- European roulette (one zero) has a 2.70% house edge on every bet; American (two zeros) has 5.26% on every standard bet — and 7.89% on the five-number bet (0, 00, 1, 2, 3).
- Payouts are the same on both wheels — the extra zero just lowers your chance of winning.
- French roulette's la partage rule halves the edge on even-money bets to 1.35%.
- No betting system — Martingale or otherwise — changes the house edge.
Roulette looks complicated — dozens of betting options, chips everywhere — but the maths is beautifully simple. Once you know the payout chart and the difference between one zero and two, you know almost everything that matters.
The wheels
| Wheel | Pockets | Zeros | House edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| European | 37 | 0 | 2.70% |
| French | 37 | 0 | 2.70% (1.35% on even-money bets with la partage) |
| American | 38 | 0 and 00 | 5.26% (7.89% on the five-number bet) |
The payouts are identical on every wheel. The zeros are what give the casino its edge: when the ball lands on zero, most bets lose. Two zeros means more losing pockets for the same payouts — nearly double the edge.
Roulette odds and payouts chart
Probabilities are for a single-zero (European) wheel; American odds are in brackets.
| Bet | Numbers covered | Pays | Chance of winning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight up | 1 | 35 to 1 | 2.70% (2.63%) |
| Split | 2 | 17 to 1 | 5.41% (5.26%) |
| Street | 3 | 11 to 1 | 8.11% (7.89%) |
| Corner | 4 | 8 to 1 | 10.81% (10.53%) |
| Six line | 6 | 5 to 1 | 16.22% (15.79%) |
| Dozen / column | 12 | 2 to 1 | 32.43% (31.58%) |
| Red/black, odd/even, high/low | 18 | 1 to 1 | 48.65% (47.37%) |
Pick a wheel and a bet in our roulette odds calculator to see the numbers for any stake.
Why every bet has the same edge
Here's the elegant part. On a European wheel, a straight-up bet wins 1 time in 37 and pays 35 to 1. If you bet $1 on every number, you'd spend $37 and get back $36 — a loss of $1 in $37, or 2.70%. Do the same sum for any other bet and you get the same answer.
So on a single-zero wheel, choosing between a straight-up bet and red/black isn't about value — it's about risk. Straight-up bets are rare big wins; even-money bets are frequent small ones. Same long-run cost.
On an American wheel the same holds — every standard bet costs 5.26% — with one exception: the five-number bet (0, 00, 1, 2, 3, also called the basket or top line), which pays 6 to 1 and carries a worse 7.89% edge. Avoid it.
French roulette and la partage
French roulette uses the same single-zero wheel, plus a player-friendly rule: la partage. If the ball lands on zero, even-money bets return half your stake instead of losing it all. That halves the edge on those bets to 1.35% — the best value at the roulette table. Some games use the similar en prison rule.
Do roulette systems work?
Systems like Martingale (double your bet after every loss), Fibonacci or D'Alembert change the pattern of your results — lots of small wins and occasional big losses, or the reverse. They can't change the edge, because every spin is independent and every bet carries the same 2.70% cost.
Martingale's problem is especially brutal: a run of eight or nine losses on red — which happens far more often than people expect — means betting hundreds of times your starting stake, or hitting the table limit. For more, read our casino myths and the Sensei's take on the gambler's fallacy.
Live vs RNG roulette
- RNG roulette uses a certified random number generator — fast, low minimum bets, good for learning.
- Live roulette streams a real wheel from a studio. Variants like Lightning Roulette add random multipliers on straight-up numbers but pay less on regular wins to fund them, so the edge can differ — check the game rules. See our live dealer casino guide.
Roulette and bonuses
Roulette usually counts just 0–10% towards bonus wagering. If you're clearing a bonus, use slots and keep roulette for your own money — see wagering requirements explained.
Want the best tables? Our online roulette page lists casinos with single-zero and French roulette.
FAQ: roulette odds
What are the best odds in roulette?
Even-money bets (red/black, odd/even, high/low) win most often — 48.65% on a European wheel. On a French wheel with la partage, they also have the lowest house edge at 1.35%.
Is European or American roulette better?
European. Both pay the same, but American roulette adds a double zero, raising the house edge from 2.70% to 5.26%.
What does 35 to 1 mean in roulette?
A winning $1 straight-up bet pays $35 profit, and you keep your $1 stake — $36 back in total.
Do roulette strategies work?
They can change how often you win and how big your swings are, but none of them changes the house edge. Over time, the edge applies to every dollar you bet.