Roulette is simple and the maths is clean. On a European wheel every bet has a 2.70% house edge. On an American wheel almost every bet has 5.26%. French rules on even-money bets cut the European figure roughly in half. Which wheel you play matters far more than which bets you make.
How roulette works
- You place chips on the layout: single numbers, groups of numbers, or outside bets such as red or black.
- The dealer spins the wheel and rolls the ball the other way. Bets close shortly before it drops.
- The ball settles in a pocket. Winning bets are paid at fixed odds and losing bets are cleared.
The numbers 1 to 36 are split between red and black. The zero (and double zero on American wheels) is green, and it is the source of the house edge: payouts are set as if the zeros did not exist.
The three main wheels
European roulette has 37 pockets: 1 to 36 plus a single 0. House edge on every bet: 1 ÷ 37 = 2.70%.
American roulette has 38 pockets, adding 00. House edge: 2 ÷ 38 = 5.26%. The extra pocket nearly doubles the cost of play.
French roulette uses a single-zero wheel plus one of two rules on even-money bets (red/black, odd/even, 1 to 18, 19 to 36):
- La Partage: if the ball lands on zero, you get half your even-money stake back. The edge on those bets falls to 1 ÷ 74 = 1.35%.
- En Prison: on zero, your even-money stake is "imprisoned" for the next spin. If it then wins, you get it back without winnings. The Wizard of Odds puts the edge at about 1.37% to 1.39%, depending on what happens if zero repeats.
These rules apply only to even-money bets. A straight-up bet on a French table still carries 2.70%.
Some casinos also offer triple-zero wheels (0, 00 and a third green pocket). The Wizard of Odds puts the edge there at 7.69% on every bet.
Bets, payouts and probabilities
| Bet | Covers | Pays | Win chance (European) | Win chance (American) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Straight up | 1 number | 35:1 | 2.70% | 2.63% |
| Split | 2 numbers | 17:1 | 5.41% | 5.26% |
| Street | 3 numbers | 11:1 | 8.11% | 7.89% |
| Corner | 4 numbers | 8:1 | 10.81% | 10.53% |
| Five-number (0, 00, 1, 2, 3) | 5 numbers | 6:1 | n/a | 13.16% |
| Six line | 6 numbers | 5:1 | 16.22% | 15.79% |
| Dozen or column | 12 numbers | 2:1 | 32.43% | 31.58% |
| Red/black, odd/even, 1 to 18, 19 to 36 | 18 numbers | 1:1 | 48.65% | 47.37% |
Every bet in this table carries the same edge on a given wheel (2.70% European, 5.26% American) except the American five-number bet, which pays 6:1 when fair odds would be 6.6:1. Its edge is 7.89%, the worst bet on the layout.
Single-zero wheels also have call bets (voisins du zéro, tiers du cylindre, orphelins), which are packages of the bets above on sections of the wheel. They carry the same 2.70% edge.
What each bet costs, on average
House edge: the share of every bet the casino keeps over the long run.
Video poker: Jacks or Better9/6 pay table, perfect play
0.46%Blackjackbasic strategy, 3:2, 6 decks, dealer stands on soft 17
0.50%Baccarat: Banker8 decks, 5% commission
1.06%Baccarat: Player8 decks
1.24%French roulette: even moneysingle zero, La Partage
1.35%Craps: Pass Line
1.41%European roulettesingle zero, any bet
2.70%Sic Bo: Small or Big
2.78%Dragon Tiger: Dragon or Tigerhalf returned on a tie
3.73%Online slots (typical)94% to 97% RTP; varies by game and version
3–6%American roulettedouble zero, most bets
5.26%Baccarat: Tiepays 8 to 1, 8 decks
14.36%
Why betting systems fail
Systems change the size and pattern of your bets. They cannot change the payout or the probability, so they cannot change the edge. Martingale is the most common, so here is the arithmetic.
Martingale says: bet on red, and double after every loss so one win recovers everything plus your first stake. Take a £5 opening bet on a European wheel with a £500 table maximum.
| Spin | Bet | Total staked so far |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | £5 | £5 |
| 2 | £10 | £15 |
| 3 | £20 | £35 |
| 4 | £40 | £75 |
| 5 | £80 | £155 |
| 6 | £160 | £315 |
| 7 | £320 | £635 |
| 8 | £640 | not allowed: over the £500 limit |
After seven losses in a row you cannot continue. The chance of seven straight losses on an even-money bet is 19/37 multiplied by itself seven times, about 0.94%, or roughly once in every 106 sequences.
- 99.06% of the time you win £5.
- 0.94% of the time you lose £635.
- Expected result per sequence: 0.9906 × £5 − 0.0094 × £635 = about −£1.03.
On average each sequence puts about £37.97 of bets on the table, and −£1.03 ÷ £37.97 is exactly 2.70%. The system produces many small wins and an occasional large loss, and the average cost per pound bet is unchanged. Fibonacci, D'Alembert and Labouchère reshape the swings in the same way. None of them shifts the edge, and none should be used to try to recover losses.
Other myths worth dropping: the wheel has no memory, so a run of reds does not make black "due", and "hot" numbers on a results board are a record of the past, not a forecast.
Live and auto roulette
Online, roulette comes in three main forms:
- RNG roulette: a random number generator picks the result. Usually available in demo mode, and you control the pace.
- Live roulette: a dealer spins a real wheel on camera from a studio or casino floor. See our live dealer games guide and studios such as Evolution and Playtech.
- Auto roulette: a real wheel with an automatic ball launcher and no dealer. Spins come faster, which means more bets per hour and a higher hourly cost at the same edge.
Some live versions change the standard payouts, so read the help screen, which shows the payouts and the game's RTP, before you play. Our RTP and volatility guide explains how to read those numbers.
Related games: baccarat, craps, sic bo and live game shows.
Where to play
We list licensed casinos only: UK casinos, Ontario, Alberta, rest of Canada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Michigan. See how we rate casinos.
Play it safe
Gambling is entertainment that costs money, not a way to make it. Decide your budget before you start, use the deposit limits every licensed site offers, and stop when it stops being fun.
Free, confidential help where you liveQuestions people ask
Which roulette has the best odds?
French roulette on even-money bets: 1.35% with La Partage and about 1.37% to 1.39% with En Prison. Plain European roulette is 2.70%. Avoid American roulette when a single-zero wheel is available.
Does the Martingale system work?
No. It turns many small wins into an occasional large loss, and the table limit or your bankroll stops the doubling. The house edge on the money you stake stays exactly the same.
Is online roulette random?
RNG roulette uses a random number generator to pick each result. Live roulette uses a real wheel filmed in a studio. Past spins never affect the next one.
What is the worst bet in roulette?
On an American wheel, the five-number bet on 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3. It pays 6:1 and carries a 7.89% house edge, against 5.26% for every other bet on that wheel.
Related reading
Sources
Facts checked 14 Oct 2026. Compliance review 14 Oct 2026.
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