Roulette is a casino game in which you bet on the outcome of a spinning wheel. The game is based entirely on chance and there are a variety of bets you can make, including on individual numbers, various groupings of numbers, red or black, odd or even, high or low. There are also a few variations of the game, including American roulette, which has an additional green pocket for 00 and a lower payout on straight bets.

To play roulette, start by establishing the size of your betting unit based on your bankroll. Then bet on the number slots you prefer. You can also bet on groups of numbers, known as “outside bets” because they have a lower house edge.

Once you have placed your bets, the croupier (that’s what they call dealers in roulette) will spin the wheel and then throw a ball into it. Then players watch as the ball bounces around the wheel until it lands in one of the marked pockets on the table. If you made a bet on that number, you’ve won!

A 0 or 00 on the wheel lowers the payout for a straight bet, but not all casinos use these. Some even have a second green zero, which lowers the house edge to 1.5%. Also, some European wheels have symmetries, with all the low red and black numbers on one side of the wheel, and all the high numbers in the same area. These symmetries are not as common on American wheels.

Before playing roulette, set a budget and choose a table that fits within it. Each table will have a placard describing the minimum and maximum bets allowed. Some tables will have different minimums for inside and outside bets, while others have higher maximums for inside bets because they offer a better payout.

During each round, the dealer will clear losing bets and pay out winners. Then the wheel will spin and the winning number will be determined in a matter of seconds. If you win a round, don’t dip into your winnings to make new bets. This will lead to an unhealthy level of risk-taking and you’ll be tempted to try to outwit your opponents by following their bets or doing the opposite of what they’re doing.

When you’re ready to play roulette, select a table that offers the type of bets you want to make and purchase chips from the dealer. Each player gets a different color of chip so that the dealer can identify them easily. The dealer will ask you how much money you want to assign to each chip, and you’ll then place them on the appropriate section of the roulette table. Then press the spin button, located in the bottom right corner of the game screen. The winnings will be determined in a few seconds and the chips will automatically be transferred to your account. You can then continue betting with your predetermined budget.