How to play roulette online, from opening the lobby to cashing out

Before the first spin: three settings

Open the account settings before the lobby. Set a deposit limit at the amount you have decided to spend this month. Set a session reminder at 30 or 60 minutes. Note where self-exclusion lives. All three exist at every licensed UK site. They take two minutes now and are the difference between a planned session and an unplanned one.

Step 1: pick the table

In the casino lobby, filter for roulette. You will see RNG tables (software, you press spin) and live tables (a dealer on video). For a first session, choose an RNG table with one green pocket, labelled European or French, at a minimum you are comfortable with: 10p, 20p or £1 are common. Avoid American tables (two green pockets, nearly double the cost) and anything with "Lightning", "Mega" or "Jackpot" in the name until you know the plain game.

Step 2: read the layout

Thirty-six numbers in three columns, a green zero at the top, boxes around the edge for the group bets. Chips on the numbers are inside bets with big payouts and rare wins; chips in the boxes are outside bets with small payouts and frequent wins. The layout page goes through every box.

Step 3: place a bet

Select a chip value, tap where you want it, tap again to add more. For a first bet: one chip on red. The spin button shows the total staked. Press it. On an RNG table the ball drops in a few seconds; on a live table you wait for the timer and the dealer.

Step 4: read the result

The winning number lights up. If your bet covered it, the payout and your stake land in the balance; if not, the chip is gone. Red pays 1:1, so a £1 win returns £2. The result is shown in a history strip, which is a record and not a forecast. The bets page explains what each bet pays and how often it wins.

Step 5: play a session, not a spin

Decide a number of spins before you start, say fifty, and a stake, say 20p to £1. That caps the session at £10 to £50 through the table and an expected cost of 27p to £1.35 at the 2.70% house edge. Actual results will swing above and below that. Stop at the count whether you are up or down.

Step 6: cash out

Go to the cashier and withdraw whatever is left or won, by the same method you deposited with. You will be asked to verify your identity on the first withdrawal; a photo ID and proof of address are standard and required by law. The money arrives within the time stated in the terms, usually a day or two.

What to try next

A live table, once the layout is automatic. A French table for the half-back rule on even-money bets. Never a system that raises stakes after a loss. The mistakes page covers the handful of things that turn a cheap hobby into an expensive one, and all of them are avoidable from the first session.