American vs. European Roulette
The games look nearly identical, but one extra green pocket makes American roulette almost twice as expensive to play. Here is how 00 changes the odds and what to look for before choosing a wheel.
Choose European single-zero roulette whenever the rules, table minimum, and betting limits otherwise work for you.
Both versions pay the same amounts, but European roulette has one fewer losing green pocket. Its standard 2.70% house edge is substantially better than the 5.26% edge on a standard American wheel.
American and European roulette odds
| Feature | American roulette | European roulette |
|---|---|---|
| Total pockets | 38 | 37 |
| Green pockets | 0 and 00 | 0 |
| Standard house edge | 5.26% | 2.70% |
| Straight-up win chance | 2.63% | 2.70% |
| Red or black win chance | 47.37% | 48.65% |
| Standard straight-up payout | 35 to 1 | 35 to 1 |
The double zero changes every standard bet
American roulette uses the numbers 1 through 36 plus 0 and 00. European roulette has the same numbered pockets but only one zero. Both games normally pay 35 to 1 for a straight-up winner, even though the true odds are worse on the American wheel.
The extra 00 also hurts outside bets. Red still covers 18 pockets, but it must avoid 20 losing pockets on an American wheel instead of 19 on a European wheel. The payout remains only 1 to 1 in both games.
The house edge describes the casino's average mathematical advantage over a very large number of wagers. It does not mean every $100 session loses exactly $5.26 or $2.70, but it is the most useful way to compare otherwise similar games.
What the house edge means for a $10 wager
$10 on red, American wheel
18 winning pockets out of 38
Expected loss: about $0.53 per spin
$10 on red, European wheel
18 winning pockets out of 37
Expected loss: about $0.27 per spin
$10 on red with La Partage
Half the wager returns when 0 wins
Expected loss: about $0.14 per spin
La Partage and En Prison
Some European and French roulette tables offer a special rule on even-money bets such as red or black, odd or even, and 1 to 18 or 19 to 36. Under La Partage, half of an even-money wager is returned when 0 wins. En Prison holds the wager for the next spin and may return it if that next result wins. When applied in their standard form, these rules can reduce the house edge on qualifying bets to about 1.35%.
A single-zero wheel does not automatically include La Partage or En Prison. Confirm the rule is actually offered and which wagers qualify before relying on the lower edge.
Avoid the five-number basket
The American five-number bet covers 0, 00, 1, 2, and 3 and usually pays 6 to 1. Its house edge is approximately 7.89%, worse than the standard 5.26% edge on other American roulette bets. No additional excitement or table coverage makes up for that unusually poor payout.
Can a betting system overcome the difference?
No progression system changes the probability of the next spin. Martingale, Fibonacci, and other systems change wager size and volatility, not the underlying house edge. Choosing the better wheel changes the mathematics of every wager immediately, while changing a betting pattern does not.
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