Roulette Odds Guide for 2024 – Probability & Payouts Explained
Understanding roulette odds can significantly enhance your gameplay. Whether you’re a seasoned player or a complete beginner looking to place your first bet on the famous roulette wheel, knowing which bets are more likely to win and which tables pay out more often can make all the difference.
You don’t need a roulette odds calculator to learn your chances of winning on a single or group of numbers. Keeping our tables and roulette odds charts while you play is all you need to maximise your chances of winning.
Roulette Odds and Payouts Explained
Roulette is a casino game of chance. As with any such game, the odds define the mathematical probability of a particular outcome, while the payouts are what you win relative to your wager.
In roulette, whether played online or at land-based casinos, each bet you place corresponds to specific odds of winning. These are determined by the number of possible outcomes with each roulette wheel spin.
For example, in European Roulette games with 37 numbers, betting on a single number gives you a 1 in 37 chance of winning. However, if you were to place a bet on black, your roulette winning odds are closer to 50/50.
Calculating Roulette Table Odds
You can use a simple equation to determine the odds on roulette for any given bet and variant. All you need to know are the total number of possible winning outcomes and the total number of outcomes.
Let’s take columns bets placed on a European table as an example. The number of winning outcomes is 12 while the total number of outcomes is 37. Dividing 12 by 37 and turning the result into a percentage gives us roulette wheel odds of 32.43%.
Handy Tip: To save time and effort, many players use a roulette odds calculator to determine the likelihood of winning different bets. This tool can instantly calculate the odds across all bets on a roulette table, helping you make smarter bets.
Roulette Odds and Payouts: Inside Bets vs Outside Bets
Anyone learning how to play roulette starts off by becoming familiar with the most common table bets. These are separated into inside and outside bets, where inside bets have higher payouts but lower chances of winning and outside bets have a better probability of winning but lower payouts.
Roulette Inside Bets
Inside bets are made on individual numbers or small groups of numbers. These offer the highest payouts, but also the lowest odds. The following table outlines standard roulette odds in the UK, however, some variants at top roulette casinos may feature slightly altered probabilities.
| Bet Type | Payout | European Roulette Odds | American Roulette Odds |
| Straight | 35:1 | 2.70% | 2.63% |
| Split | 17:1 | 5.41% | 5.26% |
| Street | 11:1 | 8.11% | 7.89% |
| Corner | 8:1 | 10.81% | 10.53% |
| Line | 5:1 | 16.22% | 15.79% |
Roulette Outside Bets
Outside bets in roulette cover larger groups of numbers and are more likely to win. However, they have far lower payouts than inside bets.
| Bet Type | Payout | European Roulette Odds | American Roulette Odds |
| Dozen | 2:1 | 32.43% | 31.58% |
| Column | 2:1 | 32.43% | 31.58% |
| Red/Black | 1:1 | 48.65% | 47.37% |
| Odd/Even | 1:1 | 48.65% | 47.37% |
| High/Low | 1:1 | 48.65% | 47.37% |
Handy Tip: Roulette wheel odds change depending on whether you’re playing European (single zero) or American (single and double zero) variants. American Roulette odds are lower due to the extra zero, but payouts are equal to those of European Roulette games.
Mini Roulette Odds
Mini Roulette is a simplified version of the classic game featuring a smaller wheel with only 13 pockets in the range of 0-12. This smaller scale changes the dynamics of the game and the roulette odds associated with it.
With only 13 pockets instead of 37 or 38, your chances of winning a straight up bet improve. However, despite this, the house edge in Mini Roulette can be quite high, around 7.69%. This is largely due to the presence of the zero which affects the odds disproportionately compared to classic games.
Moreover, winning a single number bet on Mini Roulette pays 11:1 which is far lower than the 35:1 paid in European, French, and American games.
How to Maximise Your Odds in Roulette
Even though this casino wheel game is based on chance, there are simple strategies that can increase your roulette betting odds. Here are a few handy tips that you can start using right now.
- Always play European Roulette – By simply playing on European tables instead of American ones, you increase your roulette winning odds by 2.56%. This discrepancy is entirely due to the addition of a double zero on American Roulette wheels which increases the house edge.
