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How to Play Roulette: Rules and Bets for Beginners

Roulette rules, all bet types and payouts, worked examples, and the maths behind the 2.70% and 5.26% house edge on European and American wheels.

By the Gambling Hero editorial team · October 25, 2026 Industry

To play roulette, you place chips on numbers or groups of numbers, the dealer spins a ball around a numbered wheel, and every bet covering the winning pocket is paid at fixed odds, from 1:1 on red or black to 35:1 on one number.

In short

Roulette uses a wheel with 37 pockets (European, 0 to 36) or 38 pockets (American, with an extra 00). Players bet on single numbers, small groups or outside bets such as red, odd or a dozen. Payouts are fixed, so the house edge comes from the zero pockets: 2.70% on a European wheel, 5.26% on an American wheel and 7.89% on the American five-number bet. French tables with La Partage cut the even-money edge to 1.35%. Wheel choice matters more than bet choice.

What are the basic rules of roulette?

Roulette rules fit in one sentence: players place chips during the betting window, the dealer calls “no more bets”, the ball settles in one pocket, losing chips are swept away and winners are paid at the posted odds. No player decision affects the spin.

Every round follows the same order. We call it the 5-step round:

  1. Choose a chip value. It sets your stake per bet.
  2. Bet during betting time. Cover one number, a group or an outside area.
  3. The dealer spins. The ball runs opposite to the wheel and drops into a pocket.
  4. “No more bets”. French tables say “rien ne va plus”. Chips can no longer be placed or moved.
  5. Settlement. The dolly marks the winning number, losing bets are cleared, winners are paid.

Live online tables use the same sequence with a countdown timer, as a live roulette rules sheet filed with the Nevada Gaming Control Board shows.

How do the European, American and French wheels differ?

The European wheel has 37 pockets (0 to 36), the American wheel has 38 pockets (0, 00 and 1 to 36), and French roulette uses the European wheel plus La Partage or En Prison rules on even-money bets. Zeros set the house edge.

Wheel Pockets Green pockets House edge
European (single zero) 37 0 2.70% on every bet
French (single zero + La Partage) 37 0 1.35% on even-money bets, 2.70% on the rest
American (double zero) 38 0, 00 5.26%; five-number bet 7.89%
Triple zero 39 0, 00, logo pocket 7.69% on every bet

The maths is short. A straight-up bet on a European wheel wins 35 units with probability 1/37 and loses 1 unit with probability 36/37. Expected value = (35 − 36) ÷ 37 = −1/37 = −2.70% of the stake. On an American wheel the same bet gives (35 − 37) ÷ 38 = −2/38 = −5.26%. The American five-number bet (0, 00, 1, 2, 3) pays 6:1: (5 × 6 − 33) ÷ 38 = −3/38 = −7.89%.

Both wheels carry 18 red and 18 black numbers; zeros are green. François and Louis Blanc introduced the single-zero wheel in Bad Homburg in 1843. La Partage returns half of an even-money stake when zero hits.

Which roulette bets can you place and what do they pay?

Roulette bets split into inside bets on specific numbers (straight, split, street, corner, six line) and outside bets on large groups (dozens, columns, red or black, odd or even, high or low). Payouts run from 35:1 for one number to 1:1 for 18 numbers.

Bet Numbers covered Payout Win chance (European) Win chance (American)
Straight 1 35:1 2.70% 2.63%
Split 2 17:1 5.41% 5.26%
Street 3 11:1 8.11% 7.89%
Corner 4 8:1 10.81% 10.53%
Six line 6 5:1 16.22% 15.79%
Dozen or column 12 2:1 32.43% 31.58%
Red/black, odd/even, 1–18/19–36 18 1:1 48.65% 47.37%

One formula produces every payout in the table: payout = (36 ÷ numbers covered) − 1. A street covers 3 numbers, so 36 ÷ 3 − 1 = 11, and the street pays 11:1. European call bets (voisins du zéro: 17 numbers, tiers: 12, orphelins: 8) are bundles of ordinary splits and corners, so they carry the same 2.70% edge.

