By the time you read these lines you should be super familiar with roulette, right? You’ve gone through all our articles/courses on how to play, the components of the game, and betting strategies, haven’t you? If you haven’t, we encourage you to familiarise yourself fully with the game before worrying about odds. If you have, well, then what are we waiting for? Let’s dive in and find out what your chances are at the game of roulette.
If you’re new to casinos, there are plenty of terms that might sound confusing, or interchangeable. For example, there are betting odds versus the return to player (RTP). While both refer to player wins or losses, they don’t have the same meaning as each other.
Return to Player (RTP) is the total percentage of all bets placed over an extended period that end up going back to players. It is the opposite number to the house edge, which is the percentage of bets the casino expects to keep as profits.
RTP is usually calculated over the long term, so its primary use is to understand which tables or games are more volatile or risky. In general, the house edge on a single roulette spin (European) is 2.7%. That means the casino expects to keep an average of 2.7% of total bets over time.
Odds, on the contrary, are the specific chances, per bet, that you will win. With roulette, the odds greatly depend on what type of bet you make. For example, as there are 37 numbers on a European table, if you choose any one number, your odds are 37:1 that you will win. However, if you choose an outside bet like red, then your odds are 2:1, as half the numbers are red.
It’s important to note that these odds can be affected by the type of table and the house numbers 0 and 00.
There is very little difference in the RTP and real odds when playing American vs European or French roulette. However, due to the extra 00 slot, that difference does exist, albeit small. There is also a small rules difference around the zero and double zero. In American roulette, players lose if the ball lands here (unless they bet on it), while French roulette allows players to keep half their wager if the ball lands on 0 (partage). These rules also affect the RTP and odds slightly.
These tables show the expected RTP, odds and payouts of various bets in American vs European vs French roulette:
American roulette | ||||
Bet type | Payout | Probability | House edge | RTP |
Straight | 35/1 | 2.63% | 5.26% | 94.74% |
Split | 17/1 | 5.26% | 5.26% | 94.74% |
Street | 11/1 | 7.89% | 5.26% | 94.74% |
Corner | 8/1 | 10.53% | 5.26% | 94.74% |
Five line | 6/1 | 13.16% | 7.89% | 92.11% |
Six line | 5/1 | 15.79% | 5.26% | 94.74% |
Column | 2/1 | 31.58% | 5.26% | 94.74% |
Dozen | 2/1 | 31.58% | 5.26% | 94.74% |
Colours | 1/1 | 46.37% | 5.26% | 94.74% |
Odds/evens | 1/1 | 46.37% | 5.26% | 94.74% |
High/low | 1/1 | 46.37% | 5.26% | 94.74% |
European roulette | ||||
Bet type | Payout | Probability | House edge | RTP |
Straight | 35/1 | 2.70% | 2.70% | 97.30% |
Split | 17/1 | 5.41% | 2.70% | 97.30% |
Street | 11/1 | 8.11% | 2.70% | 97.30% |
Corner | 8/1 | 10.81% | 2.70% | 97.30% |
Five line | 5/1 | 16.2% | 2.70% | 97.30% |
Six line | 2/1 | 32.4% | 2.70% | 97.30% |
Column | 2/1 | 32.4% | 2.70% | 97.30% |
Dozen | 1/1 | 48.64% | 2.70% | 97.30% |
Colours | 1/1 | 48.64% | 2.70% | 97.30% |
Odds/evens | 1/1 | 48.64% | 2.70% | 97.30% |
French roulette | ||||
Bet type | Payout | Probability | House edge | RTP |
Straight | 35/1 | 2.70% | 2.70% | 97.30% |
Split | 17/1 | 5.41% | 2.70% | 97.30% |
Street | 11/1 | 8.11% | 2.70% | 97.30% |
Trio (0,1,2 / 0,2,3) | 11/1 | 8.11% | 2.70% | 97.30% |
Four-number (0,1,2,3) | 8/1 | 10.81% | 2.70% | 97.30% |
Corner | 8/1 | 10.81% | 2.70% | 97.30% |
Six line | 5/1 | 16.2% | 2.70% | 97.30% |
Column | 2/1 | 32.4% | 2.70% | 97.30% |
Dozen | 2/1 | 32.4% | 2.70% | 97.30% |
Colours | 1/1 | 48.64% | 2.70% | 97.30% |
Odds/evens | 1/1 | 48.64% | 2.70% | 97.30% |
High/low | 1/1 | 48.64% | 2.70% | 97.30% |
Video roulette games differ from traditional roulette in that they are completely randomly generated, and there is no croupier involved. It’s just you and the algorithm. Having said that, the odds in video roulette are usually much the same as live dealer, though the game designer can build volatility into a video game, which can influence frequency and regularity of wins.
Online casino games fortunately often include statistical information like the game’s RTP, volatility etc. Take the time to check these details out to find out more about your favourite game.
A payout is not the same as the odds, although they are quite close in roulette. For example, the actual odds of hitting a single number are 38:1 for American and 37:1 for European roulette, and the payout is 35:1 in both versions.
Roulette offers a variety of types of bet. We cover these in considerably more detail in our other roulette guides/courses, but here is a list of the types of bet that can be placed, and their payouts:
Are you a fan of the roulette wheel? Do the odds favour you? Share your thoughts and help your fellow gamblers have more fun at the wheel!
