When a coin forks, the chain splits into two and every wallet that held the coin at the split holds the same amount on both chains. Your roulette balance, though, is a line on the casino’s ledger, and the coins behind it sit in the casino’s wallet. So the casino receives both versions of the coin, and whether you see the new one depends on what the site decides to do with it. The original coin carries on as normal. The forked coin is a separate decision.
Forks with lasting new coins have happened to Bitcoin, Ethereum, and several smaller chains, and most crypto roulette sites now follow a set routine when one is announced. Here is what happens at each stage.
Before the fork block
- Casino’s side – Deposits and withdrawals in the coin are paused, usually from a few hours before the fork block until the network is stable afterwards. The site takes a snapshot of every player’s balance at the pause. Roulette play continues because bets settle on the ledger and do not touch the chain.
- Your side – If you want to hold the forked coin yourself, withdraw before the pause so the coins are in your own wallet at the fork block. If you are happy to let the casino handle it, leave the balance where it is and keep playing.
At the fork
- Casino’s side – The casino’s cold and hot wallets hold coins on both chains the moment the split happens. The site waits to see whether the new chain has replay protection, which stops a transaction on one chain from being copied onto the other, and whether exchanges will list the new coin.
- Your side – Nothing changes on your screen. The balance shows the same figure in the original coin, and the table pays out in it as before.
After the fork
- Casino’s side – If the new coin is worthless or has no exchange support, the site does nothing, and the forked coins stay in its wallet. If the new coin trades, the site chooses one of three paths: credit each player with the forked coin at the snapshot balance, sell the forked coins and credit the value in the original coin or a stablecoin, or keep them. The choice is announced on the site’s news or terms, and most sites with a snapshot credit players in some form.
- Your side – Check the announcement. A credit appears as a new balance in the cashier, sometimes withdrawable at once and sometimes only after the new chain’s wallets are stable. Deposits and withdrawals in the original coin reopen once the site is satisfied the chain is settled, usually within a day.
3 things to check when a fork is announced
- The pause window for deposits and withdrawals, so you are not caught with a withdrawal pending when it closes.
- The site’s stated policy on the forked coin is that a snapshot credit is common but not guaranteed, and a withdrawal to your own wallet before the block is the only way to be certain of receiving it.
- Whether the new chain has replay protection before you move the original coin afterwards, because without it, a withdrawal on one chain can be replayed on the other and empty both.
Your roulette balance itself is never at risk from a fork. It is a number on the ledger backed by coins the casino already holds, and the wheel keeps paying it out while the chains sort themselves out.
