European Roulette House Edge Odds : Understanding the Advantage

Despite some common perceptions to the contrary, the odds when playing online roulette are actually fairly good. These odds are best on a European roulette table which only has one zero. American roulette tables have two zeros, which makes the odds for any bet slightly worse.

Basic Bets

With many bets, the roulette odds are 50% or better. For example, betting on all red or all black, all even or all odd, or the first half or last half of the wheel will give you a 50% chance of winning and a bet that pays 1-1. The odds are 2-1 if you bet on one of the three columns or on the first, middle or last dozen numbers on the wheel. Betting on two of three dozens or two of three columns returns 1-2 odds. Try these tips at Spin Palace Casino, one of our recommended casinos.

Combination Bets

Betting on a combination returns significantly different odds. A six number combination returns 5-1 odds and a four number combination returns 8-1 odds. Betting on three numbers will give you 11-1 odds while betting on just two numbers gives your 17-1 odds. Lastly, betting on just a single number will give you 35-1 roulette odds.

Other Considerations

Some online Canadian casinos play with special roulette rules that can alter your odds. The 'In Prison' rule allows players to keep their ball on the wheel for an additional spin any time it lands on zero. If the ball lands on their bet during the subsequent spin, the player will get his or her original bet back. With the 'La Partage' rule, the croupier only collects half of the player's bet when the ball lands on zero. Both of these rules apply only to bets on red/black, odd/even or first half/last half.

Understanding your odds with each roulette bet can help you to make the wisest choices as you play. Small bets have low return, but are very safe. If you're feeling lucky, you may be willing to try your odds on a bigger bet.