If you’ve spent any time looking around live casinos and real dealer games over the past few years, there’s a good chance you’ve spotted a few different twists on roulette, one of the all-time casino classics.
Traditional roulette games have seen a big boost in popularity thanks to many appearances in cult-classic action films, such as the James Bond franchise. However, there’s a new take on the classic game – Lightning Roulette – that’s been doing the rounds, too.
Lightning Roulette is a fast-paced, modern take on the age-old wheel-and-ball game, mostly notable for its lightning features, as the name suggests. However, it’s worth diving a little further into what the game entails and the main differences are between the classic title and the lightning upgrade.
So, let’s start with a quick recap of how roulette works at its most basic. Then, we’ll cover the details of the lightning version to prepare you for the live game!
Online Roulette | Quick Recap
Online roulette is played much the same way as you’d expect at a physical casino. That is, you’re presented with a wheel, a table and a series of chips. The aim of the game is to pick where you think the silver ball that is spinning in the roulette wheel will land at the end of the round.
You place your bets on the table, which breaks different groups and numbers into various odds. For example, if you think the ball is going to land in a red space, you’d place your chips on the red colour on the table, and you’d get pretty much even odds (barring the infamous green zero).
In traditional online roulette, the game spins the wheel, and the ball lands in one of 37 numbered pockets or buckets. These are numbered zero through 36. You can bet on groups of numbers you think the ball will land within, or you can even choose to bet on specific numbers at slightly longer odds.
Online roulette is a surprisingly quick game. It’s also pretty quick at live casinos, too! Let’s take a quick look at the live difference before we really dive into Lightning Roulette.
Live roulette
The difference between traditional online roulette and live casino roulette is that you’re playing with a real dealer, who spins the wheel and takes bets via video link. That means, instead of playing a computerised or programmed version of the game, the action takes place live in front of you. The dealer or croupier can’t see you, but they can see bets and interact with the crowd.
Live roulette is a welcome twist for many players, because it offers a little more depth to the traditional game. In some ways, it can feel as though you’re playing the game in a land-based casino.
Live casino games, such as real dealer roulette, have also grown popular thanks to mobile apps that allow you to access the live games on the go. There’s no need to sit at your laptop or desktop to take part!
Live casino lounges have given rise to alternative versions of roulette that give dealers and players space to get a little more creative – which is, of course, where Lightning Roulette comes into play.
Basics of Lightning Roulette
Lightning Roulette takes the basics of this table classic and adds an extended experience. Therefore, for any of you out there who feel classic roulette is over and done with all too quickly, Lightning Roulette is here to mix things up!
Although Lightning Roulette extends play slightly, it’s still pretty fast-paced. The game is popularised by Evolution Gaming, one of the market leaders in live casino gaming the world over. At TonyBet, we’re thrilled to host their Lightning Roulette streams – arguably the best in the market right now.
Lightning Roulette through Evolution Gaming throws in extra Lucky Numbers and Lucky Payouts, which add multipliers to traditional roulette wins. This means there’s a chance for players to increase their takeaway money if they’re lucky enough to win in the first place!
Once the dealer finishes taking bets for the basic game, Lightning Roulette then generates random Lucky Numbers and their payouts. This means up to five of the numbers on the wheel are designated as ‘Lucky’ during each spin.
Once numbers are made Lucky, multiplier prizes are added, too. In the Evolution game, these can range from 50x all the way up to 500x. If you place a bet on the table as normal, and a number you pick is transformed as Lucky, you claim a boosted prize. That, however, applies to straight-up bets.
Otherwise, you can expect a standard 29:1 odds on straight bets without multipliers. Beyond these Lucky boosters, it’s a pretty straightforward game of roulette!
Gameplay Differences Between Online Roulette and Lightning Roulette
For the most part, Lightning Roulette plays somewhat similarly to classic roulette. That means, based on the traditional setup of 37 numbers, you still have access to the same table bets and odds. The key difference is that there are extra prizes randomly generated for the luckiest players.
In fact, it’s possible to play an entire round of Lightning Roulette and never have the Lucky Numbers and multipliers affect the game at all! The Lucky Numbers come into play when at least one player places a bet on one of the highlighted numbers, and it converts. With up to five Lucky Numbers activated per round, the game can keep rolling over until a Lightning winner emerges.
This is where Evolution has upped the ante – Lightning Roulette is essentially a multiplayer game! You’re not playing cooperatively with other bettors, nor is the game any kind of competition, but, like other live casino games, several players can log in and play at the same table, at the same time.
This increases the odds of Lucky Numbers activating once the croupier has spun the wheel and called out the winning pocket or bucket.
Lightning Roulette starts much in the same way you’d expect the traditional game to. The croupier or host will ask players to finalise their bets, which you do through a virtual display. They can’t see your bets on the table (technology isn’t quite that advanced yet!), but the dealer can see who’s playing and can make announcements.
Once bets are accepted, the dealer spins the roulette wheel, and once it stops spinning and the ball lands in a pocket, they announce the winning number. They also announce the Lucky Numbers and the random multiplier that applies – and, if it’s the winning number, anyone who’s placed bets on it will get a boosted prize.
As you can see, it’s a twist that adds a little extra play to the classic table game. The odds and numbers available to bet on otherwise are just what you’d expect if you’ve played roulette before.
The live aspect of Lightning Roulette helps to keep people engaged, and Evolution’s hosts take the time to talk to people who are taking part. Again – they can’t see you, but they still put on a good show!
Should You Check Out Lightning Roulette?
If you’re already accustomed to traditional roulette, I really recommend you give the lightning twist a try, but, as always, play responsibly. The same rules apply – just be aware there’s an extra prize or two involved.
Evolution Gaming is one of the most capable and innovative casino game developers working in the industry. In particular, it’s really cornered the market when it comes to live games, and Lightning Roulette has emerged as its signature game.
That said, I’d advise you to take a little caution if you’re completely new to roulette, or if you’re new to live casino gaming, full stop. You might find the game a little confusing if you’re not already familiar with the bets and odds available!
Lightning Roulette is quick to pick up and get into at any time. But, as always, make sure you keep a robust cashout strategy, and make sure to get in touch with the TonyBet team if you need help managing your bankroll when playing live games. That’s not just for the first time, but every time!
On that note, be sure to explore TonyBet’s complete live casino lounge and games catalogue and see what the live gaming boom is all about!
