→Pick European roulette (one zero), never American (two zeros).
→Every standard bet on a European wheel has the same 2.70% house edge.
→French rules with La Partage halve the edge on even-money bets.
→No betting system changes the odds of a spin.
The rules
A European wheel has 37 pockets: the numbers 1 to 36, half red and half black, plus a green zero. You place chips on the table layout, the dealer (or the game) spins the wheel and a ball lands in one pocket. Every bet that covers that number wins; everything else loses.
Bets on individual numbers or small groups are inside bets: they pay more and win less often. Bets on big groups, red or black, odd or even, low or high, dozens and columns, are outside bets: smaller payouts, more frequent wins. The zero belongs to no outside bet.
Every bet, what it pays and how often it wins
Win chances below are for a European wheel (37 pockets) and an American one (38). The payouts are the same on both, which is exactly why the second zero costs you.
Bet
Covers
Pays
Wins (European)
Wins (American)
Straight up
One number
35:1
2.7%
2.6%
Split
Two numbers next to each other
17:1
5.4%
5.3%
Street
A row of three
11:1
8.1%
7.9%
Corner
Four numbers in a square
8:1
10.8%
10.5%
Six line
Two rows, six numbers
5:1
16.2%
15.8%
Dozen or column
12 numbers
2:1
32.4%
31.6%
Red / black, odd / even, 1–18 / 19–36
18 numbers
1:1
48.6%
47.4%
Win chance is numbers covered divided by pockets on the wheel.
European, American or French?
European
2.70%
house edge
37 pockets, one zero. The standard choice.
American
5.26%
house edge
38 pockets, zero and double zero. Same payouts, twice the edge.
French
1.35%
house edge
One zero, and La Partage returns half of an even-money bet when zero lands. The 1.35% applies to even-money bets.
The edge comes straight from the wheel. On a European table a straight-up bet pays 35:1 on a 1-in-37 chance, so for every 37 units staked you expect 36 back: 1 unit in 37 is 2.70%. The second zero on an American wheel makes it 2 in 38, 5.26%. The game's info screen names its variant and rules; check it before you play.
Mistakes that cost the most
Playing American when European is there
The same bets at nearly twice the house edge.
Betting systems
Martingale, Fibonacci and the rest change your stake sizes, not the odds. A losing streak still ends at your budget or the table limit.
The five-number bet on American tables
0, 00, 1, 2 and 3 pays 6:1. It is the one bet with a worse edge than the rest of that table: 7.89%.
Chasing patterns
The wheel has no memory. Ten reds in a row don't make black more likely on the next spin.
Where to play roulette with crypto
These are the casinos we recommend; each lists its roulette tables in its own lobby. Look for European or French in the table name, and check the game's info screen before you bet.
Questions
What is the best bet in roulette?
On a European wheel every standard bet carries the same house edge, 2.70%, because the single zero is the only pocket that beats you. So the best choice is the wheel, not the bet: play European (single zero) rather than American (double zero), and if you can find French rules with La Partage, even-money bets lose half as much.
Why is American roulette worse?
It adds a second zero. 38 pockets instead of 37, with the same payouts, raises the house edge from 2.70% to 5.26%.
Do betting systems like Martingale work?
No. Doubling after a loss changes the size of your bets, not the odds of each spin. Every spin has the same edge, and a losing run eventually hits your budget or the table limit.
What does the zero do?
Zero is green and belongs to no outside bet: on zero, red, black, odd, even, high and low all lose. That single pocket is where the casino's edge comes from.
Roulette is a game of chance: no bet or system beats the house edge over time. Set a budget before you play. 18+.
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