Even though roulette constitutes a particularly interesting gambling game that is well recognized worldwide, each player should first remember to learn about different odds for the best that they want to place. At the beginning, everything may seem rather simple, but the more we delve into how many different bets can be placed, the more we realize how complex roulette can turn out to be.
It’s important to note that the odds of winning may be significantly different even in the case of various bets within the same type of roulette. So, it’s no surprise that there is even more room for variation when we couple everything with other types of roulette such as European, American and different live variants. That is why this article aims to explain all the most important differences in odds between the above-mentioned types of the game.
European Roulette
When discussing roulette odds, it’s best to start with the most popular choice among players from all around the world. The European variant is often considered to be the most player-friendly version of the game due to the combination of simple rules and a rather low house edge. The wheel itself has 37 pockets that have 1-36 numbers and a single zero.
When it comes to the odds themselves, it’s necessary to remember that the overall house edge in the case of European roulette is 2.70%. If you decide to place a bet on a straight bet, which means wagering on a single number, you can count on a payout of 35:1. Your chance of winning here is 2.70%.
Straight bets are some of the most popular forms of wagering in the game, but players often tend to also place bets on odd/even or red/black. In their case, the payout is 1:1. In reality, it means that the odds of winning are a bit lower than 50% due to the fact that the wheel includes a single zero. As a result, you can expect around a 48.65% chance of winning.
American Roulette
This type of standard roulette based on the Random Number Generator is regularly referred to as the one with the lowest house edge, as it amounts to only 5.26%. It’s less favourable than the European variant due to the introduction of a double zero. Due to that, the game includes 38 pockets. Still, you can expect the payout for straight bets to remain the same, at 35:1.
However, due to the fact that the game has a higher house edge, even-money bets are impacted. Bets like red/black or odd/even have a smaller chance of winning, 47.37%, compared to European roulette. Even though this may seem like a small change, the reality is that playing long-term, you can expect smaller returns. That’s why more seasoned players tend to overlook the American variant often and go for the European one instead.
French Roulette
The main difference here is that the game introduces La Partage and En Prison rules that reduce the house edge to a mere 1.35%. That increases the chances of winning, or at least reducing losses, while placing even-money bets.
| Rule | Explanation |
| La Partage | When placing an even-money bet, players have the chance to recover 50% of their wager if the ball lands on zero, rather than losing the entire amount |
| En Prison | According to this rule, placing an even-money bet may result in the ball becoming imprisoned for the next spin if it lands on zero. If the next spin turns out to be a winning one, players can retrieve their initial bet |
Live roulette variants
In the case of these types of the game, players can expect especially a difference when it comes to straight bets and their Return to Player. It is mainly due to the fact that straight bets are used to allow the player to gain a chance of activating a multiplier. It can range from 50x to even 2000x based on a given game.
- Lightning Roulette – the odds for straight bets are reduced to 29:1 due to the introduction of 50x to 500x win multipliers.
- Double Ball Roulette – the use of two balls at the same time significantly impacts the odds of winning in the case of straight bets, turning them into a whooping 1300:1.
- XXXtreme Lightning Roulette – even though the game introduces 50x to 2000x multipliers, the payout for straight bets remains the same as in the standard version of Lightning Roulette.
Additionally, expect more variations in payouts when you set out to learn new types of live roulette games. This can positively impact your experience due to the introduction of new multipliers or other bonus features. However, be wary of such bets as the chance of landing them remains low and gamble responsibly.
