The Difference Between European And American Roulette

Roulette is universally recognized as one of the most iconic and popular games in casino history.


Choosing the wrong version of roulette is the most common and costly mistake new players make.

The Difference is in the Zeros

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 green zeros represent the house edgeAmerican roulette includes the 0 and the 00European roulette only utilizes the single 0
The Mathematics of the Two Wheels

With a house edge of 2.70%, European roulette is relatively fair compared to many other casino games.


This means you will lose money almost twice as fast playing the American version over the long term.

The En Prison and La Partage Rules

The "La Partage" rule dictates that if the ball lands on zero, you only lose half of your even-money bet.


This makes French roulette one of the most mathematically favorable table games on the entire casino floor.

GameWheel NumbersEdge with La PartageFrench371.35%American38N/A

Playing American roulette is a mathematical mistake that unnecessarily drains your bankroll twice as fast.