Euro Roulette Wheel
Although modern European roulette tables have 37 slots on the wheel, early tables had 38 thanks to two separate zero slots. This is the version that was brought to America, and is. The wheel is the battlefield. It is the court that judges the outcome (without possibility for an appeal). The fixed point of the horizon on which every roulette player has his eyes full of anticipation. A slight difference, a minor game of the wheel, one number left or right, can decide ruin from victory.
Table Of Contents
- American Roulette and European roulette are two similar yet very different games
- The Roulette table layout changes in each version of the game
- You should always choose the single zero roulette over the double zero wheels
No. More. Confusion. Do you want to know what is the real difference between American and European Roulette?
That's what you find on this guide.
Roulette is one of the most played Casino games, and such popularity comes (also) from the invention of many variants of the game.
The most popular versions are the American and European Roulette.
On this article, you find clear and easy to understand answers to questions like:
- What do the American and European wheel have in common?
- What is the difference between American and European Roulette?
- What Roulette strategy is best on American vs European Roulette?
The Main Difference Between American and European Roulette
A quick look at the Roulette table layouts and at each Roulette wheel should be enough for you to notice the most important difference between American and European Roulette.
It doesn't matter whether you play Roulette online or you are standing next to a Roulette table at a brick-and-mortar Casino.
The difference is subtle yet clear. And the same difference affects both the design of the wheel and the house edge.
The Difference in Roulette Wheels
The American wheel has 38 pockets for the Roulette ball to rest in. Those are black and red numbers, from 1 to 36. And two extra green pockets for a single 0 (0) and a double 0 (00).
If you glimpse at European Roulette (often referred to as French Roulette), you will also see 36 numbered pockets that are either red or black. But only one green pocket for zero.
Also, you may notice that the numbers on the wheels are not in the exact same order. But that's a less relevant difference between European and American Roulette.
The main difference between an American and European Roulette wheel is the number of green pockets / zeroes. The European roulette wheel features one green pocket (0) whereas the American Roulette wheel (more popular in Las Vegas) features two of them: 0, 00.
The Difference Is in the House Edge
Although this subtle difference may seem irrelevant, it is one that can have an enormous impact on the outcome of your games.
American Roulette vs. European Roulette: the House Edge
The odds of winning when betting on particular numbers at American Roulette are lower. 1 in 38 compared to 1 in 37 when playing European Roulette.
In some games, when the odds are lower, the payouts are bigger. And that's logical, right?
But it's not the case with American Roulette.
Even with lower odds, for betting on the winning number you get paid the same - 35 to 1. Just like in European Roulette.
Having that extra green pocket was not the American Roulette designer's whim. It was a strategic move for the house to have a higher edge.
All in all, when you play American Roulette, the House Edge is 5.26%. And that's a lot. In the case of European Roulette, the House Edge is only 2.7%.
That's a huge difference, considering you are playing the same game, with exactly the same payouts, and the same level of excitement.
Which Variant of Roulette is Better?
Better odds, lower house edge… Do I need to spell it out?
The difference between American and European Roulette may be subtle. But the odds make European Roulette a better option.
Don't get me wrong.
I am not saying you should never ever play American Roulette. If you put a good Roulette strategy in place, you can lower the House Edge significantly no matter which variant you play.
Plus, playing American or European Roulette for free doesn't make that much of a difference to your bankroll, does it?
And finally, there are more variants of European Roulette to try online. Don't limit yourself to only American or only European Roulette.
There are so many Roulette variants for you to choose from, that you can alternate between the games where you get better chances (European Roulette) and the ones you want to play to try something new.
For example, you can try the Double Ball Roulette (free, on this page) where you play with two balls at the same time. And you know how they say, 'double the action, double the fun!'
Where to Play American and European Roulette
No matter which version of Roulette you choose, you need a place to play it. And that should be a good place, too. Especially, if you want to play Roulette for real money at an online Casino.
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Here's a quick list of the different Roulette games available at Mongoose.
Important Note: You need to register on the site (free) to access both the real money and the demo version of all Roulette games. I have included also some of the other Roulette variants you can play there, so you can understand how rich is their portfolio of Casino games.
