Roulette wheels and bets: the essentials
Roulette is a wheel game where you bet on which numbered pocket the ball will land in. A European wheel has 37 pockets (1 to 36 plus a single zero) and an American wheel has 38, adding a double zero. Payouts are the same on both, so the extra pocket simply raises the house's share, as our European against American comparison shows.
Bets fall into two groups. Inside bets cover one to six numbers and pay more, from 35 to 1 on a straight up bet. Outside bets cover 12 or 18 numbers, such as dozens, columns and red or black, and pay 2 to 1 or even money. French and live tables also take call bets on sections of the wheel, such as voisins du zéro.
Roulette odds and payouts for every standard bet
Every standard bet is paid as if the wheel had 36 numbers. On a single-zero wheel that gap gives the house 1/37, or 2.70%, on every bet; on a double-zero wheel it is 2/38, or 5.26%. The chances below are counted from the pockets on a single-zero wheel.
Roulette payouts, single-zero chances and house edge| Bet | Numbers covered | Pays | Chance (single zero) | House edge: single / double zero |
|---|
| Straight up | 1 | 35 to 1 | 1 in 37 (2.70%) | 2.70% / 5.26% |
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| Split | 2 | 17 to 1 | 2 in 37 (5.41%) | 2.70% / 5.26% |
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| Street | 3 | 11 to 1 | 3 in 37 (8.11%) | 2.70% / 5.26% |
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| Corner | 4 | 8 to 1 | 4 in 37 (10.81%) | 2.70% / 5.26% |
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| Six line | 6 | 5 to 1 | 6 in 37 (16.22%) | 2.70% / 5.26% |
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| Dozen or column | 12 | 2 to 1 | 12 in 37 (32.43%) | 2.70% / 5.26% |
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| Red/black, odd/even, high/low | 18 | 1 to 1 | 18 in 37 (48.65%) | 2.70% / 5.26% |
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| Top line 0-00-1-2-3 | 5 | 6 to 1 | Double zero only: 5 in 38 | — / 7.89% |
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In pounds: £10 a spin at 2.70% costs about 27p a spin on average. At 5.26% the same bet costs about 53p. Try your own stakes in the roulette odds calculator.
The basics
HistoryThe history of roulette from the Pascal legend and 18th-century Paris to the Blanc single zero, Monte Carlo and today's UK live tables, with a timelinHouse edgeThe roulette house edge is 2.70% on a single-zero wheel and 5.26% on a double-zero one. Where it comes from, what it costs per hour and how to pay lesHow to playHow to play roulette in plain steps: the wheel, where chips go, what each bet pays, how a round runs online or live, and what a session really costs. MythsRoulette myths about systems, due numbers, rigged online wheels, covering the table and Lightning odds, each checked against the real maths and UK rulOddsRoulette odds for every bet, worked out from the pockets: single number 1 in 37, red 18 in 37, plus streak odds, session odds and the myths that cost PayoutsRoulette payouts for every bet, from 35 to 1 on a single number to even money on red, with worked £ returns, call bets and how variants change the priRNG vs liveRNG roulette vs live roulette compared: how each picks a number, why the 2.70% edge is identical, speed and cost per hour, wheel bias, testing and UK Table layoutThe roulette table layout explained: the number grid, zero, the outside boxes, where chips go for every bet, and how European and American layouts difWheel numbersThe roulette wheel numbers order for European and American wheels, which numbers are red or black, why they sit where they do and what it means for be Inside and outside bets
Basket and top line betsBasket and top line bets in roulette cover zero plus the lowest numbers. Payouts, odds and why the American five-number bet carries a 7.89% house edgeCall betsRoulette call bets cover whole sections of the wheel: voisins, tiers, orphelins, jeu zéro and neighbours. Chips, payouts, the 2.70% edge and UK tips. Column betA column bet in roulette covers 12 numbers in one vertical line and pays 2 to 1. Which numbers are in each column, the 32.43% odds and the 2.70% edge.Corner betA corner bet in roulette covers four numbers that meet at one point and pays 8 to 1. Real 4 in 37 odds, the 2.70% edge, the first four and overlaps. 1Dozen betA dozen bet in roulette backs 1–12, 13–24 or 25–36 and pays 2 to 1. Real odds of 12 in 37, the 2.70% edge, the two-dozen spread and what it costs. 18+High or lowA high or low roulette bet covers 1–18 or 19–36 and pays even money. Real odds, the 2.70% edge, La Partage, zero and costs per hour in pounds. 