Roulette might be the most recognizable casino game in the world.

Spy movies like James Bond and other Hollywood films have for years wowed us with the seductive simplicity of playing this game of choosing red or black. And being perfectly honest, roulette online is one of the easiest games to jump into.

Unlike other games, here there’s no hand rankings. No card strategy. No bluffing. You pick a number or color, place your bet, and spin.

Sounds easy right. But the truth?

Betting on red because black has hit five times in a row? That’s not strategy. That’s wishful thinking dressed up as logic. And it’s exactly the kind of thinking that leads to mistakes, especially for newbies.

In this guide, we’re breaking down the most common and costly rookie mistakes players make when spinning online.

Looking For ‘Hot Numbers’ or Hot Streaks

You’ve seen it: red lands a couple of times in a row, and now you’re thinking, “Black’s gotta be next.”

This thinking is known as the Gambler’s Fallacy. Unfortunately for you, this is one of the fastest ways to burn through your bankroll.

In reality, each spin is independent of the last. The wheel doesn’t remember. Whether red hit once or 10 times, the odds don’t shift.

Playing American Roulette Instead of European

What’s the difference between American Roulette and European Roulette?

American roulette has 38 pockets (including both 0 and 00), while European roulette has 37 pockets (just a single 0). For you this means that you should consider the European one because the house nearly doubles the edge in American roulette.

For most new players, a roulette wheel is a roulette wheel. But regular players know the startling difference. Think of it this way:

If you play $10 per spin for 100 spins:

• On European roulette, your expected loss is about $27
• On American roulette, it jumps to $52.60

That’s double the loss—for the same bets, same play, same strategy.

And this compounds. If you play regularly, that difference can easily stack into hundreds or even thousands in long-term value lost.

Choosing a Strategy for an Illusion of a Guaranteed Win

Let’s talk strategy.

A strategy in roulette is any system or plan players use to increase their chances of walking away with a win. Some strategies are rooted in probability. Others are pure illusion dressed up as logic.

But the problem with strategy is that most players confuse structure with control.

What you should do is ditch the illusion of control and adopt a mindset built around risk management, not recovery. The smartest way to play isn’t to chase outcomes—it’s to manage behavior.

Know the odds.

Respect the limits.

Bottom Line…

Roulette preys on patterns the human brain thinks it sees, but doesn’t actually exist. In other words, the harder you try to play the game, the worse it is for you.

And there are a ton of other mistakes people make when playing roulette online, especially people new to roulette. Fortunately, by the end of this article, you’ll have a better idea of what you’ll need to do when playing this fun game.