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Roulette is a game of chance with a fixed house edge. This page explains where that edge comes from, how it differs between wheels, and why no betting pattern changes it. There's no "best bet to win": on a given wheel, almost every bet carries the same edge.
| Wheel | Pockets | House edge |
|---|---|---|
| Single zero ("European") | 37 (1–36, 0) | 1/37 = 2.70% on all bets |
| Double zero ("American") | 38 (1–36, 0, 00) | 1/19 = 5.26% on all bets except the five-number bet (0-00-1-2-3), which is 7.89% |
| Triple zero | 39 (1–36, 0, 00 and a third green pocket) | 1/13 = 7.69% on every bet |
Source: Wizard of Odds, roulette basics (updated Aug 3, 2026, checked Oct 16, 2026). Wizard of Odds notes that the payouts are the same on single- and double-zero wheels, and that single-zero roulette "is the standard outside the United States".
Each bet pays as if the wheel had only the numbers 1–36. The green pocket or pockets are what create the edge: they add losing outcomes without changing the payouts.
| Bet | Pays | True odds, single zero | Chance to win, single zero | True odds, double zero | Chance to win, double zero |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red/black, odd/even, 1–18, 19–36 | 1 to 1 | 19 to 18 | 48.65% | 20 to 18 | 47.37% |
| Dozen or column (12 numbers) | 2 to 1 | 25 to 12 | 32.43% | 26 to 12 | 31.58% |
| Six line (6 numbers) | 5 to 1 | 31 to 6 | 16.22% | 32 to 6 | 15.79% |
| Corner (4 numbers) | 8 to 1 | 33 to 4 | 10.81% | 34 to 4 | 10.53% |
| Street (3 numbers) | 11 to 1 | 34 to 3 | 8.11% | 35 to 3 | 7.89% |
| Split (2 numbers) | 17 to 1 | 35 to 2 | 5.41% | 36 to 2 | 5.26% |
| Single number | 35 to 1 | 36 to 1 | 2.70% | 37 to 1 | 2.63% |
Payouts and double-zero win chances from Wizard of Odds, roulette basics (updated Aug 3, 2026, checked Oct 16, 2026). Single-zero chances and all true odds are calculated from the number of pockets (37 or 38).
Example: a single number pays 35 to 1, but on a single-zero wheel the true odds against it are 36 to 1. Over 37 spins with a $1 bet on one number each spin, you'd expect one win of $35 and 36 losses of $1: a net expected loss of $1 per $37 wagered, which is the 2.70% edge.
When the ball lands in a green pocket, every even-money bet (red/black, odd/even, high/low) loses. Adding the 00 pocket roughly doubles the house edge from 2.70% to 5.26%, and a third green pocket raises it to 7.69%. The five-number bet on a double-zero wheel is worse than every other bet there, at 7.89%.
Some single-zero games use the "half-back" rule on even-money bets. Under la partage, if the ball lands in zero, you get half of an even-money bet back. Under en prison, the bet can instead be held for the next spin: if it then wins, you get it back without winnings. What happens if zero comes up again depends on the casino's rules. Wizard of Odds' table puts the expected loss under French rules at about 1.35% of an even-money bet, and between about 1.37% and 1.39% under the various imprisonment versions. These rules apply to even-money bets only; other bets keep the 2.70% edge (Wizard of Odds, roulette basics (updated Aug 3, 2026, checked Oct 16, 2026)).
On double-zero wheels in Atlantic City, a variation returns half of an even-money bet on 0 or 00, which Wizard of Odds puts at 2.63% on those bets. Check the game's rules screen to see whether any of these rules apply.
Martingale and other progressions change how much you bet, not the odds of the next spin. Wizard of Odds puts it plainly: "Not only do betting systems fail to beat casino games with a house advantage, they can't even dent it. Roulette balls and dice simply have no memory." (Wizard of Odds, the truth about betting systems, updated Aug 3, 2026, checked Oct 16, 2026). Past results, "hot" numbers and patterns don't affect the next spin.
The edge comes from the number of pockets and the payouts. A live-dealer game and an RNG (computer) game with the same wheel and the same payouts have the same house edge. Some live and online variants change the payouts or add multipliers and side bets, and those change the maths, so read the game's rules screen.
Set a money and time limit before you play. Help is free and confidential: see the helpline list for every province on our responsible gambling page.