How to play California roulette at online casino

The California roulette owes its existence to sometimes absurd American laws and constantly changing regulatory requirements.

In the three classical roulettes, the winning sector is determined by the ball spun on the roulette wheel. When the ball loses momentum and falls into a slot, the dealer announces the number and the color of the winning sector. California roulette works another way.

History

In 2004, the state of California passed a law that prohibited using a ball and dice to determine the outcome of casino games. At first, it seemed like the end of roulette in California. Unwilling to lose a larger part of their profits, casino operators came up with a brand new roulette type. Craps and dice also got their new variations.

California roulettes

According to the new laws, the outcome of casino games had to be determined with the help of cards. The most logical solution was to replace numbers on the roulette wheel with cards. Luckily, a standard deck had enough cards to do this. The wheel contained 38 cards, including 1-36, plus 0 and 00. The roulette ball was successfully substituted for a pointer.

Not surprisingly, gamblers distrusted the new roulette at first. As the time passed, they realized that their winning chances remained the same. Moreover, roulette lovers had no other choice. Gradually, California roulette earned trust among local gamblers.

Interestingly enough, online casinos in Northern California invented an alternative to California roulette. In this variation, the roulette wheel has a pointer instead of a ball. However, the roulette wheel only features red and black slots, with no numbers on them. By the roulette wheel, there is a shuffling machine that is shuffling cards. The dealer spins the wheel. Then he takes two cards (a red one and a black one) from the shuffler and places them on the table face down. The wheel stops and the pointer identifies the winning color. The dealer opens the corresponding card and announces the winning number.

This is a spectacular example of how ridiculous and irrational gambling laws can be. Nonetheless, California roulette has been prospering for over ten years now.