Roulette Rules and Types of Bets
Roulette is among the oldest casino table games and is still one of the easiest to understand. Its basic mechanics are straightforward, so you can learn the rules quickly and start exploring this classic casino game within minutes. Read our roulette rules and bets guide to learn about the table, wheels, available wagers, and what happens when the ball lands in a pocket.
What Is Roulette?
At a land-based casino, look for the table drawing the biggest crowd; the 80% figure is an unverified estimate, not a measured statistic or prediction. Roulette is one of the most familiar games in physical casinos and is also popular online. The basic idea is to bet on the pocket where the ball may land. The layout offers several options, including a single-number, split, or column bet, as well as even-money choices such as odd or even, red or black, and high or low.
How to Play Roulette
To start, place your chips on the bets you want before the dealer spins the roulette wheel and releases the ball. The winning number, its color and range, and whether it is odd or even determine which bets pay and whether you win the round.
The rules are simple, but learning to play roulette well involves understanding a few fundamentals. Get familiar with the wheel, the roulette table layout or online betting overlay, and the available bets, odds, and payouts.
The Roulette Wheel
The roulette wheel is the game's most recognizable feature. It has numbered pockets in different colors, and the pocket where the ball comes to rest determines which players win and which bets lose.
New players may not know that roulette comes in three different variations. A quick look at the wheel and table layout will usually show which version is in play.
The main variations are European, French, and American roulette. European and French roulette share many features, while the American version differs more. We explain each variation in more detail below; the wheels can be summarized as follows:
- French/European Roulette Wheel: Both variations have 37 numbered pockets, from 0 to 36. Numbers 1-36 alternate between black and red, while the single zero is green.
- American Roulette Wheel: The American wheel has 38 pockets. Numbers 0-36 are red or black, and the wheel also has a double zero in addition to the single zero.
Roulette Table Layout and Betting Rules
Once you understand the wheel variations, the next step in learning roulette rules is to get to know the table layout and its betting positions. Every table has minimum and maximum bet limits, setting the least and most you can wager in a round.
At a land-based casino, the betting layout is printed on the felt in front of you. Online casinos show the same layout as an on-screen overlay. Both formats display the available positions for your chips.
The layout has a central grid of numbers, with separate betting sections around the edges. The grid is used for inside bets, and the surrounding sections for outside bets. We will keep the explanations brief here; our guide to roulette odds, bets, and payouts provides more detail.
Roulette Inside Bets
Inside bets cover single numbers or small groups of numbers. Options include single-number, split, line, street, corner, and basket bets, or combinations of these. Placed individually, inside bets generally have longer odds and higher payouts than outside bets. They win less often, but a successful bet pays more.
Here is the complete list of inside bets in roulette:
- Straight Up: This bet selects one number and pays 35:1 if it wins.
- Split: This bet covers two adjacent numbers and pays 17:1 if it wins.
- Street: This bet covers a row of three numbers and pays 11:1.
- Corner (Square): A corner bet covers four numbers arranged in a square and pays 8:1.
- Six Line: This bet covers two adjacent rows, or six numbers in total. A win pays 5:1.
Roulette Outside Bets
By contrast, outside bets generally have shorter odds and smaller payouts. They include even-money bets on black or red, odd or even, and low or high. As BetMGM Canada explains, 50/50 is shorthand for an even-money roulette category, not the exact odds: the green zero pocket works against the player, and these bets pay 1:1. Dozen bets are another option, paying 2:1. Smaller returns do not guarantee that your bankroll will last longer or grow, and these bets will not produce large payouts on every win.
These are the outside bets available in roulette:
- Red or Black: This bet predicts whether the ball will land on a red or black number. A win pays 1:1.
- Odd or Even: This bet predicts whether the ball will land on an odd or even number. It is an essentially 50/50 bet and pays 1:1.
- Low (1-18) or High (19-36): This bet predicts whether the ball will land on a low or high number. A win pays 1;!.
