Comparing Video Roulette vs. Table Roulette – Key Differences, Pros and Cons, and More

Roulette has definitely withstood the test of time. First introduced in Parisian casinos in 1796, this game has enjoyed a prominent place on casino floors for centuries.

As with many other games, casinos are always looking for opportunities to expand their offerings and satisfy more customers. This is where video roulette comes in. Not only is it on par, or even better than the land-based game. But there are multiple different versions that you can play from the comfort of your own home.

Those advocating for the land-based version in the video roulette vs. table roulette debate might claim otherwise, but the former has more advantages in the modern age.

Today, I’m going to make some crucial table roulette vs. video roulette comparisons for players to consider. We’ll also break ground on the best places to find both as well as key factors behind how the two work.

Don’t ever be afraid to ask questions about any game before you play it.

That is advice that has served me well in the past, and probably will help you, too. So, if you come here with queries such as “Is it better to play roulette online or at a casino,” or “What are the best roulette numbers,” you’re in safe hands.

In this particular piece, we will be focusing on many video roulette vs. table roulette comparisons. But the first place to start is with the meat and potatoes: is video roulette better than table roulette?

Video roulette is much like video poker and slots in that it comes in cabinet form. This is fitting because the game’s solitude might appeal to the average slot enthusiast.

You’ll also see a chip denomination selector on the right side. This allows you to choose the size of chips that you wager.

Select the number or section of the table where you want to place your bets. If you’ve chosen a small denomination like $1 or $2, you repeatedly hit the number/section to keep placing more chips on it.

This is essentially like putting chips on a regular roulette table. But the difference is that you need to repeatedly tap the spot because you can’t just grab a stack of chips like in a regular game.

Choose the spin button when you’re happy with your betting selections. The ball and wheel will begin spinning on the top screen.

You can see the results of the spin when the wheel comes to a halt. If you win your wager, the amount will be added to your credits on the right-hand side.

You’ll have the option to use the same bet again or clear the table and place new chips for the next round.

Other than the physical acts of placing real chips down and interacting with the felt, it’s a pretty similar process.

Yes, there are key things to understand, but I’ll be explaining those as we go along. For now, be comfortable in the mindset that there isn’t a great deal here that should startle you.

But if you’re new to the game, I’d recommend reading the following guide, regardless of which variant you settle on!

One major video roulette vs. table roulette comparison starts with the hardware. Or depending on where you are coming from, the lack thereof.

A key distinction that goes over many heads is the phrasing. Video roulette is not exclusive to online sites. The game can be found at casinos and is usually comprised of a physical cabinet, a wheel inside a dome, and around six player stations.

Here’s how things work.

• No dealer is present.
• Money slots are located on the lower side of each station.
• All players have a touchscreen for placing bets.
• Those wagers are placed on the same wheel.
• Players use their screens to adjust chips.
• A timer determines each round.
• The ball is shot onto the wheel by an air tube.
• Random Number Generator software determines the result.
• Credits paid to the player for wins.

When you’re ready to cash out, hit the appropriate option on your screen.

You don’t have to participate in each round, either. In this sense, table roulette vs. video roulette is similar. In essence, it’s the same game but without a dealer.

If you’ve ever engaged in the online roulette vs. table roulette debate, this version might have popped up.

In short, rapid roulette combines elements of video and electronic roulette. Everybody has their own machine and video screen that they can use to place wagers, and the process is pretty samey.

A portion of players might refer to all these games interchangeably. There are some pros and cons of the video variant that overlap with both rapid and electronic roulette, which I will discuss as we go along.

Video roulette has some differences from the rapid and electronic versions, however. And there is an argument that these are advantageous to the player.

If this was a fight, who would you have in the video roulette vs. table roulette battle?

There is no shame in saying that you’d be happy to hold out for more information. I mean, we have yet to scratch the surface.