How are roulette payouts calculated in a real round?

A roulette payout equals the stake multiplied by the posted odds, and the winning stake is returned on top. A $10 straight-up win pays $350 plus the $10 stake. A $10 win on red pays $10 plus the stake. The house keeps losing chips.

Worked example on a European wheel with $40 on the layout:

Bet Stake If the ball lands on 17 If the ball lands on 0
Straight on 17 $10 +$350 −$10
Split 17/20 $10 +$170 −$10
Red $20 −$20 (17 is black) −$20 (−$10 with La Partage)
Net result $40 +$500 −$40 (−$30 with La Partage)

Over many spins, the $40 layout costs $40 × 2.70% = $1.08 per spin on average. Single results swing far around that figure; the cost stays fixed. Test other layouts with our house edge calculator.

Editor’s insight

The payout formula (36 ÷ numbers covered) − 1 explains why every standard bet on a single-zero wheel costs the same 2.70%. The casino pays as if the wheel had 36 pockets, while the wheel has 37. Mixing inside and outside bets changes how volatile a session feels, not what it costs per unit staked. The one standard exception is the American five-number bet: the formula gives 6.2:1, the table pays 6:1, and the edge rises to 7.89%.

How do you play roulette online?

Online roulette comes in two forms: RNG roulette, where certified software selects the pocket, and live roulette, where a studio dealer spins a physical wheel on video. Both use the same layout, bets and payouts, so the wheel type still sets the house edge.

Before the first spin, use the 3-check method:

  1. Check the wheel. One green pocket means 2.70%; La Partage means 1.35% on even-money bets.
  2. Check the operator. Play only with a licence valid in your country. Our live casino overview explains studio games.
  3. Check the limits. Note the table minimum and maximum, then set a deposit limit.

Roulette is entertainment, not income; our responsible gambling page lists tools and help lines.

Important

Real-money online roulette is legal only where national or state law allows it; in the US, only in states that license online casinos. In India, the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, passed by Parliament on 20 and 21 August 2025, bans offering online money games. Offering them can bring up to 3 years in prison and a ₹1 crore fine (as of October 2026). Gambling Hero does not encourage play in India; see our India legal guide for the current position.

Can you improve your odds at roulette?

No roulette bet or betting pattern changes the house edge, but table choice does: a single-zero wheel costs 2.70%, a French table with La Partage costs 1.35% on even-money bets, and an American wheel costs 5.26% of every stake.

Table 100 spins × $10 on red Expected loss
French, La Partage $1,000 wagered $13.50
European $1,000 wagered $27.00
American $1,000 wagered $52.60

Betting systems reshape results but leave the cost per unit staked unchanged; see roulette strategy and martingale strategy. For other games, read Which Casino Games Have the Best Odds? and our roulette odds guide.

Our take

Roulette is one of the easiest casino games to learn. One formula gives every payout, and one number, the count of zeros, gives the price. Because the rules are short, players look for complexity in betting patterns, and patterns change nothing. Our editorial view: learn the 7 bet types, pick a single-zero wheel, prefer La Partage, and skip American tables when a European one is available. Treat the 2.70% as an entertainment fee and fix the session budget before the first chip goes down.

Key takeaways

  • A European wheel has 37 pockets and a 2.70% house edge; an American wheel has 38 and 5.26%.
  • Payout = (36 ÷ numbers covered) − 1, so a straight pays 35:1 and a dozen 2:1.
  • La Partage halves the even-money edge to 1.35%.
  • The American five-number bet costs 7.89%, the highest standard bet on that table.
  • 100 spins of $10 on red cost $27 on average on a European wheel and $52.60 on an American wheel.

FAQ

Is zero odd or even in roulette?

Neither. Zero loses every even-money bet; La Partage returns half the stake.

What does “rien ne va plus” mean?

It is the French dealer call for “no more bets”.

Which roulette bet wins most often?

Even-money bets win 48.65% of European spins, at the same 2.70% edge as a straight-up bet.

Can I play online roulette in India?

Offering online money games is banned under the Act passed in August 2025. Check our India legal guide.

Sources

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