An inside bet is a roulette wager placed on the numbered grid in the middle of the table, covering anything from a single number to a block of six. Inside bets pay more than outside bets because they win less often, but on a single-zero wheel every one of them carries the same 2.70% house edge.
Inside bets are the straight up, split, street, corner and six line, plus the zero-based basket bets.
Payouts run from 35 to 1 for one number down to 5 to 1 for six numbers.
Each standard inside bet costs 2.70% of the stake on a single-zero wheel and 5.26% on a double-zero wheel.
Higher payouts mean bigger swings, not better value: the average cost per spin is the same as an outside bet.
Covers
1 to 6 numbers on the grid
Top payout
35 to 1 (straight up)
Lowest payout
5 to 1 (six line)
House edge, single zero
2.70%
House edge, double zero
5.26% (7.89% top line)
What an inside bet is
On a roulette table layout, the numbers 0 to 36 sit in a central grid of three columns and twelve rows. Any chip placed on a number, or on a line or corner where numbers meet, is an inside bet. Everything around the edge of that grid, such as red or black, dozens and columns, is an outside bet.
The name is purely about position. It says nothing about value, skill or risk level beyond one simple rule: the fewer numbers a bet covers, the higher it pays and the less often it lands. The term sits in our casino glossary alongside the general layout entry, and our full guide to inside bets in roulette goes through chip placement for each one.
Inside bet types, payouts and odds
Wizard of Odds' roulette basics (opens in a new tab) lists the standard payouts, which are the same on single-zero and double-zero wheels. The chances below come from counting pockets: 37 on a European wheel, 38 on an American one.
Single-zero tables may also take bets on 0-1-2, 0-2-3 or 0-1-2-3. Payouts for these zero-based combinations differ between games, so check the game's help screen before staking. Our page on the basket bet explains the American version.
Why every inside bet has the same house edge
Roulette pays each bet as if the wheel had 36 numbers. A split covering 2 numbers would be a fair bet at 17 to 1 on a 36-number wheel, because 2 wins out of 36 spins return 2 × 18 = 36 units for 36 staked. The real wheel has 37 pockets, so the same 36 units come back for 37 staked, and the missing unit is the house's 1/37, or 2.70%.
That reasoning works for every standard bet on the cloth, so a straight up and a six line cost exactly the same on average. On a double-zero wheel the gap is 2 pockets in 38, or 5.26%, and the five-number top line is worse at 7.89% because it pays 6 to 1 for 5 numbers. Our house edge guide shows the general formula.
Worked example: £1 a number for 37 spins
Put £1 on one number for 37 spins at a single-zero table. On average the number lands once, paying £35 plus the £1 stake back, while the other 36 spins lose £1 each. That is £36 back from £37 staked: an average loss of £1, which is the 2.70% edge.
The average hides a wide spread. The chance of the number not landing at all in 37 spins is (36/37) multiplied by itself 37 times, which works out at about 36%. So roughly one session in three of this length ends with no hit and a £37 loss, while a session with two or three hits finishes well ahead. This is what variance means in practice.
Inside bets against outside bets
On a European wheel with standard rules, inside and outside bets share the 2.70% edge. The difference is how the result arrives: outside bets win close to half the time for small amounts, inside bets win rarely for larger ones. French tables change this slightly. Under La Partage, even-money outside bets lose only half the stake when zero lands, cutting their edge to 1.35%, while inside bets keep 2.70%.
Branded games can also change inside payouts. In Evolution's Lightning Roulette (opens in a new tab), a straight up without a multiplier pays 29 to 1 rather than 35 to 1, while splits, corners and other bets pay as normal. Our Lightning Roulette guide covers how that trade works.
Where you meet the term
On every RNG and live roulette table, where the grid of numbers is the inside area.
In call bets such as Voisins du Zéro, which are bundles of splits, streets and corners placed by name.
In betting systems that spread chips across many numbers; no spread changes the edge, as our page on the Martingale shows.
In bonus terms, where roulette is often excluded or counts for less towards wagering.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the best inside bet in roulette?
No inside bet is better value than another, because each standard one carries the same 2.70% edge on a single-zero wheel. What changes is how often you win: a six line lands about 16% of the time for 5 to 1, a straight up 2.70% of the time for 35 to 1. Pick by how much swing you want, and avoid the American top line, which costs 7.89%. Our guide to the best bet in roulette compares all the options.
How many numbers does an inside bet cover?
A standard inside bet covers between one and six numbers. A straight up covers one, a split two, a street three, a corner four and a six line six; the American top line covers five, including 0 and 00. Anything that covers 12 or 18 numbers, such as a dozen or red, is an outside bet instead. The roulette inside bets guide shows where each chip goes on the grid.
Are inside bets riskier than outside bets?
Inside bets are more volatile, but they do not cost more on average. A straight up loses 36 spins in 37, so a small budget can run out with no win at all, while red or black wins almost half the time. Over many spins both lose about 2.70% of the total staked on a single-zero wheel. Our outside bets guide explains the steadier alternative.
Does La Partage apply to inside bets?
No, La Partage applies only to even-money bets such as red, black, odd, even, high and low. When zero lands on a French table, those bets lose half the stake, which halves their edge to 1.35%. A straight up, split or corner simply loses when zero lands, so inside bets keep the full 2.70% edge. See our La Partage page for the arithmetic.
Can I bet on zero as an inside bet?
Yes, zero is part of the inside grid, so a chip on zero is a straight-up inside bet paying 35 to 1 with a 1 in 37 chance on a single-zero wheel. You can also usually split zero with a neighbouring number or bet small zero-based groups, although payouts for those groups vary by game. Our answer on betting on zero covers the options.
Why does a straight up pay 35 to 1 and not 36 to 1?
Because the payout is set as if the wheel had 36 numbers, and the extra zero pocket is where the house edge comes from. A truly fair price for 1 number in 37 would be 36 to 1. Paying 35 to 1 instead leaves the casino 1 unit for every 37 staked, which is 2.70%. Our page on true odds against payouts explains the gap for every bet.
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