18+Inside betsRoulette inside bets explained: straight up, split, street, corner and six line payouts, true odds, the 2.70% edge and what each one costs you. 18+Neighbours betA neighbours bet in roulette backs a number and the two either side of it on the wheel with five straight-ups. Odds, payouts, costs and how to place iOdd or evenOdd or even roulette bets pay 1 to 1 and win 18 in 37 spins. Why zero counts as neither, the 2.70% edge, how odd and even overlap with colours and cosOutside betsRoulette outside bets explained: red or black, odd or even, high or low, dozens and columns, their real odds, what zero costs and when La Partage helpRed or blackRed or black in roulette pays even money but wins 18 in 37 spins, not half. The 2.70% edge, how La Partage halves it, colour streaks and Martingale maSix line betA six line bet in roulette covers two rows of three numbers and pays 5 to 1. The 6 in 37 odds, the 2.70% edge, chip placement and real cost in pounds.Split betA split bet in roulette covers two touching numbers and pays 17 to 1. Real odds, the 2.70% edge, every split on the layout and call bets that use themStraight up betA straight up bet in roulette backs one number at 35 to 1. See the true 36 to 1 odds, the 2.70% edge, how long a number can stay away and multipliers.Street betA street bet in roulette covers a row of three numbers and pays 11 to 1. See all 12 streets, the 3 in 37 odds, the 2.70% edge, trio bets and placing o French bets and rules
En PrisonThe en prison rule holds an even-money bet for one more spin when zero lands. How release works, the 1.39% edge and how it compares with La Partage. 1Jeu zeroThe jeu zero bet covers the 7 numbers around zero with 4 chips. See where each chip goes, what every hit pays, the 7 in 37 odds and the 2.70% edge. 18La PartageThe La Partage rule returns half your even-money stake when zero lands, cutting the edge from 2.70% to 1.35%. Exact maths, pound costs and which bets OrphelinsThe orphelins bet covers the 8 roulette numbers left outside voisins and tiers, using 5 chips. Where they go, why 17 pays double, odds and the 2.70% eTiers du cylindreTiers du cylindre covers the 12 numbers opposite zero with six splits. Chip placement, the 2 to 1 overall payout, odds, costs and the 10-chip version.Voisins du zéroVoisins du zero covers the 17 numbers around zero with 9 chips. Where every chip goes, what each number pays, the 45.95% hit rate and the 2.70% edge. Betting systems explained
Betting systemsRoulette betting systems such as Martingale, Fibonacci and d'Alembert change your stake, never the 2.70% edge. See the maths, streak odds and real cosD'Alembert systemThe D'Alembert system adds one unit to your roulette stake after a loss and takes one off after a win. Why it feels safe, what it costs and the UK rulFibonacci systemThe Fibonacci roulette system raises your stake one step along 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8 after a loss and drops two after a win. Losing-run odds and real cost.Hot and cold numbersHot and cold numbers in roulette are just recent results. Why every number stays a 1 in 37 shot, how often streaks happen by chance and what UK rules James Bond strategyThe James Bond roulette strategy splits £200 across 19–36, the 13–18 six line and zero. Payouts for every result, the true 2.70% edge and who it suitsLabouchere systemThe Labouchere system uses a line of numbers to set roulette stakes, crossing two off per win and adding one per loss. Worked examples, odds and real Martingale systemThe Martingale system in roulette doubles your stake after each loss. Real odds of losing streaks, table limits, worked pound examples and why it failParoli systemThe Paroli system bets 1, 2 then 4 units on a roulette winning run and resets after a loss or three wins. Odds of each cycle, real cost and UK rules. Reverse MartingaleThe reverse Martingale doubles your roulette stake after each win and resets after a loss. See the streak odds, the 2.70% edge it can't shift and the Roulette variants and live roulette
American rouletteAmerican roulette adds a 00 pocket, giving 38 numbers and a 5.26% house edge, or 7.89% on the five-number bet. Odds, costs and how it compares in the Auto rouletteAuto roulette uses a real automated wheel with no dealer, running 60 to 80 games an hour. European, French and American versions, odds and cost comparDouble ball rouletteDouble ball roulette spins two balls for two winning numbers per spin, with payouts up to 1,300 to 1. The two-ball odds, fair payouts and how to judgeEuropean rouletteEuropean roulette uses a 37-pocket single-zero wheel with a 2.70% house edge on every bet. Rules, odds table, live formats and pound costs explained. French rouletteFrench roulette uses a single-zero wheel plus La Partage or En Prison, cutting the even-money edge to 1.35%. Layout terms, odds and costs explained. 1Immersive RouletteImmersive Roulette is Evolution’s multi-camera live roulette with 200fps slow-motion replays. How it plays, the single-zero odds, pace and cost per hoLightning RouletteLightning Roulette explained: 29 to 1 straight-ups, 50x–500x Lucky Number multipliers, the 97.10%–97.30% RTP range and what each bet really costs. 