- Dozen Bet: This covers one of three groups of 12 numbers (1-12, 13-24, 25-36) and pays 2:1.
- Column Bet: This bet selects one of the three vertical number columns. Since it covers one-third of the roulette wheel, it pays 2:1.
Which roulette bets are best to use? One of the appealing things about roulette is that there is no single right answer. Your choice depends on your playing style, bankroll, and strategy. If you prefer a more cautious approach or have a smaller bankroll, outside bets may suit you best.
For more details, see our How to Play and Win at Roulette guide.
Racetrack Betting Rules
European and French roulette may also feature a racetrack betting section. It arranges numbers in the order they appear around the wheel, so you can bet on specific wheel sections. Here are some of the racetrack bets players use most often.
- Voisins du Zéro (Neighbors of Zero): This bet covers numbers near zero on the wheel. It covers 17 numbers in total, using a combination of split bets and several straight-up bets.
- Tiers du Cylindre (Thirds of the Wheel): This bet covers one-third of the wheel, starting at 27 and ending at 33. It uses 6 split bets and offers a 45.9% chance of winning.
- Orphelins (Orphans): This bet covers numbers outside the previous two groups, hence the name Orphans. The numbers are 1-20-14-31-9 in one wheel section and 17-34-6 in another.
- Neighbors Bets: A Neighbors bet can cover any racetrack section, pairing a chosen number with its closest neighbors. For example, you could choose 5, 10, 23, 24, and 16.
Roulette Terms: A Glossary
Learning roulette rules is only part of understanding the game; you also need to know its terminology. This glossary explains many of the terms you may encounter while playing:
- Inside Bets: Bets on individual numbers or small groups of numbers within the roulette layout.
- Outside Bets: Bets on broader categories, such as colors, odd or even numbers, and high or low numbers.
- Straight Bet: A bet on one number. It has the highest payout if it wins, but the lowest chance of winning.
- Split Bet: A bet on two adjacent numbers on the layout, with slightly better odds than a straight bet.
- Street Bet: A bet on a row of three numbers.
- Corner Bet: A bet on four numbers arranged in a square on the layout.
- Six Line Bet: A bet on two adjacent rows, covering six numbers in total.
- Column Bet: A bet on one of the three vertical number columns on the layout.
- Dozen Bet: A bet on one group of 12 numbers: 1-12, 13-24, or 25-36.
- Red/Black Bet: A bet on either the red or black numbers.
- Even/Odd Bet: A bet on either all even or all odd numbers.
- High/Low Bet: A bet on numbers 1-18 (low) or 19-36 (high).
- Croupier: The dealer who spins the roulette wheel and runs the game.
- Wheel: The circular device with numbered pockets where the ball can land.
- Ball: The small white ball that moves around the wheel before coming to rest in a numbered pocket.
- House Edge: The casino's statistical advantage over players over the long term.
- En Prison: This rule applies to even-money bets. If the ball lands on zero, the player's stake remains "in prison" for the next spin. If the player wins on that spin, the stake is returned; another loss forfeits it.
- La Partage: Like En Prison, this rule applies to even-money bets, but returns half the stake if the ball lands on zero. It does not protect other losing bets.
- Voisins du Zéro: French for "neighbors of zero," referring to a group of wheel numbers close to zero.
- Orphelins: French for "orphans," referring to numbers not included in the Voisins du Zéro or Tiers du Cylindre bets.
- Tiers du Cylindre: A bet on one-third of the wheel, approximately opposite the numbers covered by Voisins du Zéro.
How to Play Online Roulette: A Quick Step-by-Step Guide
In most ways, an online roulette table works like one at a land-based casino. For a standard roulette variation, the rules, house edge, and payouts should match those of the corresponding table game.
Note: Online roulette is also available in non-standard formats. Some games add random multipliers to straight-up bets (single numbers), others include bonus rounds, and some add features such as a second ball. Read the rules for each game, since its house edge, payouts, and other conditions may differ.