Roulette Game | Demo | Play |
---|---|---|
European Roulette Gold | Demo | Play Game |
European Roulette | Demo | Play Game |
Premier Roulette | Demo | Play Game |
Single-Zero Roulette | Demo | Play Game |
Premier Roulette Diamond Edition | Demo | Play Game |
Roulette | Demo | Play Game |
Astro Roulette | Demo | Play Game |
French Roulette | Demo | Play Game |
American Roulette | Demo | Play Game |
Chinese Roulette | Demo | Play Game |
Multi-Wheel Roulette | Demo | Play Game |
Common Draw Roulette | Demo | Play Game |
Zoom Roulette | Demo | Play Game |
VIP European Roulette | Demo | Play Game |
American Roulette | Demo | Play Game |
European Roulette | Demo | Play Game |
VIP American Roulette | Demo | Play Game |
3D Roulette | Demo | Play Game |
A selection like that one is great to discover the game, understand the differences between European Roulette and American Roulette, and enjoy even the craziest single-number bets.
To know if you are eligible for the welcome bonus, continue to this page.
The promotion presented on this page was available at the time of writing. With some Casino promotions changing on daily basis, we suggest you to check on the site if it still available. Also, please do not forget to read the terms and conditions in full before you accept a bonus.The European Roulette online is one of the games that some people don’t understand as some did not have a chance to try out this fantastic experience. But if you really want to try it, we do recommend you to play free european roulette before starting with the real money roulette. For this occasion, we will try to keep things as simple as possible while explaining the basic features of the game.European roulette is one of the most popular versions of this game and it is considered to be the classic version! If you ask the experienced players, everyone will choose this version over others as this offers the best odds to players!
The Basic Rules of European Roulette
The European roulette online is among the most desired games in the online casino industry due to is simple, yet the interesting concept of playing where you have good odds against the house!
- Select a chip value. Once you sit at the table, before you start to play European roulette, your next step is to decide the chip value. Use your mouse to see the available values of the chips. You can use the mouse to select any of the options available and once it is highlighted, you will get a window where you can see the bet limits for that certain bet.
- Place your bets. In the online European roulette, you will have to select the chip value for each number/bet you choose, as you can select the multiple ones. Once you place, you can then move on to the additional bets and place the additional wagers before you finish with the betting process. In the end, you can see the total amount of bets.
- Spin the wheel. If you are satisfied with the bets and everything is placed according to your requirements, you can click on the button “spin” to spin the wheel and start the game. Once you click on it, the wheel starts spinning, the ball is launched into the wheel and the amount of money you have used for your bets is deducted from your account!
- Checking the winning number. Once the ball lands on any of the numbers, the croupier announces the winning number and all players who have guessed the right number receive their winnings, while the bets that are were not successful are removed from the table. All the winnings you get are displayed on the wheel, or in your game panel, where you can see all the details regarding your wagers. Should you guess the right number, you will receive money immediately.
- Play again. Once the bets are cleared from the table and the players receive their winnings, the process of re-betting starts and you can choose the play with the same bet from the previous round or you can place the new ones. You can click “clear all bets” to remove all bets from the previous rounds and then you place the new wagers are repeat the same process from the beginning of the round!
European Roulette Wheel and Table Layout
Whether you play the European roulette free or for real money, the table layout stays the same, as well as the bets that you can place. The European roulette wheel consists of 36 numbers’ slots and a single zero slot, which is the same as in the French roulette online game for real money. Whether you play French roulette or European, the principle is basically the same. The only difference is in two additional options that you have in the French and do not have in the European version!
The essential difference is that European roulette has a single-zero slot, unlike American that has two zero slots and therefore, the European one has the lowest house edge that is 2.70%! Also in these two types the sequence of numbers on wheel differs. When it comes to the table layout, the vivid difference is also present. European table has only one zero whereas the American table has 0 and 00.
European Roulette Bets
If you decide to play online for real money, you have to know that you must be familiar with the types of bets that you can make. The first type of bets is the inside bet, which allows you to place bets on the sequence of numbers that are placed on the internal place of the table. It is one of the most favorite bets of all players!
- Straight bet. We have a straight bet, which covers the single number you place the chips on. The straight is the most basic bet that you have in the roulette real money games!
- Split bet. The split bet that allows you to make a bet on the line that separates two numbers and you win in case that the ball lands on any of these two numbers.
