Guide to Roulette Cheats

Learn how to get an edge when playing roulette

If you’ve spent any time in a land-based casino, you only have to look towards the sky to see how much effort the house spends trying to stop cheaters in their tracks.

With hundreds, if not thousands, of cameras capturing every move plus security staff on the floor, even the most sharp-witted player should be deterred from cheating. Yet even players who have the nerve and inclination to cheat know that they’ll likely be caught.

Even players who aren’t caught in the act, could face criminal charges or find themselves banned from playing at a later date. Of course, laws and possible penalties don’t deter everyone. Keep reading as we examine cheating at online and offline roulette tables.

The Trouble with Cheating

Aside from obvious ethical considerations and the likelihood of getting caught, there’s no doubt that some people will be determined to cheat. Yet it’s important to understand that cheating is an offence under section 42 of the Gambling Act in the United Kingdom.

It’s also an offence to enable or assist cheaters. Interestingly enough, you can be charged with cheating whether or not you actually improve your chances of winning. That’s right! You don’t have to win to be charged under the Gambling Act.

The Gambling Act applies to all forms of gambling including roulette and covers virtual as well as conventional live games. If you are found guilty, you could face imprisonment of up to two years, a fine, or both.

If that’s not enough of a deterrent, most cheaters do ultimately get caught. While we certainly understand the appeal of trying to outwit the casino, it’s ultimately not worth it even if you think you can get away with it.

The Evolution of Cheating

Aside from the illegalities and possible penalties, cheating is fundamentally difficult in this day and age, even if you play at a live casino.

Historically, players who wanted to beat the casino would rely on mechanical forms of cheating. This could be as simple as gaining an advantage by observing physical flaws in the wheel and adjusting your bet accordingly. With the assistance of a sly croupier working on the inside, players have used carefully applied magnets to influence where the ball ultimately lands and padding to prevent balls from falling into certain pockets.

With the advent of computers and lasers, many players have attempted to identify biased wheels. In fact, there are smartphone apps that attempt to improve your odds. Just keep in mind that using a mobile at the table is prohibited, which means that even if this software does work, you’re effectively out of luck.

Of course, some players prefer old-fashioned styles of cheating like basic sleight of hand. Past posting, which involves placing late bets is highly illegal. As is pinching or the act of removing your losing bets from the table.

Cheating on the Internet

If you’re hoping to cheat online, it’s important to understand how the vast majority of internet roulette games work. Unlike live roulette games, which use a physical wheel and are dependent on the laws of physics, most roulette games on the internet are digital approximations of the real thing.

While your odds are the same in both formats, you are effectively playing a real money video game when you play online roulette. Online roulette and other casino games use RNGs or random number generators to ensure that every spin of the wheel, roll of the dice, or shuffle of the deck is completely random and mirrors the outcomes of a physical game.

As far as cheating goes, it’s impossible to foil RNGs in 2024. Even if you have advanced hacking or cracking skills, you wouldn’t be able to decipher the complicated RNGs used by today’s casinos.

Obviously, gambling sites are going to protect themselves and run all sorts of security checks to stop cheaters in their tracks. As you can probably guess, there’s an even greater paper trail when you play online. You’ll need to provide identification before cashing out for the first time, which only increases the likelihood of getting caught, charged, and penalised.

Gambling Regulations in the United Kingdom

While the Gambling Act does consider cheating to be a crime, it also protects you as a player. The UK Gambling Commission is responsible for issuing licences to online and land-based casinos, but they also have the power to levy fines and investigate illegal gambling.

As a player, you can count on the Gambling Commission to keep crime out of the casino industry and provide assurances that the games are fair.

Whether you play live or online, you’ll want to make sure that the casino is fully licenced and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission for your safety. Fortunately, all our featured casinos have a valid licence so you can play with peace of mind. Recent amendments to the Gambling Act now require offshore casinos to be licensed by the UK Gambling Commission if they want to legally serve British players.

Essential Online Roulette Tips to Help Improve Your Game

Although cheating is unethical and effectively impossible, there are other ways to improve your odds when playing online. Here are some valuable roulette tips that can put you in the best position to win.

  1. Choose the right game - Statistically speaking, you can improve your odds by choosing the roulette variant with the lowest house edge. That means always steering clear of American roulette tables.
    Ideally, you’ll want to choose French roulette, which has a low house edge of just 1.35% on even money bets. If French roulette isn’t available, then opt for European roulette, which has a reasonable 2.7% house edge on all bets.
  2. Take advantage of free games - If you’re new to roulette, it’s worth taking the time to learn the rules and get familiar with the gameplay.
    Fortunately, online casinos let you try nearly all varieties of roulette for free. Playing for free lets you get familiar with betting strategies and critical concepts like variance without the risk.
  3. Bankroll management - If you’re planning to take more than one spin, it’s important to make bets that are in line with your budget.
    Don’t forget that roulette is a game of chance and any outcome is possible on a given spin. By pacing yourself, you’ll be able to withstand losing streaks.
  4. Bonuses - One of the biggest benefits of playing online is the generosity of casinos. Many sites will welcome you with big sign up bonuses. When you claim all of the available perks, you can eliminate a considerable portion of the house edge.
  5. Use a betting strategy - Although virtually all betting strategies have a fundamental flaw, they are worth exploring. The truth is betting strategies will force you to bet with discipline.
    At the end of the day, placing measured bets is better than letting your emotions influence the way you bet. You can learn about positive and negative progression betting systems elsewhere on our site.