Roulette Odds Explained: A Complete Guide
Roulette is one of the casino's oldest games. Chance determines whether a wager wins, while the payout determines its return. Before playing, learn the odds for each type of roulette bet. Understanding how the different odds work can help you compare your options and set realistic expectations, but no bet can produce consistent profits.
Roulette Odds Explained
Roulette odds tell you the chance that a particular bet will win. The longest odds on an American roulette table are for a straight-up bet. Choosing a single number gives you a 1 in 37 chance of success, since the wheel has 38 numbers: 1-36, 0, and 00. Even if your number lands, the house edge means the payout is only 35:1. The house edge is the share of wagers the casino retains over time, giving the house a mathematical advantage. American roulette is generally considered the least favorable roulette variation, as we explain below.
A straight-up bet is just one option. Roulette has several types of bets with different payout odds. Outside bets such as odd or even are more likely to win, but pay less.
How Roulette Table Payouts Are Calculated
Before playing roulette for the first time, understand the odds and payouts for each available bet. You may not yet recognize the bet names or know where to place your chips, and that is normal. Learning the different bet types in advance makes the roulette layout easier to follow and helps avoid confusion.
At both online and land-based roulette tables, payout odds are usually written as (number):1. The number indicates how many units you win for each unit staked. For example, a four-number bet pays 8:1: your original 1-unit stake is returned, plus 8 winning units.
Our Guide to American and European Roulette Payouts
The payout chart below makes it easy to compare the odds for each bet on American and European roulette. French roulette uses the same odds as European roulette, so both are included in the same section.
Roulette Bet Description and Example Payout French and European Roulette Odds (%) American Roulette Odds (%) Straight-Up Bet Bet on one number 35:1 2.70% 2.63% Split Bet Bet on 2 adjacent numbers 17:1 5.41% 5.26% Street Bet Bet on 3 numbers in a row 11:1 8.11% 7.89% Square Bet Bet on 4 numbers arranged in a square 8:1 10.81% 10.53% Line Bet Bet on 6 numbers across 2 adjacent rows 5:1 16.22% 15.79% Column Bet Bet on 12 numbers in one column 2:1 32.43% 31.58% Dozen Bet Bet on the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd group of 12 numbers 2:1 32.43% 31.58% Even/Odd Bet Bet on all even or all odd numbers 1:1 48.65% 47.37% Red/Black Bet Bet on all red or all black numbers 1:1 48.65% 47.37% 1-18/19-36 Bet Bet on the first or last 18 numbers 1:1 48.65% 47.37%
Note: These odds are calculated by dividing the winning outcomes by the total possible outcomes. Since American roulette includes 00, the chance of winning is lower than in French and European roulette.
Roulette Payouts and the Roulette Betting Table
The roulette layout may look confusing when you start playing roulette. It contains many numbers and betting areas, some of which may be unfamiliar. Breaking the layout into its main sections can help you see where each bet goes.
A simple way to read the betting table, or its online equivalent, is to divide it into two areas. The central grid contains the inside bets, including single numbers. The areas along the right and bottom edges contain the outside bets, including red or black and odd or even.
Outside Roulette Bets: Lower Risk, Smaller Payouts, and Better Chances of Winning
Outside bets are placed beyond the numbered grid, which is how they get their name. They offer the most favorable roulette odds and the smallest payouts. They win more often than inside bets, but returns are modest. Even-money bets such as odd or even pay 1:1 when successful. They cover about half the table and have close to 50/50 odds, although the zero pockets mean the chances are not exactly equal.
Column and dozen bets offer the biggest outside-bet payout at 2:1. Each covers roughly 1/3rd of the wheel, so it wins less often than an even-money bet but pays more when it does.
Bet Type Bet Description Payout Column Bet Bet on 12 numbers in one column 2:1 Dozen Bet Bet on the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd group of 12 numbers 2:1 Even/Odd Bet Bet on all even or all odd numbers 1:1 Red/Black Bet Bet on all red or all black numbers 1:1 1-18/19-36 Bet Bet on the first or last 18 numbers 1:1
Note: The 'Payout' column shows winnings in relation to the original stake. For a 'Column Bet', a winning $1 wager returns $2 in winnings plus the original $1 stake, for $3 altogether.
Inside Bets: Higher Risk, Bigger Payouts
Players willing to take on more risk in online roulette can choose from the game's range of inside bets. On the main betting grid, you can cover one number, a group of numbers, or as many numbers as your selected combination allows.
If the ball lands on a number you covered, the payout can be substantial. These bets offer long odds, however, so losing results happen more often than winning ones.
Bet Type Bet Description Payout Straight-Up Bet Bet on one number 35:1 Split Bet Bet on 2 adjacent numbers 17:1 Street Bet Bet on 3 numbers in a row 11:1 Trio Bet Bet on 3 numbers, including at least one zero (0 or 00) 11:1 Corner Bet Bet on 4 numbers arranged in a square 8:1 Five-Number Bet (Basket) Bet on 0, 00, 1, 2, and 3 (American roulette only) 6:1 Line Bet Bet on 6 numbers across 2 adjacent rows 5:1
Note: The Five-Number Bet (Basket) is available only in American roulette and covers both 0 and 00.