- Street bet. The three-line or street bet does the same, with the difference that covers three numbers instead of two.
- Corner bet. The corner is wagering on the four numbers that and you have to place the chips on the corner of 0,1,2,3 to cover these four numbers!
- Six line bet. The six line bet allows you to bet on the 6 numbers that are in two rows with 3 numbers, but it does not include 0 and you need to place a bet on the start of a line that splits two rows.
In the European roulette, play also involves the outside bets. There are five different sections where you can place the best bets in this game and each one offers the different odds for winning! In roulette online for money, you have RED/BLACK, ODD/EVEN, COLUMNS, DOZENS and HALVES bets to use to place bets! The outside bets in the European roulette play are the opposite of inside ones as you place bets on the numbers that are placed on the outer side of the table.
- The Red/Black. The red/black allows you to place a wager on the red or black number on the table, regardless of the number. If the ball lands on any red/black number, you have won!
- Odd/Even. Then you have odd/even, which allows you to win money if the ball lands on the odd or even number. This is one of the most popular bets in this game!
- Column. The column denotes placing bets on any of the three areas that are labelled 2:1. The columns (1st/2nd/3rd 12 bets) ensure that you get a win in case the ball lands on any of the first, second or third sequence of 12 numbers. For example, if you play in the 1st 12 numbers, you win if the ball lands on any number from 1 and 12 and you lose if it lands on any number out of that sequence!
- Dozen. The dozens splits into 3 groups: 1st dozen (1- 12) 2nd dozen (13 – 24) 3rd dozen (25 – 36). Should the ball land on any of the numbers from the right or middle or left section, you have won the bet!
- Halves. The last things are halves, which allows you to win money in case the ball lands on the first half of all numbers, which is 0 to 18 or the second, which is 19 to 36.
Difference Between European and French Roulette
If you plan to play the European roulette for real money or the French version, you should know that these two versions have pretty much the same house edge, which is around 2.70%! All these roulette for real games feature the identical number of numbers on the wheel, which makes them almost the same when it comes to the number of slots. However, there is a slight difference in the types of bets that you can make, though the 95% bets are the same in both versions. The European roulette does not have “la partage” and “en prison” bets, while the French version contains these two as the standard offer of the bets. However, the European roulette game enthusiasts do not have the same odds for winning, whereas the French roulette wheel offers slightly better odds for the players!
French Version
In online French roulette games, you have the two variations that we have mentioned earlier and these distinguish this online roulette by these additional bets. The first one is En Prison and the second one is La Partage and these are not available in any of online for money roulette games or roulette online, free games that are not marked as the French versions.
- En Prison. En Prison literally means “in jail” when you translate it from French. If you place a wager on the outside bets and it happens that you do not guess the right bet, your bet stays there “in prison” until the next round. Then, if the winning bet is 0 in the next round, then you lose that bet since you have placed the chips on the outside bets.
- La Partage. Any French roulette for real money involves La Partage rule, which splits the bet you lose and gets you back the half of it.
In theory, the players of the French roulette free have equal chances for the players and no bet offers higher chances for a win. In addition, all these bets do allow you to place the additional bets normally. However, if we look “statistically”, En Prison allows you to reduce the house edge to 1.35% which makes this bet as the best bet in the whole game! Therefore, the players of the French version have a bit higher chances to achieve the win, though only in theory as the reality is something different.
Whichever bet you choose, you have to know that this game involves a lot of experience, skills, knowledge and hours of play that help you to develop your strategy. The best way is to use both bets periodically to increase your chances for a win, as using the single one will not increase your bankroll easily. The experienced players note that you should start with La Partage until you gather enough money. Then you can switch to En Prison and use it to split losses and recover easier.
Call bets
When you think of how to win, you should know that there are also call bets that consist of : voisins du zero, jeu zero, tiers du cyllindre, orphelins, number and neighbors.
- Voisins du zero. The voisins du zero (neighbors of zero) cover all bets that are close to 0 which are 22,18,29,7,28,12,35,3,26,0,32,15,19,4,21,2 and 25 numbers and you are required to use at least 9 chips to cover all these numbers. You place two chips on 0,2,3, one on 4/7 split, one on 12/15, one on 18/21, one on 19,22, two on 25,26,28,29 and one on 32/35.