- Focus on outside bets – Even though payouts are lower, betting on Red/Black or other even-money outside bets significantly increases your odds of winning roulette. Many seasoned players focus on these bets but also place inside bets occasionally to enhance their gaming experience, even when betting at the top live roulette casinos.
- Consider using roulette betting strategies – Sound strategies based on mathematical principles, such as the Martingale System, can help you to make small profits over multiple rounds. However, these roulette strategies don’t offer guarantees so you should use them carefully.
- Avoid straight-up bets – While a 35:1 payout is tempting, the odds on a roulette table of landing a single number are quite slim. These are 2.7% in European games and 2.63% in American games. However, it’s worth noting that some variants only provide special bonus payouts on winning single number bets.
- Gamble responsibly and logically – Practice safer gambling by setting a budget before you start playing and sticking to it. Don’t chase losses or fall for common biases that make you believe a win is due. Using a strategy, especially a positive progressive one, can make it easier to wager logically rather than emotionally.
House Edge Edge in Roulette and Other Casino Games
The house edge is an essential concept in any casino game, including roulette. Normally shown as a percentage, it represents the built-in advantage that the casino has over players. It is an important part of casino operations since it ensures that, over time, the casino will always make a profit. Implementing a roulette strategy can help you win more frequently in the short term, but the house edge will always beat the player’s odds over the longer term.
Understanding the house edge in roulette and how it compares to other casino games can help you make informed decisions about where to place your bets at top-rated casino sites.
Roulette House Edge
In roulette, the house edge varies according to the version. Here’s how it works:
- European Roulette House Edge – The European Roulette wheel has 37 pockets made up of numbers 1-36 and a single zero. The single zero gives the house a slight edge of 2.70%. This essentially means that for every £100 wagered, the player can expect to lose £2.70 over time.
- American Roulette House Edge – American Roulette has both a 0 and 00, meaning there are 38 pockets in all. This almost doubles the house edge to 5.26%, significantly lowering the player odds on the roulette table. If you were to wager £100, you’d be expected to lose £5.26 over a period of time.
- French Roulette House Edge – French Roulette is similar to European Roulette in that it only has a single zero. However, this version has a lower house edge due to one of two special rules of roulette known as La Partage or En Prison. These apply to even-money outside bets when the winning number is zero and can reduce the house edge to 1.35%.
The House Edge in Popular Casino Games
Other iconic casino games, such as craps or online blackjack, also feature a house edge which can, at times, be lower than that of roulette. The following table compares the house edge for a variety of popular games.
| Casino Game | House Edge | Notes |
| French Roulette | 1.35% | Valid on even-money bets when using the La Partage rule |
| European Roulette | 2.70% | This single zero variant is generally the most popular and widely available variant |
| American Roulette | 5.26% | The double zero leads to a higher house edge than other classic variants |
| Blackjack | 0.5% – 1.5% | One of the lowest house edges when played using an optimal strategy |
| Baccarat | 1.06% | A very low house edge for bets placed on the Banker |
| Craps | 1.36% | Low house edge on basic bets, such as Pass Line |
Handy Tip: The lower the house edge, the better your longer-term chances of walking away with a small loss or profit. However, this edge is based on thousands of rounds, so it is relatively meaningless over a handful of games.
The Odds on Green in Roulette
No matter which classic version of roulette you play, betting on green is always a possibility. The zero and, in the case of American Roulette, the double zero, play a significant role in giving the house its edge, but you can also bet on these numbers for a chance at a high payout.
Betting on Zero in European Roulette
In European Roulette, the wheel features a single zero (0). Just like all roulette odds on a single number, a winning zero bet pays 35:1. This also means that the likelihood of winning such a bet is 2.70%.
Handy Tip: The zero pocket is what gives the casino its advantage since if the ball lands on zero, all even-money bets lose. However, on some French Roulette tables, players may only lose half their even-money bets if the casino employs the La Partage rule.
Betting on Zero in American Roulette
American Roulette wheels feature both a zero (0) and a double zero (00). A bet on either of these is treated like any other straight up bet, which means that payouts are 35:1 and roulette odds of winning are 2.63%.
FAQs
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