What happens to outside bets when zero lands? On a standard European or American table, every outside bet loses: red, black, odd, even, high, low, dozens and columns. The exceptions are French-rules tables, where La Partage hands back half of an even-money stake, or En Prison holds it for the next spin.
Standard rules: all outside bets lose when 0 (or 00) lands.
La Partage returns half of each even-money stake, cutting that bet's edge from 2.70% to about 1.35%.
En Prison holds the even-money bet for one more spin; it costs about 1.39% with single imprisonment.
Dozens and columns never get these rules: they always lose on zero.
Zero lands 1 time in 37 on a single-zero wheel, about 2.7 times per 100 spins on average.
Zero chance (single zero)
1 in 37 (2.70%)
Zero chance (double zero wheel)
2 in 38 (5.26%)
Standard outcome
All outside bets lose
La Partage
Half of even-money stake back
Even-money edge with La Partage
About 1.35%
What happens to outside bets when zero lands: the direct answer
Zero is neither red nor black, neither odd nor even, and it falls outside both 1–18 and 19–36. It is not part of any dozen or column either. So when the ball drops into the green pocket, every outside bet on a normal table is a losing bet, and the dealer clears the chips.
That single green pocket is where the casino's advantage on these bets comes from. Without it, red or black would be a fair coin flip paying even money. With it, the house wins every outside bet roughly once every 37 spins. Our roulette hub and roulette house edge page explain the wider picture.
Outside bets and zero under each roulette rule
What happens to each outside bet when zero lands
Bet
Pays
Standard European
La Partage (French)
En Prison
American (0 or 00)
Red or black
1 to 1
Loses
Half returned
Held for next spin
Loses
Odd or even
1 to 1
Loses
Half returned
Held for next spin
Loses
High (19–36) or low (1–18)
1 to 1
Loses
Half returned
Held for next spin
Loses
Dozens
2 to 1
Loses
Loses
Loses
Loses
Columns
2 to 1
Loses
Loses
Loses
Loses
The two special rules only ever apply to even-money bets. Wizard of Odds' roulette basics (opens in a new tab) describes them: under La Partage the player gets half the bet back, and under En Prison the bet can be imprisoned and released, without winnings, if it wins on the next spin.
La Partage: losing half when zero lands
With La Partage, a £10 bet on red becomes a £5 loss when zero lands, rather than a £10 loss. The house edge on even-money bets halves, from 2.70% to about 1.35%. Evolution's French Roulette uses this rule, according to its live roulette range (opens in a new tab).
Here is the arithmetic over an ideal 37-spin cycle with £10 on red each spin:
£10 on red for 37 spins, standard rules against La Partage
Result
Spins
Standard European
La Partage
Red wins
18
+£180
+£180
Black wins
18
−£180
−£180
Zero lands
1
−£10
−£5
Net over 37 spins
37
−£10 (2.70% of £370)
−£5 (1.35% of £370)
That makes even-money bets on a La Partage table the cheapest standard bets in roulette, which is why our best bet in roulette answer points to them.
En Prison: your bet held for one more spin
Under En Prison, a zero doesn't settle your even-money bet straight away. It is 'imprisoned' and stays on the table. If it wins on the next spin, you get the stake back without winnings; if it loses, it's gone. Casinos differ on what happens when zero lands again while a bet is imprisoned: it may lose or be imprisoned a second time.
Standard game maths puts single imprisonment at an expected loss of about 1.39% and unlimited imprisonment at about 1.37%. Both are slightly worse than La Partage's 1.35%, but far better than the 2.70% of a standard table. Check the help screen to see which rule your table uses, because many online French tables use La Partage only.
Why dozens and column bets get no zero protection
A dozens bet or a column bet covers 12 numbers and pays 2 to 1. Zero sits outside all three dozens and all three columns, so it loses these bets on every table, French ones included. On a single-zero wheel the chance of winning is 12 in 37 (32.43%) and the edge is 2.70%, the same as most other bets.
Even on a French table, only red/black, odd/even and high/low benefit from La Partage or En Prison. Inside bets, dozens and columns keep the full 2.70% edge.
Outside bets when zero or double zero lands on American roulette
An American roulette wheel has two green pockets, 0 and 00. Either one beats every outside bet, so the chance of an even-money bet losing to green is 2 in 38 (5.26%), and the house edge doubles to 5.26%. Even-money bets on this wheel win 47.37% of the time against 48.65% on a single-zero wheel. Standard American tables don't offer La Partage, which is another reason to choose European roulette or a French table instead.