- Jeu zero. Jeu zero is when you place chips on numbers that are the closest to zero (12,35,3,26,0,32,15), three chips for 0/3,12/15,35/35) and a single chip on 26.
- Tiers du cylinder. Tiers du cylinder covers the twelve numbers on the opposite side of the wheel (27,13,36,11,30,8,23,10,5,24,16,33) where you place one chip on each of the splits of 5/8, 10/11, 13/16,23/24,27/30 and 33/36.
- Orphelins. In the roulette online real games you have orphelins bet that includes 17,34,6,1,20,14,31,9. It uses 5 bets that you place over four splits and one straight up bet, where the straight bet is 1, and splits are 6/9,14/17,17/20 and 31/34! Any online real money gambler has to know these if he decides to play!
- Number and Neighbors. In the end, there are number and neighbors. This involves placing a bet on the default 5 numbers – 1 number and the 2 numbers that are on both sides of the number of the wheel.
The roulette European online enthusiasts can count on the few special best as well. The European roulette real bets also offer the special bets that can take the wagering to the whole new level. Therefore, we will explain these bets in the below paragraph to make things a bit clearer to them. These are unique and tied to European bets. Do refer to the paragraph below to find out more on these.
Special European Bets
The real money European players know that the special bets are interesting and can bring a lot more entertainment in money European roulette games!
- Red and black splits. The first one is red and black splits where you bet on the red split sequence of numbers or on the split black sequence of numbers. This bet considers all possible bets on red and black numbers. These split sequence of numbers include 9/12, 18/21, 16/19, 27/30, while the black consists of 8/11, 10/11, 10/13, 17/20, 26/29, 29/28, 28/31).
- Orphelins plein. The European roulette table offers orphelins plein where you guess any of the 1,6,9,14,17,20,31, 34 single numbers.
- Finale plein. Another special roulette bet that the European roulette casino offers is finale plein, which is a fantastic bet that covers the numbers that contain the same number. Sounds complicated, but it actually is not but rather simple and effective if you run a strategy that you have develop on your own. Let’s say you choose finale plein 5 bet. Your bet covers 5,15,25,35 as all of them contain the number 5. While this bet is fantastic in Euro roulette free versions, the real money gambling requires you to place one chip for every number that you cover (in our case, we need four chips to cover all four numbers).
- Finale cheval. Finale cheval is similar to the finale plein in roulette free play but you are covering the split combinations instead the straight digits. If you cover finale cheval 3/6, you are covering 3/6,13/16,23/26,33/36 and you need four chips as well to cover all four combinations. Finale Cheval/Plein is a combination of these previous two. Finale cheval/plein 1/2 relates to 1/2, 11/12, 21,22 (two straight bets) and 31/32 bets but do not forget that you cannot make split on 21/22 as these stand at the opposite sides of the table.
Before you start practicing the special bets, it is recommended to learn the table layout so you could memorize where each number lays.
European Roulette Payouts
Bet | Minimum chips required | Odds |
---|---|---|
Straight | 1 | 35:1 |
Split | 1 | 17:1 |
Three Line (Street) | 1 | 11:1 |
Corner | 1 | 8:1 |
Six Line | 1 | 5:1 |
Column | 1 | 2:1 |
Dozen | 1 | 2:1 |
Red/Black | 1 | 1:1 |
Even/Odd | 1 | 1:1 |
1-18/19-36 | 1 | 1:1 |
Number and neighbors | 1 | 35:1 |
Jeu Zero | 4 (3 split and 1 straight bet) | Split – 17:1 Straight – 35:1 |
Tiers | 6 (6 split bets) | 17:1 |
Orphelins | 5 (4 split bets and 1 straight bet) | Split – 17:1 Straight – 35:1 |
Voisins | 9 (1 three line bet of 2 chips, 5 split bets with 1 chip, and 1 corner bet with 2 chips) | Split – 17:1 Three line (street) – 11:1 Corner – 8:1 |
Red Splits | 4 | 17:1 |
Black Splits | 7 | 17:1 |
Finale Plein 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 | 4 (4 straight bets) | 35:1 |
Finale Plein 7, 8, 9 | 3 (3 straight bets) | 35:1 |
Finale Cheval 0/3, 1/4, 2/5, 3/6 | 4 (4 split bets) | 17:1 |
Finale Cheval 4/7, 5/8, 6/9, 7/10, 8/11, 9/12 | 3 (3 split bets) | 17:1 |
Finale Cheval/Plein 0/1, 1/2, 2/3, 4/5, 5/6 | 5 (3 split bets and 2 straight bets) | Split – 17:1 Straight – 35:1 |
Finale Cheval/Plein 6/7 | 5 (3 straight bets and 2 split bets) | Split – 17:1 Straight – 35:1 |
Finale Cheval/Plein 3/4 | 6 (2 split bets and 4 straight bets) | Split – 17:1 Straight – 35:1 |
Finale Cheval/Plein 7/8, 8/9, 9/10 | 4 (2 split bets and 2 straight bets) | Split – 17:1 Straight – 35:1 |
