Tablet Roulette
If you want to play roulette while on the move or pack a device for gaming during a trip, a tablet is the best way to go. You get a much better screen and a lot more power than any phone can offer while still enjoying the same level of portability. You can also take advantage of some unique offers that are only available to players on mobile devices!
The Player's Guide to Tablet Roulette
This guide will cover the different types of tablets that most online casinos support. It will also describe some “play money” options where you can try betting systems at no risk or just for fun. You'll also learn about roulette pay tables and how to identify the best possible deals for your gaming dollar.
Which Kinds of Tablets Can You Play Real Money Roulette On?
There are lots of different hardware manufacturers that make tablets. Tablets are identified more by their operating system than the company that makes them. Three operating systems dominate the tablet space: Google's Android, Apple's iOS, and Microsoft's Windows. These are also the three tablet operating systems that are most widely supported by online casinos.
Apple's scheme is the easiest to understand because you'll only find iOS on their devices. The iPad is their tablet line; there have been many different models released including some forked branches like the Pro and Mini. However, you can expect just about every iPad model aside from the very first one (released in 2010) to be able to handle online roulette games.
Google and Microsoft license their mobile operating systems to a wide variety of hardware manufacturers, like Samsung and Lenovo. They also make their own lines of tablets. Google's main tablet line is the Nexus, and they also have the high-end Pixel C. Microsoft's main line of tablets are called Surface, and the high-end option, Surface Pro, is actually powerful enough to compete with some laptops.
Of these three mobile operating systems, Android is the most widely supported among the casino apps. However, you can expect any major casino to also support iOS as iPads are very popular. This also gives some Apple computer users a way to access their games.
Windows support on mobile devices is a little more unusual. Most online casinos orient their Windows app to the Windows Phone, but tablet users can usually make use of it as well. If you have one of the more powerful Windows tablets, like the Surface Pro, you can actually use the casino's Windows software made for desktops and laptops instead. You may need to hook up a mouse to the tablet to get full functionality when using the desktop software, but this does give you the full range of games and features in an easily portable package.
There are a few odd exceptions among these operating systems. For example, Amazon's Fire and Kindle series run a version of Android, but you may not be able to install casino apps on all of these devices.
Ways to Practice Roulette (or Play for Fun) on Your Tablet
Though roulette is a game of luck, a little practice can help. If you've never played before, you might want to get familiar with the way the game works and the different types of bets before you put any real money on the line. It's also a very good idea to try out betting systems in the safety of a “play money” space before you risk the family fortune on them!
Nearly all online casinos will let you play roulette just for fun. However, they'll usually require you to create an account first, which includes sending them your personal identity documents. Typically you don't have to make a deposit to play the free games, but you might be limited to a certain amount of tokens per day.
Another option is to get an offline app that focuses on roulette. The advantage of these apps is that you can play without being connected to the internet, and most of them don't limit you to a daily allotment of play money. Go to the app store for your operating system, search in the “games” section for “roulette,” and you'll find all sorts of different options.
Finally, check out social casinos. These casinos run through their own app or Facebook and let you play casino games (including roulette) just for fun. Some may even offer real prizes for your no-risk play.
What Should I Expect Roulette Tables to Pay?
The following payout amounts are considered standard at roulette tables:
- “Even Money” Outside Bets: 1-1
- Column Bets: 2-1
- Six-line Bets: 5-1
- First Five: 6-1
- Corner Bets: 8-1
- Street Bets: 11-1
- Split (Two Numbers): 17-1
- Single Number: 35-1
Any roulette table that pays less than these amounts is considered a “short pay” table. The house edge increases when payout amounts drop.
Interestingly, every bet in roulette has the same house edge. Naturally, you'll hit an even money bet more often than you will a single number, but over time that's offset by the payout amounts. The only bet on the table that has a worse house edge is the “first five.” The reason for this is that the payout amount is proportionally lower compared to the amount of numbers covered.
The house edge also doubles for every new slot added to the wheel. Traditional roulette has just one 0 added to the number set, and the house edge at one of these tables is 2.7% for most bets. This doubles when a 00 is added and doubles yet again when things like slots that trigger a bonus game are added.
Don't automatically assume that roulette with bonus games is a bad deal, however. If the bonus game is generous enough and doesn't require a large side bet to qualify for it, it's possible it might offset the disadvantage created by its added position on the wheel.
Tablets: The Best Way to Play Roulette on the Go
Overall, tablet apps let you enjoy full-featured roulette tables with excellent graphics. Often you can also interact with other players at the table, a feature sometimes see cut from phone games. If you enjoy having the ability to play roulette anywhere, using a tablet may very well be your best bet.