What is Roulette?
Roulette is one of the oldest and most recognisable casino games in the world. A dealer spins a wheel containing numbered pockets from 1 to 36, alternating red and black, plus one or two green zero pockets. A small ball is released in the opposite direction of the spin. When the wheel slows, the ball settles into a pocket, and bets on that number or its characteristics pay out.
The beauty of roulette is its simplicity: you observe the wheel, choose where to bet, and wait for the ball to decide. Unlike blackjack or poker, there are no decisions to make after placing your bet. The outcome is entirely determined by physics.
Types of Bets
Roulette bets divide into two broad categories: inside bets, placed on specific numbers or small groups of numbers, and outside bets, placed on broader characteristics like colour or range.
Inside Bets
Straight up. A bet on a single number. Pays 35:1.
Split. A bet on two adjacent numbers. Pays 17:1.
Street. A bet on three numbers in a horizontal row. Pays 11:1.
Corner. A bet on four numbers that form a square. Pays 8:1.
Six line. A bet on two adjacent rows (six numbers). Pays 5:1.
Outside Bets
Red or Black. The ball lands on a red or black number. Pays 1:1.
Odd or Even. The ball lands on an odd or even number. Pays 1:1.
High or Low. The ball lands on 1–18 (low) or 19–36 (high). Pays 1:1.
Dozen. The ball lands in the first (1–12), second (13–24), or third (25–36) dozen. Pays 2:1.
Column. The ball lands in one of three vertical columns. Pays 2:1.
The House Edge
On a European single-zero wheel, the house edge is 2.70%. This figure applies uniformly to every bet type except the basket bet (5-number bet on 0, 00, 1, 2, 3 on American wheels, which is not available on European tables). The zero pocket is the source of the house edge: it is a losing outcome for all outside bets.
On an American double-zero wheel, the house edge rises to 5.26% because two pockets (0 and 00) result in losses for outside bets. This is why experienced players prefer European roulette wherever available.
A Short History of Roulette
The word “roulette” is French for “little wheel.” The game is believed to have developed in France during the 17th and 18th centuries, possibly from an earlier device invented by the mathematician Blaise Pascal in his attempts to create a perpetual motion machine.
The single-zero format was introduced in 1843 by Frenchmen François and Louis Blanc in Hamburg, Germany, to compete with casinos offering the double-zero wheel. The single-zero version eventually became standard across Europe, while American casinos retained the double-zero format.
Roulette spread globally through colonial connections and, in the 20th century, through the glamour of Monte Carlo. The game became a symbol of casino culture, prominent in films featuring elegant settings and high stakes.