European Roulette Features
Roulette Wheel Layout
Regardless of the any European roulette strategy you apply in this game, you can be sure that you the house edge is not over 2.70%! The European roulette payout is slightly in favor of the player who can get the 97.30% of RTP as the free online European version contains single zero slot. The slot is green instead of being black or red. Should you place your bet on black or red combination, you have 50% chances to win and get money in real money online roulette game. Still, as the zero is green, this 50% is decreased slightly, leaving the house a bit higher chance to win in roulette online casino game. The roulette free game requires no money and you would think that the player always win there as there is no real cash involved. Still, this is not true at all since these games use the fair gameplay that simulates the real game to the players. To play European roulette for money successfully, you should build up your skills in free versions. The top roulette for money houses offer this mentioned RTP in the amount of 97.30% which is a realistic way to practice and develop your strategies, as well as to test the special bets. Whether you play roulette for fun or you want to make a profit, you have to find a reliable place where the RTP is optimized!
Play for Real Money
To win European roulette game, you should stick to distinguished operators like RouletteBull where you can play for the real cash. There are a lot of other casino European roulette places where you can enjoy the game, but always check whether they offer gambling for real money such as live roulette. Some places allow only playing roulette wheel European game for free. Of course, playing for free is useful until you learn the game and you want to invest money but always try to play in the distinguished place where you can continue your adventure of money French roulette or European version for real cash! The real money French game is maybe a bit more in favor of the house, while the European roulette odds are standing on the side of a player.
Mobile European Roulette
The roulette wheel layout is possible to analyze on the mobile devices as well as played roulette free online games on the mobile devices! To play free European single zero roulette, all you have to do is to have iOS or Android operating system and you can start playing right now without any need to download anything! If you do want to download, you can get special bonuses! In any case, the layout as well las the neatly designed interface, remains the same and offers the same level of high-quality gambling experience! Should you dream of playing a round where you win European roulette without spending too much time on the computer, then be aware of the fact that mobile gambling is your choice!
European Roulette Tips
Online European roulette is a typical online and offline entertainment for millions of avid fans. Its simple rules, high odds, and adrenaline rush given by every spin made the game unmistakably classic.
When playing The European online roulette or any other online game, it is crucial to perform a few tips on achieving the best gambling experience!
- Stick to the outside bets, especially if you are a beginner.
- You should also know that the single bets are quite hard to guess and you should always stick to those odds that pay even money as close as possible.
- Search the games that offer you en prison wagering that allow you to get back hands on the lost bet from the previous round!
- Do not forget to set your bankroll to eliminate the possibility of getting into the debts because of the tempting European roulette payouts!
- Use common betting strategies!
European Roulette Online FAQ
The frequently asked questions contain the most common questions that players ask about this game.
FAQIs European roulette better than American roulette? ›
What types of roulette free online games are most suitable for a beginner? ›
First you need to play the simplest variations of roulette games, like free european roulette or french roulette for free.
Can I play European roulette on my iPhone? ›
Yes, you can! You can download the dedicated application to your iOS device. Alternatively, can access the casino from the browser through the direct play!
Roulette Wheel Online
Can I play European roulette on my tablet? ›
Absolutely! You can play in the very same way you are playing on the mobile devices with Android or iOS system!
Euro Roulette Wheel
Do all casinos offer European roulette? ›
Euro Roulette Wheel Fortune
The majority of online casinos do offer European version of this game. There are some places where you cannot find this version though.