Roulette Odds and House Edge: European vs American Wheels
One extra pocket nearly doubles the house edge. Here is the maths of roulette, bet by bet.
Quick answer
European roulette has 37 pockets (0–36), giving a house edge of 2.70% on almost every bet. American roulette adds a double zero for 38 pockets and a 5.26% house edge. Some French tables return half of even-money stakes when zero lands, cutting the edge on those bets to 1.35%.
Where the edge comes from
A straight-up bet pays 35 to 1. On a European wheel the true odds are 36 to 1 against (37 pockets). That gap creates a house edge of 1 ÷ 37 = 2.70%.
Source: Standard roulette rules.
The bets
| Bet | Pays | Chance to win |
|---|---|---|
| Straight (1 number) | 35:1 | 2.7% |
| Split (2) | 17:1 | 5.4% |
| Street (3) | 11:1 | 8.1% |
| Dozen / column (12) | 2:1 | 32.4% |
| Red / black, odd / even | 1:1 | 48.6% |
Systems don’t change the maths
Martingale and other progressions change the shape of your results, not the edge. Long losing runs and table limits end them.
Frequently asked questions
Can a roulette system beat the house edge?
No. Every spin is independent, and the edge applies to every bet. Systems only change how stakes are spread.
What is La Partage?
A French rule that returns half of an even-money stake when zero lands, halving the edge on those bets.
Sources & references
- UK Gambling Commission www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk
- BeGambleAware www.begambleaware.org
- National Council on Problem Gambling www.ncpgambling.org
We check every figure against the source listed. Spotted an error? Request a correction.
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