Roulette has dozens of bets on its layout, but they all follow one rule: the casino pays slightly less than the true odds. Once you see how that works, the whole table makes sense. This guide covers every standard bet, its payout and true odds, why the European wheel beats the American one, the French rules that cut the edge further, and the racetrack bets you’ll see on many live tables.
The wheel and the edge
A European (single-zero) wheel has 37 pockets: 1 to 36 plus a green 0. Pragmatic Play’s Roulette™ describes exactly this: “37 pockets ranging from 1-36 and the green 0 pocket”. An American wheel adds a second green pocket, 00, for 38 in total.
Payouts are set as if the zero weren’t there. A straight-up bet on one number pays 35 to 1, which would be fair on a 36-pocket wheel. Here is the plain maths for a ₹100 straight-up bet on a European wheel, over 37 spins on average:
- You win once: you receive ₹3,500 profit plus your ₹100 stake back.
- You lose 36 times: −₹3,600.
- Net: −₹100 over ₹3,700 staked, which is 1/37 = 2.70%.
That 2.70% house edge means a 97.30% return to player, which is the figure Pragmatic Play lists for its Roulette™ game.
Inside bets
Inside bets go on the numbers themselves. Payouts and true odds below are for a European wheel.
| Bet | Covers | Pays | Chance (European) | True odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Straight up | 1 number | 35 to 1 | 2.70% | 36 to 1 |
| Split | 2 adjacent numbers | 17 to 1 | 5.41% | 17.5 to 1 |
| Street | 3 numbers in a row | 11 to 1 | 8.11% | 11.33 to 1 |
| Corner | 4 numbers in a square | 8 to 1 | 10.81% | 8.25 to 1 |
| Six line | 2 rows, 6 numbers | 5 to 1 | 16.22% | 5.17 to 1 |
“True odds” is what a bet would pay if there were no house edge. The gap between the payout and the true odds is the casino’s margin, and on a single-zero wheel it works out to 2.70% on every one of these bets.
Outside bets
Outside bets cover larger groups. Zero is not part of any of them, which is where they lose.
| Bet | Covers | Pays | Chance (European) | True odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dozen | 1–12, 13–24 or 25–36 | 2 to 1 | 32.43% | 2.08 to 1 |
| Column | One of three columns | 2 to 1 | 32.43% | 2.08 to 1 |
| Red / Black | 18 numbers | 1 to 1 | 48.65% | 1.06 to 1 |
| Odd / Even | 18 numbers | 1 to 1 | 48.65% | 1.06 to 1 |
| 1–18 / 19–36 | 18 numbers | 1 to 1 | 48.65% | 1.06 to 1 |
Pragmatic Play’s Mega Roulette page lists the same standard set: “straight-up, split, street, corner, six-line, dozen/column, even/odd, and red/black”.
Same edge, different ride
On a European wheel, a red/black bet and a straight-up bet cost the same on average. What changes is how bumpy the session is. Even-money bets win nearly half the time; a straight-up bet can lose dozens of times in a row. The chance of a single number missing 50 spins in a row is (36/37)^50, about 25%. Our RTP and volatility explainer covers this idea in more depth.
European vs American: the plain maths
Payouts are identical on both wheels. Only the number of pockets changes.
| European (single zero) | American (double zero) | |
|---|---|---|
| Pockets | 37 | 38 |
| Straight-up chance | 1 in 37 | 1 in 38 |
| House edge, standard bets | 1/37 = 2.70% | 2/38 = 5.26% |
| Return to player | 97.30% | 94.74% |
The American wheel also has a five-number bet (0, 00, 1, 2, 3) paying 6 to 1. Over 38 spins it wins 5 times (+₹600 each on ₹100 = +₹3,000) and loses 33 times (−₹3,300): −₹300 on ₹3,800 staked, an edge of 7.89%, the worst bet on either table.
Example only. ₹100 a spin for 200 spins is ₹20,000 staked. The long-run expected cost is about ₹540 on a European wheel and about ₹1,053 on an American one. Your actual result in one session will vary widely, but if both versions are in the lobby, single zero is the better deal.
French rules: La Partage and En Prison
French-style tables use the single-zero wheel and add a rule for even-money bets (red/black, odd/even, 1–18/19–36) when the ball lands on 0.
- La Partage: you get back half your even-money stake. Tom Horn Gaming’s French Roulette La Partage puts it this way: when the ball lands on zero, “the players can get back half of their wagered bets”, and lists the game’s RTP as 98.65%.
- En Prison: instead of returning half, your even-money stake stays on the table for the next spin. If that bet wins, you get your stake back (without winnings); if it loses, it’s gone. Check the game rules for what happens if zero comes up again.
