Roulette is a casino game where you bet on where a ball lands on a spinning numbered wheel. You can back a single number, a group of numbers, a colour, odd or even, or high or low. European wheels have one zero and a 2.70% house edge, while American wheels add a second zero that raises the edge to 5.26%.
This roulette guide is the starting point for everything the game involves. Roulette is one of the easiest casino games to learn and one of the hardest to beat over time, which makes understanding the wheel, the bets and the odds worth your while before you wager real money. This page walks through how the game works, the difference between the wheel types, what each bet pays, and where the smart choices are, then points you to deeper guides on odds and payouts, strategy and betting systems, and French roulette. It sits within our full library of online casino guides.
- The wheel type decides the odds. A single-zero European wheel costs you far less over time than a double-zero American wheel.
- Every bet has the same house edge on a given wheel. No single bet is mathematically “better” on a European wheel, they all cost 2.70%.
- French roulette can be the cheapest of all. The La Partage rule halves the edge on even-money bets to just 1.35%.
- No betting system beats the wheel. Roulette is a game of independent spins, so past results never change the next one.
What is roulette?
Roulette is a casino game of pure chance in which a ball is spun around a wheel divided into numbered pockets, and you bet on which pocket it will land in. The croupier spins the wheel one way and the ball the other, and when the ball settles, winning bets are paid and losing bets are collected. There is no skill in predicting the outcome, because each spin is independent of the last.
The name comes from the French for “little wheel,” and the modern game took shape in France in the late 18th century. Today it is a fixture of every land-based and online casino, played in three main forms: European, American and French. The version you choose matters more than any bet you place, because the wheel design sets the price you pay to play.
How to play roulette step by step
To play roulette you place chips on the betting layout, the wheel is spun, and you are paid if the ball lands on a number your bet covers. The sequence is the same online and in a live casino, and a single round takes under a minute. Here is the flow from start to finish.
- Choose your table. Check the wheel type and the table limits first. A single-zero European or French wheel is always the better-value choice over an American double-zero wheel.
- Place your bets. Put chips on the numbers, colours or groups you want to back. You can place several bets at once, mixing inside and outside bets on the same spin.
- Wait for the spin. The croupier spins the wheel and releases the ball, then calls “no more bets” as it slows. Online, you confirm your bet and the spin plays out automatically.
- Collect winnings. When the ball settles, the winning number is marked, losing bets are cleared, and winning bets are paid at the odds for that bet type.
- Repeat or leave. Chips left on the table can ride to the next spin, or you can pick them up and cash out. Setting a limit before you start keeps the session in check.
The roulette wheel and table layout
A roulette wheel holds 37 pockets on a European wheel or 38 on an American wheel: the numbers 1 to 36 plus a single zero, and on the American wheel a second double-zero pocket. The numbers 1 to 36 alternate red and black, while the zero and double zero are green. The numbers are not arranged in order around the rim; they are deliberately scattered so that high and low, and red and black, are balanced around the wheel.
The betting table, or layout, is a printed grid that mirrors the wheel. The 36 numbers sit in three columns, with the zero (and double zero) at the top. Around the grid are the outside betting areas for red or black, odd or even, high or low, the dozens and the columns. Chips placed inside the grid are “inside bets” on specific numbers, while chips on the surrounding boxes are “outside bets” on larger groups.
How many numbers are on a roulette wheel?
A European roulette wheel has 37 numbers: 1 to 36 plus a single zero. An American wheel has 38, adding a double zero. That one extra pocket is the whole difference between the two games, and it nearly doubles the house edge, which is why the number count on the wheel is the first thing to check before you sit down.
Roulette bet types at a glance
Roulette bets split into two families: inside bets on specific numbers, which pay more but win less often, and outside bets on large groups, which pay less but win close to half the time. The table below shows the main bets with their payouts and their chance of winning on a single-zero European wheel. For the full breakdown, including the house edge on every bet, see our dedicated guide to roulette odds and payouts.
| Bet | Covers | Payout | Win chance (European) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight up | 1 number | 35:1 | 2.7% |
| Split | 2 numbers | 17:1 | 5.4% |
| Street | 3 numbers | 11:1 | 8.1% |
| Corner | 4 numbers | 8:1 | 10.8% |
| Line | 6 numbers | 5:1 | 16.2% |
| Column / Dozen | 12 numbers | 2:1 | 32.4% |
| Red/Black, Odd/Even, High/Low | 18 numbers | 1:1 | 48.6% |
Notice that the payout always matches the risk: a straight-up number is hard to hit but pays 35 times your stake, while an even-money bet lands almost half the time but only doubles your money. On a European wheel, all of these carry the same 2.70% house edge, so no bet is smarter than another in the long run. The choice is about how you want the risk to feel, not about beating the odds.
