European Roulette

Bets and payouts are the same as on any roulette table: 35:1 for a single number, 17:1 for two, 11:1 for three, 8:1 for four, 5:1 for six, 2:1 for a dozen or column, and 1:1 for red or black, odd or even, and 1–18 or 19–36. The layout and payouts are identical on both wheels; only the number of pockets changes, and with it the chance of winning.

The European wheel also has a different number sequence from the American wheel, and its layout supports "call bets" on sections of the wheel, such as voisins du zéro (the neighbours of zero) and tiers du cylindre (the third of the wheel opposite zero).

Every bet pays as if there were 36 pockets, but there are 37. On a single-zero wheel that gives the house an edge of 1/37, or 2.70%, on every bet. The American wheel's two zeros give 2/38, or 5.26%. Two rules, usually found on French roulette tables, cut the edge on even-money bets to 1.35% when the ball lands on zero:

• La Partage returns half of each even-money bet.
• En Prison holds the bet for the next spin, returning it if it then wins.

Single-zero roulette is the default online, and players who know the difference notice when a lobby pushes American wheels. Live studios build variants around the European wheel, such as multiplier roulettes that pay boosted amounts on random numbers, auto-roulette without a dealer, and tables for specific markets, while RNG developers offer the same games in digital form. Most of these variants adjust the payouts so the operator's margin stays close to the standard 2.70%.

Over 1,000 spins of 10 on red, a player on a European wheel can expect to lose about 270 in the long run; on an American wheel, about 526. With La Partage, the expected loss falls to about 135.

• Roulette — the full list of bets and how the game is played.
• House edge — how one pocket changes the margin.
• Live dealer — how roulette is streamed from studios.

Compare the studios that stream roulette in the live casino provider directory, RNG versions from game developers, and wheel manufacturers under hardware and equipment.