European Roulette FAQ: 20 Most Common Questions Answered

A European roulette wheel has 37 numbers: the integers 1 through 36, plus a single green zero (0). Compare this to American roulette, which has 38 pockets (adding a double zero, 00). The single zero is what defines European roulette and gives it the 2.70% house edge.

37 pockets: 18 red, 18 black, and 1 green (zero). Each pocket is equally sized and the wheel is precision-balanced so the ball has an equal chance of landing in any pocket.

The highest number is 36. The wheel contains all whole numbers from 1 to 36, plus zero. The highest-paying bet is a straight-up bet on any single number, including 36, which pays 35:1.

The 18 red numbers are: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14, 16, 18, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 30, 32, 34, 36. All other numbers (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 17, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 29, 31, 33, 35) are black. Zero is green - it belongs to neither colour.

There are exactly 18 odd and 18 even numbers (1–36). Zero is neither odd nor even - it is a special pocket. When zero lands, Odd/Even bets lose, just like Red/Black bets.

The house edge is 2.70% (RTP 97.3%). It applies equally to every bet type - there is no bet with a higher or lower edge in standard European roulette. It comes from the zero pocket: the wheel has 37 pockets but payouts are calculated as if there were 36.

Return to Player (RTP) of 97.3% means that for every £100 wagered over a very large number of spins, players statistically receive £97.30 back. The remaining £2.70 is the house's expected profit. This is a long-run mathematical average - in a short session, you can win or lose significantly more or less than this.

Red wins when the ball lands on any of the 18 red numbers. Probability = 18/37 = 48.65%. It is not 50% because zero is neither red nor black - it represents the house's edge pocket.

1/37 = 2.70%, or approximately 1 in 37 spins. The payout of 35:1 means you win 35 units for every 1 wagered - but the true odds are 36:1 (one win for 36 losses). That gap is the house edge.

A straight-up bet on zero pays 35:1 - exactly the same as any other number. Zero also participates in splits (0-1, 0-2, 0-3 at 17:1), streets (0-1-2 or 0-2-3 at 11:1), and the basket corner bet (0-1-2-3 at 8:1). When zero lands, all outside bets (Red/Black, Odd/Even, Dozens, Columns) lose.

Yes. Zero can be included in straight-up bets, split bets, street bets, and corner bets. In the simulator, click the zero cell for a straight-up bet, or click between zero and adjacent numbers for splits. A straight-up bet on zero has the same 2.70% probability and 35:1 payout as any other number.

The maximum single-bet payout ratio is 35:1 for a Straight Up bet on any single number. A £100 straight-up bet on zero returns £3,600 (£3,500 winnings + £100 stake) if zero lands. Table maximums at land and online casinos will cap the total payout amount.

Call bets (also called announced bets) cover specific wheel sectors: Voisins du Zéro (17 numbers near zero, 9 chips), Tiers du Cylindre (12 numbers opposite zero, 6 chips), and Orphelins (8 remaining numbers, 5 chips). These are placed via the racetrack panel in the simulator. See our full bets guide for chip breakdowns.

European roulette has one zero (37 pockets, 2.70% house edge). American roulette has two zeros - 0 and 00 (38 pockets, 5.26% house edge). Always choose European roulette when both are available - the difference in house edge compounds significantly over a session. Full details: EU vs American roulette guide.

Yes, but it is less common than American roulette in US casinos. In Las Vegas, single-zero European roulette is typically found in high-roller rooms or at higher minimum-stake tables. It is widely available at online casinos in regulated US markets. Always specifically ask for "single zero roulette" when visiting a US casino.

La Partage is a French roulette rule: when zero lands, even-money bets (Red/Black, Odd/Even, High/Low) receive half their stake back instead of losing it all. This halves the house edge on those bets from 2.70% to 1.35%. Standard European roulette does not offer La Partage. See our EU vs French roulette guide.

Yes. All roulette payouts return both the winnings and the original stake. A £10 straight-up bet that wins pays £350 in winnings plus the £10 stake back, for a total return of £360. The payout ratio 35:1 refers to winnings only - total return is stake × 36.

Yes, completely free. No registration, no deposit, no download required. Play instantly in any modern browser on desktop or mobile. The simulator uses play credits - no real money is involved.

Yes. The simulator uses the standard European single-zero wheel sequence: 0, 32, 15, 19, 4, 21, 2, 25, 17, 34, 6, 27, 13, 36, 11, 30, 8, 23, 10, 5, 24, 16, 33, 1, 20, 14, 31, 9, 22, 18, 29, 7, 28, 12, 35, 3, 26. All 37 numbers appear in this verified clockwise sequence.

Yes. All payouts are mathematically verified: Straight Up 35:1, Split 17:1, Street 11:1, Corner 8:1, Six Line 5:1, Dozen/Column 2:1, even-money bets 1:1. The original stake is returned on winning bets. The house edge of 2.70% is built into the payout structure, matching a real European roulette table exactly.