Lightning Roulette

N. Nazifova (editor)

The renowned Evolution Gaming unveiled Lightning Roulette at the ICE 2018 gaming exposition, and the variation quickly became one of the studio’s most successful releases to date. The game won in the category Product Innovation of the Year at the Global Gaming Awards and went on to become Game of the Year at the 2018 EGR Awards.

This visually impressive release is a blend between live roulette and a randomly generated game. It makes for a unique betting experience thanks to its electrifying gaming interface and stylish art-deco studio surroundings. But Lightning Roulette has more to offer than a sophisticated atmosphere and visual appeal.

All the familiar features of standard live roulette tables are here, from the dealer and the wheel to the full range of inside, outside, and call bets. However, Lightning Roulette offers a curious twist that further adds to players’ excitement. The game gives you additional opportunities to win on each wheel spin with the help of randomly generated lucky numbers.

Also featured are enhanced lucky payouts, with multipliers ranging from 50x to 500x. Players will benefit from the usual set of cool features inherent to Evolution Gaming’s live tables, including comprehensive statistics, user-friendly settings menus, and an intuitive interface. Let’s examine this electrifying live roulette variation closely to see how it plays and what it has to offer in terms of features and betting options.

Live Dealer Lightning Roulette Gameplay


 

The Studio Environment

The Studio EnvironmentThe live action in Lightning Roulette takes place in a studio that boasts sophisticated show-style surroundings, dominated by black and gold colors. Front and center, we have the roulette wheel which uses a special mechanism that automatically releases the ball. There is an oversized screen behind it that virtually replicates the roulette table layout, with numbers zero through 36.

Also featured are special lightning effects that give the game a unique electrifying twist. The live host controls the video screen by pulling a special lever that randomly selects the lucky numbers and lucky payouts. The presence of the host greatly improves one’s playing experience, making it more engaging and interactive.

The Rules and Gameplay

1Overview

Lightning Roulette is an enhanced version of European Roulette as it plays on a standard single-zero wheel with 36 alternating black and red numbers along with a green zero pocket. Players’ objective is to correctly predict which number the ball will land on. An unlimited number of players can join the action and post bets concurrently.

2The software picks one to five lucky numbers at random

The software gives you around 16 seconds to place your wager. If the betting time expires, you will have to wait until the next round. Once the betting window closes, the game host will pull the lever and the software will randomly select one or more lucky numbers with lucky payout multipliers attached to them.

3Winning straight bets covered by lucky numbers have their payouts boosted with multipliers of 50x, 100x, 200x, 300x, 400x, or 500x

The ball will eventually settle in one of the 37 numbered pockets to produce the winning number. You win provided that you have covered the winning outcome with a bet. The random lucky payout multipliers apply to straight bets only.

The lucky numbers and their corresponding multipliers are highlighted on the betting layout so that players can never miss them. The host will then congratulate the lucky winners and the software will apply the multiplier to the payouts.


Available Betting Options

Players who join the live action in Lightning Roulette face a wild variety of bet types, which largely coincide with those in standard single-zero roulette. Some cover individual numbers, while others comprise specific number groups.

Inside Bets
Outside Bets
Call Bets
Neighbor Bets

Lightning Roulette Interface and Features

interfaceEvolution Gaming once again delivers an expertly rendered live dealer release that combines elements of game shows and the classic chance game. The interface makes it easy to place bets and keep track of all the action. The software displays the usernames of all winners on the last spin along with the amounts they have pocketed, which further incentivizes you to join them with a real-money bet.

The available bets and their corresponding payouts pop up when you hover your mouse cursor over the table limits in the upper left corner. You also have the option to pin the list of wagers to your screen so that the payouts and the bet limits are visible at all times. Different chip denominations are available to suit the needs of all bettors.

Speaking of table limits, these vary based on bet type. Some Evolution Gaming casinos allow you to wager as little as $0.20 per spin. The ceiling on even-money bets reaches $20,000 per spin, sometimes even more, depending on where you play. Let’s have a closer look at the key features of Lightning Roulette.

Settings Menu
Autoplay
Switch View
Statistics
Favourite Bets
Player Chat
Responsible Gambling

The House Edge in Lightning Roulette

House Edge in Lightning RouletteOne obvious issue with Lightning Roulette stems from the payout reduction on winning straight bets. If your chosen number hits but is not “struck” by lightning for a payout multiplier, the winning straight bet will pay at reduced odds of 29 to 1 rather than the standard 35 to 1. You get 30 units in total since they also return your original stake.

The reduction is how the lightning-boosted payouts are funded. Needless to say, this affects the house edge on straight bets in Lightning Roulette, increasing it from the usual 2.70% to 2.90%. All other inside and outside wagers carry the standard 2.70% casino advantage.

The question arises how often do lucky payout multipliers come in and whether they can compensate for the shorter casino odds on straight bets. Answering these questions with absolute certainty is no easy task as one needs a very large sample size that involves hundreds of thousands of trials.

We recommend looking at the statistics panel that displays the lucky numbers that have hit during the last 500 rounds of play. It also shows you the multipliers attached to the lucky numbers. This might give you some idea about how often the multipliers occur over the short term.

Is Lightning Roulette Fair?

Is Lightning Roulette FairMany live casino fans find Lightning Roulette intimidating because it involves elements of random number generation. Some people question the fairness of the wheel, while others are skeptical about the randomness of the multipliers produced by the RNG software. Let’s address the wheel issue first.

