If you want to win at online roulette - you'll need to understand the odds and appreciate something called the house edge.    How many bankrupt casinos have you heard about, 'for sale' and repossession notices outside a local casino.   It rarely happens and the reason is primarily the 'house edge' - if a casino can get enough people gambling at playing their games then the laws of probability will ensure they win in the long run.

The 'house edge' refers to the slight advantage that all casinos have over the individual player - in roulette it is primarily achieved by the addition of the number '0' on the wheel.   One of the most important things you should always check before playing a roulette wheel is what type it is - there are two main types - European and American wheel.   Although these wheels have several differences relating to distribution of numbers and styles - the primary difference is the number of '0' s on the wheel - the American wheel has two where as the European one has a single zero slot. This doesn't sound much but look at the basic differences in the house edge just based on this - 

Single Zero Roulette Wheel - House Edge 2.70% Double Zero Roulette Wheel - House Edge 5.26%

So the house edge is more than double on the American wheels and this is a huge difference in your chance of winning.  In fact in reality there is actually a bigger difference as many of the European roulette tables operate some additional rules.

La Partage - this rule basically means that you get half of your money back on even bets if the spin lands on '0' En Prison - very similar but with the option to leave the bet on the table after a zero.  If the next spin wins your stake is returned.

The above two rules have slight variations in casinos all over the world but they nearly always have the effect of slightly reducing the 'house edge' further.   Of course if you're in a physical casino you may have no option to what wheels to play but it should affect your betting strategy.  However to win at online roulette there is simply no point playing the American tables - just choose another virtual casino. There are some fantastic places you can now play online roulette but you should be careful that you pick a professional company who will be running the latest software and you can expect a fair game.