tear from constant use, it might be biased towards some pockets. However, that may not benefit the casino.

Understanding the differences between roulette variants can also impact your gameplay experience. Learn more about whether American or European Roulette is better and why European Roulette often edges out due to its lower house edge and better odds.

If you typically bet on a specific section of the wheel, you may unknowingly benefit if that bias results in more wins in that section. Advantage players can also spot faulty roulette wheels and improve their winning chances.

Manipulated Roulette Software

Roulette can also be rigged via software scripting, manipulation, and hacking. This is usually the case at rogue gambling sites, where they run fake or scripted roulette games. It only takes a shady site to fake the roulette outcomes via software so that the player often loses large bets.

That is why live-dealer roulette games have exploded in popularity in recent years. It gives players the sense of playing roulette at an authentic land-based casino. Rogue game studios that run the live roulette games can still rig their wheels and tables just like at brick-and-mortar casinos.

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. The main aim of wheel braking is to manipulate the wheel head speed to ensure the ball drops to a particular pocket or within a specific section. It is the pure fixing of the roulette results.

Are Live Dealer Roulette Tables Fixed?

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.

So, if you want to play live roulette games that are not fixed, 

1. Sign up at a legitimate and proven online casino. 
2. Look for a valid license from a well-regarded and trusted regulatory body, such as the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) and the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC).
3. Check out their audits, banking methods, and user reviews. 

For example, Evolution Gaming and its subsidiary Ezugi are licensed and regulated by more than 25 respected regulatory bodies the world over.

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

Do Roulette Dealers Cheat?

There are two equally divergent opinions on this question. 

Roulette dealers rarely cheat because they have no reason to dupe players in favor of the casino. Like all casino games, roulette has a house edge of around 5.26% and has a slight ill effect on the players.

All casino environments, including areas around the roulette table and wheel, have multiple cameras watching every bit of action. Dealers found guilty of cheating in any way, including stealing chips, colluding with players, or tampering with the machine, will be arrested and potentially sent to prison.

On the other hand, circumstantial evidence shows that dealers can influence where the roulette ball lands. It is this way that they can cheat in favor of some players. Dealers can also cheat by allowing past posting, whereby the player is allowed to place bets on the winning number on the betting grid after the ball lands. They can also overpay chips or fail to collect losing chips.

So, Roulette dealers have little to no incentive to cheat for the casino. However, they can cheat on behalf of players with whom they collaborate so that they can share the profits outside the casino.

More on Roulette 

Is live roulette actually live?

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. 

Is roulette predetermined?

No, roulette is not predetermined. It’s a game of chance, where each spin of the wheel produces an independent, random result.

Can a roulette dealer hit a number?

No. A roulette dealer cannot hit an exact number unless the rotor is manipulated or the wheel is not random.

Do roulette tables have sensors?

Yes, roulette tables have sensors that discreetly connect to a remote computer on the wheelbase. They are used for various purposes, including generating wheel reports and diagnostics.