Many websites and companies will offer free bets and other incentives to encourage players to sign up to their website with the theory that once you are in, you will stay and play.

Free bets are a good incentive; many people sign up to sites that offer to double the initial stake that is placed, which looks like free money, and as it is often advertised as a new players only bonus the temptation to deposit more than originally intended to get more free funds is very tempting.  However, it is important to remember that there will be conditions attached to this free money, usually that players have to play through it all before it can be withdrawn.  This means that all of the bonus money must be staked, usually more than once, and then won before it can be withdrawn from the site, and the rules will also state that the actual deposited cash is played through first before the bonus funds meaning that a lot of gambling will have to be done before any winnings can be taken out.

Free bets are a good incentive, and as long as players make the most of them and are careful to read the small print before depositing any money they can provide a lot of fun.  Free bets may only apply to certain games on a site; usually games that are completely random such as slot machines or bingo to avoid skilful players benefiting too much; this will be clear in the detailed conditions.

While some may say that roulette is an ancient game of Roman and Greek origin involving arrows shot into wheel gaps and marked shields spun on the ground, others may say that it derived from Chinese torture.  However, “Roulette” is the French name meaning “small wheel” given to the game played by Italians called Hoka and the English called Even-Odd.

It is recorded that a French scientist, Blaise Pascal, coined the term “Roulette” as a description of perpetual motion devices during the mid-1600s.  During the 1800s, the Americans developed the game favouring house odds.  American and European style roulette developed and the first game of roulette is said to have been played in 1842 in Paris at a casino founded by Francois and Luis Blanc.  The sum of the Blanc’s roulette wheel added up to 666; therefore legend has it that they sold their souls to the devil to have the secrets of roulette.

Computer-predicted roulette and automation of the game started in the mid-1990s with the work of Edward Thorp and Claude Shannon at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).  By the late 1900s, casinos in Las Vegas and Spain trial roulette computer-based prototypes and during 2004 scientists prove that roulette outcomes may be accurately predicted by computer.

Today roulette is available in entertaining casino environments or in virtual settings online.  Whether for luck or calculated gain, players choose to play double-zero American or single-zero European roulette with differences in house edge, slots, colour, and symbol.

What has got 38 numbered pockets, alternately coloured black and red? If you are thinking of a clown’s trousers, you are wrong: it is roulette, quite possibly the most exciting casino game in the world. And visitors to top online sites such as 888 Casino, Bet 365 Casino and Mansion Casino will find the virtual roulette room one of the most frequented of them all.

Players bet on a particular number or one colour over another, or a combination of numbers, or a range of numbers. If a player wins on a particular number, he or she will win 36 times the value of the ticket for the game.

Do a little research before giving online roulette a go. Fast-playing tables are usually not the best choice for beginners, so avoid tables where a large number of spins are required before placing bets. Choose an online casino which lets you turn the software’s animation on or off, or you could end up gawping vacantly at an endlessly spinning virtual wheel until you go into a stupor. You should definitely be permitted by the software to spin the wheel without placing a bet.

Be aware that American roulette wheels have an extra number, which means that novice players might be best advised to stick with European tables because the odds are better. The rules governing European roulette are also a little more attractive. The En Prison rule, for instance, enables a player to surrender half of his or her outside wagers or hold on to them until the next. This is more significant than it sounds and can lower the house edge to 1.352 – much, much better than the standard American edge of 5.26.

Online roulette may not have the opulence and glamour of a land-based casino, but it does protect the player from the somewhat devious distractions that accompany some bricks and mortar roulette rooms.

Play all the card games you would play in a traditional casino, online at any time of the day or night and all in the comfort and safety of your own front room. Choose from blackjack, poker, whist, canasta, bridge and more. If there is any game you have always wanted to learn, take the opportunity to download the rules and start playing the free games on offer at most of the online casinos. Playing for free, allows you to develop your skills before turning yourself loose on a real money game. Many people are turning to online casinos for the wide range of card games available – many more than are commonly in play in a traditional casino. Online casinos have fewer overheads than their bricks and mortar equivalents, and they can afford to pass these savings on to their players in the form of bigger and better jackpots and progressive prizes. Online casinos really do offer the chance to win seriously life-changing amounts of money, playing your card game of choice. Be assured that all UK regulated online casinos adopt a fair play policy and employ secure download systems, and all data is treated with the utmost privacy. Join other online card players now, for a professional and thrilling gaming experience.

We may wonder why some people enjoy playing games and others do not.  While casino games may be attractive to one person, they may not be of interest to another.

Theorists look at what motivates people to play games, such as casino games of bingo, poker, blackjack, and roulette.  Two theories that contribute to why people want to learn how to play casino games and follow the rules are cognitive and arousal theories.

Some theorists purport that cognitively, players enjoy reasoning and devising winning formulas based on mathematical principles of logic.  Those driven to win through reasoning may be more likely to play frequently to test their formulas, improve their skills, and challenge the house to win.  Others may enjoy the challenge of winning and making money.

In contrast, theorists supporting arousal theory may say that people who choose to play casino games regularly are those who enjoy the excitement of the game and the thrill of casino life. Their motivation is the sense of excitement they feel throughout the game play and involvement in casino culture.