One of the key winners in the table roulette vs. video roulette argument is that the former feels… nicer. Those who enjoy touching felt and having a dealer oversee proceedings might feel that way. Then again, others won’t.

This is also something often mentioned when comparing casino roulette vs. online roulette.

It takes a certain kind of person to play table games.

Table game players probably enjoy the social aspect of casino gaming more than those who prefer their own company. There are plenty of other gamblers who prefer placing their bets in solitude. And this is the crowd that video roulette appeals to.

You don’t have to interact with anybody when you sit down at a video roulette machine. All you need to do is insert your funds and start playing.

This is a common problem in table roulette as everybody is placing their wagers on the same board in a short time frame.

Video roulette is more relaxed because it’s just you and the machine.  You can take your time and really think about your bets without being pressured.

Casinos can be intimidating for some. Especially beginners who are conscious of making the “wrong moves.”

In this sense, there is a clear winner when making a table roulette vs. video roulette comparison. The latter allows a level of anonymity that playing at a regular table does not. It’s more private, much quieter, and no one is looking at what you are doing.

Well, at least they shouldn’t be.

Furthermore, you don’t need to feel pressured into listening to others’ advice. Or tipping the dealer if you land a big win.

You don’t have to worry about making any casino faux pas with video roulette. The machine handles pretty much everything other than choosing your chip denomination and placing your bets.

Video roulette makes for a great bridge if you’re interested in playing on regular tables. You can use the video version to learn different types of roulette bets and where to place your chips.

As you become comfortable with betting on the video roulette board, you’ll have no problem taking the plunge on a real table.

This is also a good way to develop any betting systems or other strategies that you’re interested in. You can use the same techniques when you start playing table roulette.

In some versions of video roulette, you can choose when spins happen and how long you take in between rounds to wager.

The chances of doing this on a busy night in Vegas are slim, sure. Still, compared to table roulette, it is much better; the dealer only gives players a certain amount of time to place bets on that variant.

It’s part of the dealer’s job to keep the game moving at a reasonable pace. After all, the casino makes more profits when there are more spins per hour.

Experienced roulette players normally don’t have much trouble making their bets in time. But things get hectic when there are several players on the table, each reaching across the board to place their wagers.

This brings me to another point in that you can actually reach across the roulette board without any effort on a machine.

Regular tables, in contrast, don’t give players on the end access to the full board.

Most roulette tables offer an electronic board that shows the last 10 or 20 winning numbers.

This is nice for players who like betting based on trends, where they use past results to determine their next wager.

Some video roulette machines take this even further, though, by offering more statistics.

One example includes the recent percentage of winning bets on red/black, high/low, or odd/even. Another is hot and cold numbers over a certain range of results, such as the last 50 or 100 spins.

You won’t find these stats on every video roulette machine. But they are fun to reference when available.

I don’t personally use past results to determine my next bet because this doesn’t change the house edge. But again, some players enjoy trend betting and the extra stats that come with video machines.

I’ve mentioned it before and I’ll mention it again. No tips!

No casino rule forces you to tip table game dealers. But this is considered good etiquette because dealers rely on tips for a portion of their salary. And I must say I am a believer in tipping where it is warranted.

This allows dealers to make an extra $30 or so depending on how many players are at the table each hour.

I don’t mind tipping the dealer if I’m going to play table roulette. But sometimes it’s nice to save the extra $5 per hour by playing the video variant.

All low-stakes players can appreciate the fact that video roulette has lower minimum bets.

The average video machine only requires you to play anywhere from $1 to $3 dollars per wager. Compare this to table roulette, where you’re often required to bet a minimum of $5 or $25 per round.

This is more than some roulette players are comfortable betting on each turn. But you can stretch a small bankroll further on a video machine.

The same applies online. In fact, it’s much easier to play online roulette with smaller bets as there are games designed exactly for this purpose.

I spent a lot of time comparing video roulette and regular roulette in my earlier years.

For the most part, both of them appeal to me. It just depends on where I am and how sociable I feel. If I am with friends, I might visit a land-based casino. I’m far less likely to play roulette at a house party, however.