18+Live rouletteLive roulette in the UK: how dealer studios work, European, French, American, speed and auto tables compared, cost per hour in pounds and the UK rulesMega RouletteMega Roulette is Pragmatic Play's live single-zero game with 1 to 5 Mega Multipliers of 50x to 500x on straight-up bets. Rules, odds, Mega Bets and coMini rouletteMini roulette uses a 13-pocket wheel (0 to 12). Payouts, real odds, why the house edge is 3.85% to 7.69% against 2.70% for European roulette, and costQuantum RouletteQuantum Roulette is a Playtech Live roulette game with a modern twist. How to read its rules, RTP and payouts, the maths of boosted roulette and UK ruSpeed rouletteSpeed roulette packs a live spin into about 25 seconds, roughly double the rounds of a standard table. The odds, the real hourly cost and UK speed rulXXXtreme Lightning RouletteXXXtreme Lightning Roulette explained: up to 10 lightning spots, Chain Lightning, Double Strikes to 2,000x, the published RTP and the real odds of a h Which roulette game to play: wheels, French rules and variants
Pick a single-zero wheel wherever you can. Better still for even-money bets is French roulette with the La Partage rule, which returns half an even-money stake when zero lands and cuts that bet's edge to 1.35%. Inside bets, dozens and columns keep the 2.70% edge.
Multiplier games trade base payouts for rare big wins. In Evolution's Lightning Roulette, one to five Lucky Numbers each round pay 50x to 500x on straight-up bets, but an unboosted straight up pays 29 to 1 instead of 35 to 1; UK operator game pages list its RTP at up to 97.30%. Mini roulette, with 13 pockets, carries higher edges than the standard wheel.
Roulette betting systems and UK rules
No staking pattern changes the edge on a single bet, so no system changes the edge overall. Wizard of Odds' simulations found Martingale, Fibonacci, d'Alembert and Labouchère players all lost at the house-edge rate; see our betting systems hub and the Wizard of Odds roulette guide (opens in a new tab) for the maths. Past numbers don't predict future spins either.
In Great Britain, RNG roulette must produce acceptably random results that match a real wheel's probabilities. Since 17 January 2025, autoplay is banned for all online casino games and each round must take at least 5 seconds. The £5 and £2 slot stake limits don't apply to roulette; each table sets its own limits. Live roulette uses a physical wheel streamed from a studio.
18+. Every casino game has a built-in house edge, so over time you should expect to lose what you stake. Set a budget before you play and stop when it’s gone: safer gambling tools and support. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best odds in roulette?
Even-money bets on a French table with La Partage give the lowest edge, 1.35%, because half the stake comes back when zero lands. Otherwise, every bet on a single-zero wheel has the same 2.70% edge, whatever its payout. The bet with the highest chance of winning is an even-money bet, at 18 in 37. Our answer to what the best bet in roulette is goes through each option.
Is European roulette better than American roulette?
Yes, for cost. European roulette has one zero and a 2.70% house edge; American roulette adds a double zero, which raises the edge to 5.26% on most bets and 7.89% on the five-number top line. Payouts are the same, so the extra pocket only helps the house. At £10 a spin, that is about 27p against 53p a spin on average. See American roulette for the full comparison.
Does the Martingale system work in roulette?
No. Doubling after each loss produces lots of small wins, but a run of losses quickly hits your budget or the table limit, and one such loss wipes out many small gains. On a single-zero wheel, the chance of losing eight even-money bets in a row is about 1 in 207. Simulations show Martingale players lose at the same rate as flat bettors. Our Martingale page shows the numbers.
Is online roulette random?
Yes, at UK-licensed casinos. RNG roulette must produce results that are acceptably random and match a real wheel's probabilities, and the Gambling Commission requires games to be tested before release. Live roulette uses a real wheel and ball filmed in a studio. Neither version remembers past spins, so hot and cold numbers have no predictive value. Read more in RNG against live roulette.
What does a straight-up bet pay in Lightning Roulette?
An unboosted straight-up win pays 29 to 1, not the usual 35 to 1, according to Evolution's game page. The difference funds the Lucky Number multipliers of 50x to 500x that land on one to five numbers each round. Other bets, such as splits and red or black, pay their normal amounts. UK operator pages list the RTP at up to 97.30%. Our Lightning Roulette page explains the trade-off.
By the BonusKing editorial team. Last checked .