How often does zero land? Outside bet odds over a session
Zero has the same chance as any other number: 1 in 37 on a single-zero wheel. Over 100 spins you'd expect it about 2.7 times on average, but it can turn up several times in a row or not at all for a long stretch. The chance of at least one zero in 60 spins is about 80.7%, so over an hour at a typical pace you are more likely than not to see one.
Each spin is independent, so a zero is never 'due' and never 'unlikely to repeat'. The wheel has no memory, as our page on the gambler's fallacy explains. Even-money players sometimes bet on zero as 'insurance', but that adds a second bet with its own 2.70% edge; it doesn't reduce the cost of the first.
Myths about zero and outside bets
Myth: zero counts as even. In roulette, zero is not odd or even for betting purposes, so an even bet loses.
Myth: zero is a bigger pocket. It is the same size as every numbered pocket.
Myth: La Partage applies to dozens. It covers even-money bets only.
Myth: covering zero alongside red removes the edge. Each bet still carries 2.70%.
Myth: some betting systems protect you from zero. A Martingale still loses on zero, often at the largest stake in the sequence.
How to check what zero does at your online roulette table
Open the game and find the help or rules screen (often an 'i' or '?' icon).
Check the wheel type: one zero (European or French) or two zeros (American).
Search the rules for 'La Partage', 'En Prison' or a line about even-money bets on zero.
Note which bets the rule covers; expect it to apply to even-money bets only.
Check the stated RTP: a French table with La Partage shows a higher RTP for even-money bets.
UK notes for roulette players
UK rules don't set a maximum stake for roulette; the £5 and £2 limits cover online slots only. Online casino games other than slots must allow at least 5 seconds per game cycle, autoplay is banned and your net spend and session time must be on screen. Treat even the cheapest bet as a cost: the expected loss never turns into a profit over time. Our house edge guide explains why.
Where to play French and European roulette in the UK
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Frequently asked questions
What happens to outside bets when zero lands?
On a standard European or American table, all outside bets lose when zero lands. That covers red, black, odd, even, high, low, dozens and columns. On a French table using La Partage, even-money bets lose only half the stake; with En Prison, they are held for one more spin. Dozens and columns lose on zero on every table. Our outside bets page explains each bet.
Do you lose everything on red if zero comes up?
On a standard table, yes: a bet on red loses in full when zero lands, because zero is green. On a French-rules table with La Partage, you get half your stake back, so a £10 bet on red loses £5. With En Prison, the bet is held and returned without winnings if red wins on the next spin. Our red or black guide covers the odds.
Is zero odd or even in roulette?
For betting purposes zero is neither odd nor even. Mathematically zero is even, but on a roulette table it beats both the odd and the even bet. That is deliberate: it gives the casino its edge on even-money bets. On a La Partage table, an odd or even bet gets half back when zero lands. See our odd or even page for the full odds.
Does La Partage apply to dozens and columns?
No. La Partage and En Prison apply only to even-money bets: red/black, odd/even and high/low. Dozens and columns pay 2 to 1 and lose in full when zero lands, so they keep the standard 2.70% edge on a single-zero wheel. If you want the lower 1.35% edge, you must bet even-money on a table that uses the rule. Our La Partage page explains it step by step.
Is La Partage better than En Prison?
Slightly, yes. Standard game maths gives La Partage an edge of about 1.35% on even-money bets, against about 1.39% for En Prison with single imprisonment and about 1.37% with unlimited imprisonment. The difference is small; both are about half the cost of a standard table. What matters more is finding a table that offers either rule. Our French roulette page covers where they appear.
Do inside bets lose when zero lands?
Inside bets that include zero win, and all others lose. You can bet on zero straight up at 35 to 1, or in a split or basket that includes it. Inside bets never get La Partage protection. A bet on, say, 17 simply loses when zero lands, as it would for any other losing number. Our can you bet on zero answer has the details.
How often does zero come up in roulette?
On a single-zero wheel, zero lands 1 time in 37 on average, or about 2.7 times per 100 spins. On a double-zero wheel, one of the two green pockets lands 2 times in 38. These are averages: zero can repeat or go missing for long spells, because every spin is independent. Our roulette odds guide lists the chance of every result.
Should I bet on zero to protect my outside bets?
Betting on zero doesn't protect anything; it's simply another bet. A straight-up on zero carries the same 2.70% edge as your outside bet, so together you lose 2.70% of the total staked on average. It changes how results are spread, not the cost. The only rule that lowers the cost of outside bets is La Partage or En Prison. Our betting systems page explains why combinations don't beat the edge.
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