Use this step-by-step guide to play roulette online:
- Read our online casino reviews to compare sites offering a range of roulette games.
- Complete the registration process at your chosen online casino. It should take no more than a few minutes. Before making your first deposit, review any welcome bonus the platform offers.
- Explore the table-game and live-casino lobbies to find a roulette game. Consider practising in demo mode before risking real money. When you are ready, choose whether to play for real money at your selected table.
- Decide how much to stake and place your chips in the appropriate spot on the betting layout. You could start with outside bets and try inside bets sparingly.
- See whether the ball lands in a pocket that makes your bet a winner. You can then place more bets for the next spin and continue playing.
Roulette Strategies: Can They Help You Beat the House Edge?
Our roulette strategy guide explores this topic in greater detail, so here we will introduce only the main approaches. Many systems offer a structured way to bet, including progressive methods for even-money wagers that change the stake after each result. For example, with the Martingale roulette strategy, a loss is followed by a bet double the initial stake on the next spin. The process continues until a bet wins, but no system removes the house edge or guarantees a profit.
Other widely discussed roulette approaches include the James Bond strategy, Fibonacci, Reverse Martingale, Labouchere, and Paroli.
Different Roulette Game Variations
Land-based casinos commonly offer several roulette variations, while online play provides many more formats. Some add extra balls, multipliers, bonus rounds, or other features. The next section outlines some of the roulette options you may encounter online.
American Roulette
American roulette is widely available, though many players consider it the least appealing standard variation because its wheel gives the casino a larger advantage. In addition to the single-zero (0) pocket, it has a double-zero (00). When the ball lands on either zero, many bets lose because zero is neither odd nor even, red nor black, and is not covered by many other bets. With two zero pockets, the house has two built-in advantages. American roulette's house edge is therefore 5.25%.
European Roulette
Because European roulette uses a single zero, its RTP is 2.70%, almost half that of American roulette. Along with French roulette, it has the lowest house edge among the main roulette variations. Players may also use call bets, or announced bets, which can make gameplay quicker and more engaging.
French Roulette
French roulette has the same standard house edge as European roulette, but additional rules can improve the odds for eligible bets. When En Prison and La Partage apply, they protect even-money bets and effectively reduce the house edge to 1.35%. Aside from these rules, French roulette is the same as European roulette.
Online Roulette Variations
Online casinos offer the widest range of roulette variations. Digital technology lets developers create formats that are hard to reproduce in a land-based casino. Here are some examples you may find while browsing an online casino:
- Multiplier Roulette: Multiplier roulette has grown popular in recent years. Often offered on live casino platforms, these games randomly assign multipliers of up to 500x or 1,000x to individual numbers. Multipliers apply only to straight-up bets, so a winning number wager could qualify for a substantial payout.
- Mini Roulette: Mini Roulette is a compact take on the game, with a smaller wheel and betting layout that usually features 12 numbers. With fewer numbers in play, its rules, odds, and payouts differ from standard roulette; review them before playing.
- Double Ball Roulette: Double Ball Roulette uses two balls instead of one. This changes the way the game works and significantly affects its rules, so make sure you understand them before wagering.
- Auto Roulette: This automated roulette game has no dealer. Its quicker rounds may let players place more bets per hour.
- Speed Roulette: Speed Roulette compresses the betting window to move the game along faster. Players need to place bets more quickly, which may allow more wagers per hour.
Ready to Play Roulette?
Once you know roulette's rules and bet types, you can start comparing variations. Al Buraq Regina's casino reviews can help you explore online casino options offering roulette, including the Best Online Casinos for roulette, but they do not guarantee that a casino is suitable or authorized, or that you will win. A winning number might appear within minutes and produce a payout under the table rules, but no timing or result is assured, whether you place a column, line, street, corner, or 50/50 bet.