Roulette odds and the house edge
The house edge in roulette comes entirely from the zero. On a European wheel there are 37 pockets but the top payout is 35:1, as if there were only 36. That gap is the casino's margin, and it works out to 2.70% of every bet on average. Add a second zero for the American wheel and the margin nearly doubles to 5.26%. French roulette can cut the edge on even-money bets to 1.35% through the La Partage rule, making it the best value on the floor.
Use the comparator below to see how the three wheels stack up. The figures are the long-run cost of each style of play, and they are the single most important number in the game.
European, American and French roulette
The three main roulette variants share the same bets but differ in the one place that matters: the zeros. Choosing the right wheel is the easiest edge you can give yourself, and it costs nothing.
European roulette
European roulette uses a single-zero wheel of 37 pockets, giving a flat 2.70% house edge on every bet. It is the standard across most of the world and the baseline every other version is measured against. If you see both a European and an American table, the European one is always the better choice.
American roulette
American roulette adds a double-zero pocket for 38 in total, which pushes the house edge to 5.26% on almost every bet. The bets and payouts look identical to the European game, but that one extra green pocket costs you roughly twice as much over time. Avoid it when a single-zero wheel is available.
French roulette
French roulette is a single-zero wheel with a player-friendly twist: the La Partage rule returns half your even-money bet if the ball lands on zero, cutting the edge on those bets to just 1.35%. The related En Prison rule works similarly. That makes French roulette the best-value version for red/black and odd/even players. Our full French roulette guide explains both rules in detail.
Is there a winning roulette strategy?
No betting system can beat roulette over time, because every spin is independent and the house edge applies to every bet no matter how you size or sequence it. Systems like the Martingale, D'Alembert and Fibonacci change how your wins and losses are distributed, and they can feel effective in a short session, but none of them removes the built-in margin. The maths on this is settled.
What you can control is the value of the game you play and how long your bankroll lasts. Choosing a single-zero or French wheel, betting within a set budget, and treating roulette as entertainment rather than income are the genuinely smart moves. For a clear-eyed look at the popular systems and why they fall short, read our guide to roulette strategy and betting systems.
Live dealer roulette vs RNG roulette
Online you will meet two kinds of roulette: RNG games, where a random number generator decides each result, and live dealer games, where a real croupier spins a physical wheel streamed to your screen. Both use the same odds and payouts, so the choice is about experience, not value. RNG roulette is faster and available around the clock, while live roulette feels closer to a real casino and lets you watch the wheel.
Licensed RNG roulette is tested for fairness by independent labs, and the random generator is audited, so results cannot be predicted or influenced. Live roulette adds the reassurance of a visible wheel. Whichever you prefer, sticking to licensed Canadian operators is what guarantees the game is fair. You can find both formats at our tested live dealer casinos.
Common roulette myths, and is roulette rigged?
Licensed online roulette is not rigged. Games at regulated Canadian casinos use audited random number generators or real wheels, and results are independent of each other, so no result is “due” and the wheel has no memory. The most common roulette myths all come from a single mistaken belief that past spins affect future ones, which they do not.
- “Red is due after a run of black.” Each spin is independent, so a long run of one colour does not change the odds of the next spin. This is the gambler's fallacy.
- “Hot and cold numbers predict the next result.” Numbers that have appeared often or rarely carry no predictive weight. The next spin is still a fresh 1-in-37 chance for every number.
- “Betting systems guarantee a profit.” No staking pattern changes the house edge. Systems redistribute wins and losses but cannot turn a negative-edge game positive.
- “Online roulette is fixed.” Licensed operators are independently tested and audited. The way to stay safe is to play only at regulated, licensed casinos.
