Roulette Royale is a standard European-style game of roulette, which, however, stands out from all the rest in one very important department – unlike the dozens or even hundreds of releases out there, it features a progressive jackpot. The game was created by Microgaming and is currently one of the most popular roulette versions in the portfolio of the Isle of Man-based game developer.
It comes with nice, crisp graphics and a convenient, single-screen layout that makes it extremely simple to play even to complete novices. Based on the traditional European type of roulette, Roulette Royale has 37 numbered pockets on the wheel. In contrast, American roulette is played with a 38-pocket wheel, which increases the house edge. In fact, the house edge is what players should be aware of before they start playing this particular game – the casino’s advantage, also known as house edge, jumps to 37% when the jackpot is reset. The other thing to remember is that the jackpot side bet is mandatory.
| Roulette Royale Summary | |
|---|---|
| Software Provider | Microgaming |
| RTP | 0%-37% |
| Min Bet | $1 |
| Max Bet | Varies |
| Number of Wheels | 1 |
| Number of Balls | 1 |
| Multiplayer | No |
| Jackpot | Progressive |
| Surrender | No |
| Jackpot | 100x bet |
Popular Bets and Payouts of Roulette Royale
As we have mentioned above, this game is based on the standard single-zero roulette variation, so all bets and payouts here are the same as in the other European-style versions of roulette by Microgaming. Of course, winning bets of red/black, odd/even, and high/low pay evenly (1:1), while column and dozen bets pay 2:1. The payouts for inside bets are also standard – line bets pay 5:1, square bets bring 8:1, and street bets pay 11:1. Winning splits pay 17:1 and the highest-paying bet is the straight bet on any single number – it pays 35:1.
Players can switch to the “Expert Mode”, which allows players to make the so-called neighbor bets. Of course, what makes Roulette Royale so popular among online casino players is its jackpot which can be won after placing chips on the jackpot side bet section of the betting layout. In reality, you could not miss placing the side bet because it is mandatory and a chip equal to at least the table minimum is placed automatically at the beginning of every round.
Specific Features of Roulette Royale
The side bet allows you to play for four different jackpots, the largest of which is progressive and typically seeds from $60,000, quickly rising to over $200,000. The jackpots are not hit randomly, however, as it often is with progressive jackpots in slots games. To win any of the jackpots in Roulette Royale, the same number needs to come up at least 2 times in a row.
Interestingly, the jackpots credited when the same number hits 2, 3, and 4 times in a row are fixed, paying 15x, 200x, and 3,000x the side bet size, respectively. Things get really interesting when the ball lands on the same number for the fifth time in a row and the player has placed a bet on this number. Then, the player wins the progressive jackpot.
It is important to remember that the progressive jackpot side bet is completely independent of any other bets made in the current round. It wins only when the same number comes up 5 times in a row and it loses in any other case. Due to this fact, the house edge varies significantly, depending on the size of the progressive jackpot. When it is at its initial size, the house edge has been calculated to skyrocket to the massive 37%. When the jackpot exceeds $760,000, however, the house edge becomes a positive expected value, i.e. it reaches 0%.
Verdict
Microgaming’s Roulette Royale is, as you can see, quite a simple, basic game of roulette that follows the European rules. As hitting the same number 5 times in a row is a true feat and highly unlikely, the side bet will lose most of the time. The chance to win the progressive jackpot is 1 in 1,874,161. This suggests only one thing – the game has a very high house edge and players can lose a lot of money while playing it. But it is exactly the huge risk that makes progressive jackpots so high and appealing, after all.