Bets on American and European Roulette Wheels
As mentioned earlier in this roulette odds guide, American roulette gives the casino a greater advantage than French or European roulette. American roulette has a 5.26% house edge, nearly double the 2.7% edge in the other variations.
The house edge is the casino's mathematical advantage over roulette players, indicating the amount a table is expected to retain from bets over time. The same concept can be expressed as RTP, or return to player. French and European roulette has a 97.3% RTP, meaning that over an extended period, players receive that proportion on average.
Over the long run, players receive an average of 97.3% of their bets back. This does not predict the outcome of an individual session: chance can lead to very different results. One player might double their bankroll, while another could lose it all.
Why Does American Roulette Have a Higher House Edge?
The difference comes from an extra green pocket on the American wheel. When roulette arrived in America, casinos increased their advantage by adding another green pocket to the traditional layout.
European and French roulette use a single-zero wheel with one green zero pocket. That pocket creates the game's house edge. A bet on zero pays like a bet on any other number, but zero wins against many other bets because it is neither odd nor even, red nor black, and is not considered high or low. Most bets do not cover zero, giving the casino an advantage when the green pocket lands.
American roulette keeps the same payouts as European roulette, but its double-zero wheel gives players worse odds by adding another green pocket, 00. This increases the house edge, since the extra pocket also defeats most bets on the table when it lands.
Consider avoiding American roulette: Because American roulette has a higher house edge, you may prefer a single-zero variation such as European or French roulette. If the game you opened has a double-zero wheel, consider choosing another table. American roulette offers no advantage over the other two variations.
French and European Roulette: Neighbor Bets (Racetrack Bets)
European and French roulette often have a distinctive racetrack feature. This separate betting layout is usually placed around the outer edge of the table.
The racetrack shows groups of wheel numbers that sit next to each other. These groups are known as section bets or neighbor bets, and combine elements of straight, split, and corner bets.
French roulette usually labels these bets in French, while European roulette tends to translate the names of each neighboring-number group into English. All neighbor bets have the same 2.7% house edge, but their chances of winning vary.
- Tiers du Cylindre (Third of the Wheel): This bet offers a 45.9% potential chance of winning and uses six equal-value split bets. The pairs are 5/8, 10/11, 13/16, 23/24, 27/30, and 33/36. These numbers are close together on the wheel. The covered segment is 27-13-36-11-30-8-23-10-5-24-16-33 and contains 12 numbers.
- Orphelins (Orphans): This bet has a 24.3% chance of winning and requires one straight-up bet plus five equal-value split bets. The layout uses a straight-up bet on 1 and split bets on 6/9, 14/17, 17/20, and 31/34. It combines two separate groups of neighboring numbers. The name 'Orphans' refers to their exclusion from the other listed section bets: 1-20-14-31-9 in one segment and 17-34-6 in another, covering eight numbers.
- Voisins du Zéro (Neighbors of Zero): This bet uses five split bets and two corner bets, with chips of equal value. Place two chips on 0, 2, and 3, and two chips on the corner covering 25 to 29. Then place one chip on each of 4/7, 12/15, 18/21, 19/22, and 32/35. The wheel segment is 22-18-29-7-28-12-35-3-26-0-32-15-19-4-21-2-25 and includes 17 numbers. This bet has a 32.4% chance of winning.
- Jeu Zéro (Zero Game): This bet covers neighboring numbers around 0. It requires one chip on a straight-up bet on 26 and one chip on each of three split bets: 0-3, 12-15, and 32-35. In German roulette, a variation called 'zero spiel naca' adds one chip on a straight-up bet on 19, creating a 5-chip wager.
Roulette Multiplier Odds Explained
Online players may encounter multiplier roulette, which retains familiar bets from traditional tables, including even-money bets, call bets, and the five-number bet. Its distinctive feature is that multipliers are assigned at random to selected straight-up numbers. Depending on the game, multipliers can reach 500x the stake or more.
Multiplier features require developers to adjust the standard payouts to account for larger potential wins. The usual trade-off is a lower payout on straight-up bets without a multiplier. For example, Evolution's Lightning Roulette reduces that payout to 29:1.
Roulette Betting Limits: Minimum and Maximum Bets
Along with choosing which roulette bets to make, check the table's minimum and maximum limits at an online or land-based casino. Each table sets its own limits, so choose one that suits your bankroll. A minimum that is too high can use up your bankroll quickly, while one that is too low may not suit you if you prefer larger stakes.
Ideally, the minimum should let you spread your bankroll across many bets and rounds. The source guidance suggests limiting each round to no more than 5% of your bankroll, though this is a personal budgeting choice and does not change the odds.
Put Your Roulette Odds Knowledge to Use at the Tables
Now that the main roulette bets, odds, and payouts are clearer, you can explore roulette games at online casinos. You can combine inside and outside bets, but every result still depends on where the winning number lands.
If you are looking for online roulette, Al Buraq Regina is a place to start. Al Buraq Regina's editorial reviews cover hundreds of the best online casinos. Reading reviews can help you compare platforms with virtual and live roulette, along with other online games, but a review does not establish local authorization or availability.
