Roulette is universally recognized as one of the most iconic and popular games in casino history.
European and American roulette may look nearly identical to the untrained eye, but the math differs wildly.
The Extra Green Zero
The American wheel, however, has 38 pockets: numbers 1 through 36, a single zero (0), and a double zero (00).
While the payouts remain exactly the same, your odds of hitting a specific number decrease on the American wheel.
The extra number changes all probability calculationsThe betting layout is slightly larger on the American tableEuropean tables often use a different chip system
Comparing the House Edge
With a house edge of 2.70%, European roulette is relatively fair compared to many other casino games.
Statistically, for every $100 you wager, you expect to lose $2.70 on European and $5.26 on American.
Lowering the Edge Even Further
Some European, and particularly French, roulette tables offer player-friendly rules called "La Partage" or "En Prison."
This makes French roulette one of the most mathematically favorable table games on the entire casino floor.
TypeLong Term Loss per $100Player ValueSingle Zero$2.70ExcellentDouble Zero$5.26Terrible
The conclusion is incredibly simple: you should always seek out and exclusively play European or French roulette.
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Which Roulette Version is Better?
Charlotte Thorby edited this page 2026-08-04 13:23:29 +02:00