Video roulette has several advantages that players may overlook on their way to the table. But the video version also has its downsides. Otherwise, casinos would just replace all their tables with machines.

I don’t see as many drawbacks to video roulette as advantages. But the following cons will make you think twice before jumping on a roulette machine.

The biggest downside to video roulette is that it completely removes the social aspect from the equation.

Earlier, I discussed how some players want to play casino games in solitude, especially when they feel intimidated by the rules and etiquette. But most roulette players want the social aspect, which is why they choose this game in the first place.

Sure, you can talk to the player to your left or right. But you’ll find that most machine players like to be left alone.

Many players will question why they’re even in the casino if they’re only going to play video roulette. After all, you can simply play on your smartphone if you’re happy with a simulated roulette experience.

The casino still offers some sense of atmosphere for video roulette players. But not everybody will find the atmosphere enough when considering that video roulette is an otherwise solitary activity.

On one side, video roulette machines give you the chance to control the game speed.

The drawback is that most players will find themselves playing far more spins than they would on a regular table. When playing online, you have complete control over how a video roulette machine plays. But a turn only lasts seconds, meaning you’ll have lots of idle time if you space your play out.

Nobody sits down at a video machine to wait 10-20 seconds after their turn is finished. This means that you’ll either play faster or sit around after every spin.

The only bright side is that your losses will still be less than at a normal table. Here’s an example of theoretical losses on a table.

When compared with a video roulette machine, things can differ.

As with the example above, we’re looking to establish the losses that could occur. But let’s take the stake down in accordance with the limits.

In this scenario, you’re losing over three times the amount with the table version. That’s even though you’re only playing a third of the spins.

If that’s not food for thought, you must not be hungry.

One fun thing about table roulette is that you get a closer look at the dealer spinning the ball and wheel.

You also watch in anticipation as the ball bounces around and eventually falls into a pocket.

Video roulette affords you a similar experience because you can watch the ball and wheel on the top screen. But watching computer-generated software spin a fake wheel and ball just isn’t the same thing.

Some players also don’t like how a random number generator (RNG) is determining whether they win or lose.

But rather than the wheel physically determining where the ball goes, you’re at the mercy of a computer program deciding this fate.

It doesn’t matter if you play at a table or machine in the long term; the odds are the same. But many gamblers enjoy the fact that they can physically see roulette results play out on a real table.

European roulette has a 2.70% house edge, while French roulette is even better at 1.35% when placing certain bets.

Is video roulette harder than table roulette on the wallet? It might be. Especially if you are restricted to playing at land-based casinos.

Both versions above are better than American roulette, which offers a 5.26% house edge. So, always play European or French roulette if they’re available because they give you a better chance to win.

You might think that land-based casinos would offer more French and European video roulette machines to players, given that they’re saving so much money on dealer salaries.

Unfortunately, this is not the case.  I rarely find the top two roulette versions on a video machine.

Instead, most video roulette games feature the American wheel. This means that you will miss out on a lower house edge if you are playing inside the casino instead of online, for example.

You can at least find a few European video roulette machines in US casinos. But these are too far and few in between for my tastes.

If you’d like a more thorough breakdown in the comparison of both games, check this next piece out. Otherwise, let’s move on to my closing argument!

Now we have covered the key points in this table roulette vs. video roulette comparison, it’s time to announce a winner.

I’m gonna save you an essay and simply point to video roulette. In my opinion, it gives the player far more advantages than they would benefit from if they played at the table. Especially when they are partaking in online games.

The more social player might be concerned with sociability when comparing video roulette vs. table roulette.

Furthermore, the video roulette games at the best online casinos do that for you.

These games come with real dealers, interaction, and just about everything else of importance. I’d suggest trying out the best variants if you’re ready to make the leap from the table to playing inside your own four walls!

That’s my video roulette vs. table roulette debate settled.