Bitcoin over the Lightning Network and Litecoin are the two coins that work best when you both hold them and bet them, because each moves for pence and settles in minutes or less. Ethereum works when the deposit is above a few hundred dollars or goes through a layer 2 network. A stablecoin works when you want the night’s result in dollars rather than in coins.
Ranked below are the four options, from the one that suits most players to the one that suits the fewest. The figures assume a 200 dollar deposit and a two-hour session at 2 dollars a spin, which is the scale most people who hold coins bring to crypto roulette. The roulette result is identical in every case.
Ranked from best fit to narrowest fit
- Bitcoin over the Lightning Network. The 200-dollar deposit costs about one satoshi in routing fees and lands in under five seconds, and the withdrawal is the same. A win stays in the coin you already hold. Over two hours, Bitcoin moves around one per cent on an average day, which is 2 dollars on this balance, and up to five per cent on a volatile day, which is 10 dollars. It ranks first because nothing else is both this cheap and this fast. It needs a Lightning wallet with a funded channel and a casino that lists Lightning in the cashier.
- Litecoin. The deposit costs about 2 pence and clears in seven to eight minutes with three confirmations. It needs nothing beyond a standard wallet and is accepted at almost every casino. Its two-hour price range is a little wider than Bitcoin’s, so expect 3 to 12 dollars of movement from price alone. For anyone without a Lightning wallet, it is the first choice.
- A stablecoin, swapped inside the casino. Deposit the coin you hold, swap 200 dollars of it to USDT or USDC, play, and swap back afterwards. The swap costs a spread of 0.1 to 0.5 per cent, which is 20 pence to 1 dollar on this session. In return, the balance moves only when the wheel moves. Players who count sessions in coins do not need it. Players who count in dollars should put them first.
- Ethereum. On the main chain, the deposit pays gas of 21,000 units, at a base fee of 15 gwei, which is around 60 pence. At 100 gwei, which happens during busy periods, it is around 4 pounds, or two per cent of the deposit each way. On a layer 2 network, the same transfer costs 2 to 5 pence. It ranks last for a 200-dollar session because of main-chain gas and climbs the list as the deposit grows. At 500 dollars, a 4-pound fee is under one per cent, and on a layer 2, it sits level with Litecoin.
What moves a coin up or down the list
Two things. The size of the deposit, because a fixed fee matters less as the amount rises, and whether you count the session in coins or in dollars. A 1,000-dollar deposit from someone who counts in coins can be used for any of the four. A 50-dollar deposit from someone who counts in dollars should be a stablecoin every time.
Held coins do not change the odds. Red still covers 18 of 37 pockets, and a straight-up still pays 35 to 1. They change what it costs to sit down and what the balance looks like when you stand up.
