European or American Roulette: Does One Extra Zero Really Matter?

How much difference can one extra pocket make? Quite a lot. It changes the odds on every standard bet and almost doubles the casino’s advantage.

1) Count the pockets first

European roulette has 37 pockets: numbers 1 to 36 and one green zero. American roulette has 38 because it adds a green double zero.

Take a straight-up bet on one number. Both versions normally pay 35:1. In European roulette, your number has a 1-in-37 chance of winning. In American roulette, it has a 1-in-38 chance.

This gives the European game a house edge of about 2.70%. The American game’s edge is about 5.26%. Your chip placement or preferred number cannot change those figures.

2) Red and black are not a coin toss

The red and black bets look like a fifty-fifty choice. They are not.

A European wheel contains 18 red numbers, 18 black numbers, and the green zero. If you choose red, you have 18 winning results and 19 losing results. Your chance of winning is approximately 48.65%.

American roulette adds another losing result through 00, reducing the chance to approximately 47.37%.

The same principle applies to odd or even and low or high. Each option covers 18 numbered pockets, while 0—and 00 on an American wheel—belongs to neither side.

A run of one colour tells you nothing useful about the next result. Our guide to the gambler’s fallacy in roulette explains the mistake in assuming that black becomes more likely because red has appeared several times. The wheel does not keep score.

3) Check the game title

Online roulette lobbies can contain several versions of what appears to be the same game. Do not pick one based only on its graphics or speed. Open the rules and check whether the wheel uses 0 or both 0 and 00.

Royal Vegas provides a practical example of why the game label matters. Its selection of online roulette in Canada includes French, European, and American versions, with the American game identified by its additional 00 pocket. The page also lists standard digital roulette alongside games streamed with live dealers.

French and European roulette generally use a single-zero wheel. American roulette normally uses two zeros. Individual games may add features, so read the information for the actual table.

4) Bigger coverage means a smaller payout

Inside bets cover one number or a small group. A straight-up bet pays 35:1, a two-number split pays 17:1 and a three-number street pays 11:1.

Outside bets cover more of the layout. Red or black and odd or even pay 1:1, while dozens and columns pay 2:1.

Covering more numbers increases the probability of winning that spin, but the payout becomes smaller. Under a standard payout schedule, switching between these bets does not remove the wheel’s mathematical advantage.

The calculations in this academic explanation of roulette probability show how bets can have the same expected value even when their hit rates and payouts differ.

5) No system removes the zero

The Martingale tells you to double an even-money stake after a loss. Other systems use different progressions. All of them change the size or position of your bets; none changes the wheel.

A losing run can make a progression grow quickly until it reaches your bankroll or the table limit. Previous spins still have no influence on the next result when spins are independent.

So, which version should you choose? When the payout schedule and other conditions are comparable, the single-zero wheel has the lower house edge. You do not need a secret system to see it. Count the zeros before you start.