The maths for La Partage on a ₹100 red bet, over 37 spins: 18 wins (+₹1,800), 18 losses (−₹1,800) and one zero (−₹50). Net −₹50 on ₹3,700 staked: an edge of 1.35%, half the standard 2.70%. With En Prison, if the imprisoned bet gets a single spin to win (18 chances in 37), the cost of a zero is 19/37 of the stake instead of half, which works out to an edge of about 1.39%, almost the same.
Two things to remember: the rules only apply to even-money bets, so a straight-up bet on a French table still has a 2.70% edge, and not every game called “French Roulette” uses them. The rules screen will say.
Racetrack and call bets
Many tables show an oval racetrack that follows the order of numbers on the wheel. It lets you bet on a section of the wheel in one tap. Pragmatic Play says Mega Roulette’s racetrack “with neighbour bets selector supports Zero Game, Tiers, Voisins, and Orphelins Roulette call bets.”
The sections come straight from the European wheel order: 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.
| Call bet | Numbers covered | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Voisins du Zéro (“neighbours of zero”) | 22, 18, 29, 7, 28, 12, 35, 3, 26, 0, 32, 15, 19, 4, 21, 2, 25 | 17 |
| Zero Game (Jeu Zéro) | 12, 35, 3, 26, 0, 32, 15 | 7 |
| Tiers du Cylindre (“third of the wheel”) | 27, 13, 36, 11, 30, 8, 23, 10, 5, 24, 16, 33 | 12 |
| Orphelins (“orphans”) | 1, 20, 14, 31, 9 and 17, 34, 6 | 8 |
| Neighbours | A chosen number plus a set number either side | Varies |
Call bets are packages of ordinary splits, streets, corners and straight-ups, so the racetrack places several chips at once. The number of chips each call bet uses can vary, so look at the total stake before you confirm. Because each part is a normal bet, the package carries the same 2.70% edge on a single-zero wheel. Betting on a “hot” section of the wheel doesn’t change the odds: the ball has no memory.
Multiplier roulette
Some live versions add random multipliers to straight-up numbers and pay less on unboosted ones. Lightning Roulette is the best-known example; our guide explains its Lucky Numbers and 29 to 1 straight-up payout. Pragmatic Play’s Mega Roulette applies one to five multipliers from 50x to 500x to straight-up bets, and Mega Roulette 3000 lists a 97.50% RTP with up to eight multiplied numbers ranging from 50x to 3,000x. Always read the paytable, because the straight-up payout on these tables is usually lower than 35 to 1.
Where to play
These are the highest-rated reviewed casinos with INR listed whose provider lists include major live roulette studios. Check the lobby for a specific table before you deposit.
| Casino | INR | UPI | Roulette-related providers or notes in our data |
|---|---|---|---|
| BC.Game | Yes | Yes | Evolution Gaming, Pragmatic Play, Playtech; BC Originals roulette |
| Patang | Yes | Yes | Roulette in the live lobby, some tables in Hindi; Evolution game shows named in the bonus terms |
| V.Vegas | Yes | Yes | Roulette among listed game types; Evolution Gaming, Pragmatic Play |
| Immerion | Yes | No | Lightning Roulette found in our site search |
For more on live tables, see our live casino guide.
Play within limits
No bet, system or racetrack pattern beats the house edge, and doubling up after losses only speeds up how quickly a budget can go. Choose single-zero tables, look for La Partage or En Prison if you like even-money bets, set a loss limit and stop when you reach it. For tools and support, visit our responsible gambling page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best bet in roulette?
On a standard European wheel every bet has the same house edge of 2.70%, so no bet is better in the long run. The difference is risk: even-money bets win often and pay little, straight-up bets win rarely and pay 35 to 1.
Why is American roulette worse than European?
American roulette adds a double zero, giving 38 pockets instead of 37, but pays the same amounts. That raises the house edge from 2.70% to 5.26%, and the five-number bet on 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3 has a 7.89% edge.
What is La Partage?
A French rule for even-money bets. If the ball lands on zero, you get back half of your Red/Black, Odd/Even or 1-18/19-36 stake. It cuts the house edge on those bets to 1.35%. Tom Horn's French Roulette La Partage lists an RTP of 98.65%.
What are Voisins, Tiers and Orphelins?
They are call bets on sections of the wheel, placed on the racetrack. Voisins du Zéro covers the 17 numbers around zero, Tiers du Cylindre the 12 numbers opposite, and Orphelins the remaining 8. Pragmatic Play's Mega Roulette supports these along with Zero Game.
Can a betting system beat roulette?
No. Every bet on the table carries the house edge, and combining or sequencing bets doesn't remove it. Systems such as doubling after a loss only change how losses arrive, and they can empty a budget quickly.