The Evolution Gaming roulette wheels undergo regular maintenance and checks for biases to ensure they comply with all regulatory requirements and guidelines for fairness. If any wheel shows a bias toward specific numbers, it is immediately replaced with a new balanced one.

The live hosts in Lightning Roulette have no active part in the wheel spinning process.

Furthermore, Lightning Roulette plays with a sealed automatic wheel that uses air jets to propel the ball around the ball track. The live presenters take no active part in the wheel spinning process and this makes it impossible for them to manipulate the results in some way.

Lightning Roulette is certified for fairness by eCOGRA.

Now, let’s address the question regarding the fairness of the game’s random number generation engine. Evolution Gaming has obtained a fairness certificate from the internationally acclaimed testing agency eCOGRA. The company succeeded in passing the certification audit for its live casino products back in 2010.

In doing so, it became the first live dealer platform to receive the testing agency’s Certified Live Dealer Seal. Like all other live games from the Evolution suite, Lightning Roulette undergoes regular tests by the independent agency to ensure all outcomes, lucky numbers and multipliers included, are completely arbitrary and fair.

Evolution maintains a ledger with results history and retains video recordings of all gaming sessions.

The software company maintains a full history of results so that the testing agency can check at any time whether or not the lucky numbers are truly random. Additionally, eCOGRA’s audit process includes other vital aspects like the dealers’ training, collusion controls, the safety of players’ sensitive data, and the personnel’s access to sensitive areas.

Evolution carries licenses from the UK, Malta, Alderney, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and more.

On top of that, Evolution Gaming bears the seal of approval of several major licensing authorities like the UK Gambling Commission, the Malta Gaming Authority, and the Alderney Gambling Control Commission. The company has also received legal permission to offer Lightning Roulette in major local markets like Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Belgium, Romania, British Columbia, and Italy.

Recommended Online Casinos with Lightning Roulette

A good many online casinos rely on Evolution Gaming for their live dealer suites so picking a website where you can play Lightning Roulette is no easy task. Most, if not all, Evolution-powered casinos offer the game, but we consider the six picks below the best places where you can try this innovative roulette variation.

PlayOJO
Videoslots
King Billy Casino
Casino Joy
Skol Casino
888casino

Ask a Question. Get an Answer.

Have a question about this topic? Ask an expert at info@supercasinosites.com

Find the answers of questions people asked so far:

Dan Harold

I am afraid the increased house edge of Lightning Roulette is not worth the risk of playing for the high multipliers. Should I stick to regular Live Roulette versions?

Asked by: Harold | Asked on: 2023-06-01
Answered by: Dan | Answered on: 2023-06-01

It is true that due to the chance to land a multiplier of up to 500x your bet, the house edge on straight bets is increased to 2.90%. That said, the rest of the bets in Lightning Roulette carry the standard roulette house advantage of 2.70%. We can most definitely say that Lightning Roulette is not the best option for you if you do not enjoy riskier gameplay. However, thanks to the random multipliers, players have the chance to enjoy payouts that are much higher than the regular win granted on straight bets. If you are willing to take the risk, we believe you can definitely enjoy the gaming experience that Lightning Roulette is offering. However, if you are keener on playing with the standard 2.70% house edge, we recommend sticking to other Live Roulette variations.

Dan Sarah

I saw a game called XXXtreme Lightning Roulette in Evolution’s Live Casino lobby. Are there any similarities with Lightning Roulette or is it a completely different game?

Asked by: Sarah | Asked on: 2023-06-06
Answered by: Dan | Answered on: 2023-06-07

The two roulette versions by Evolution are almost identical, offering a somewhat similar gaming experience. Excluding the Straight Up bet, the RTP on the rest of the bets in Lightning Roulette and XXXtreme Lightning Roulette is 97.3%. Meanwhile, thanks to the multipliers that can be applied to Straight Up bets, the RTP of this bet in both variations of roulette is 97.1%. The main difference between the two live-dealer roulette games is in the volatility. In XXXtreme Lightning Roulette, you will play with significantly higher volatility, which can be appreciated mainly by high-rollers. Having the opportunity to win up to a 2,000x multiplier, XXXtreme Lightning Roulette has the potential to be very rewarding with lucky players. However, those who prefer to play with a lower variance will most likely choose Lightning Roulette over the newer version of the special roulette game.

Dan Marcia

Is there a specific strategy I can use when I play Lightning Roulette?

Asked by: Marcia | Asked on: 2023-11-27
Answered by: Dan | Answered on: 2023-11-28

Lightning Roulette is played in a similar way as any other variation of European roulette. You have the standard roulette betting layout, with typical inside and outside bets. The only difference is that you will have reduced payouts on standard bets and extremely increased payouts on random numbers thanks to the game’s multipliers.

Some roulette expert players believe that typical betting systems like Martingale or Fibonacci will not turn out to be very successful when you play Lightning Roulette. The reason for that is that these systems may be more useful when players resort to even money bets. However, in Lightning Roulette, the multiplier is won only if you have made a straight-up bet on the lucky number. That is why a more successful strategy will be one that allows you to cover whole numbers only. Such bets may include covering one or a few sections on the wheel, selecting random numbers on the wheel, placing bets on numbers in the same column, placing bets on numbers of the same color, or covering all odd/even numbers. Keep in mind that these bets must be placed as separate straight-up bets and not as your typical outside bets. Opting for this type of play can increase your chances of winning a straight-up bet with a major multiplier.