Guide to Roulette Odds and Payouts

Odds of winning in roulette represent your chance of winning a particular bet. Your probability of winning is affected by the type of bet you choose and the version of roulette wheel in play.

For example, if you place a bet on a single number in American Roulette, the odds of winning are 2.6%. This figure is calculated using this formula:

To calculate the probability of winning a single-number bet in American roulette:

1. Divide 1 (the number of winning outcomes) by 38 (total numbers)
2. Multiply by 100 to convert it into a percentage.

   (1 / 38) x 100 = 0.026 x 100 = 2.6%

The house edge is a casino privilege over players who play roulette. For every bet you make, a small percentage goes to the casino. In American it is 5.26% and in European Roulette games it is 2.7%. This is the amount that you lose to the casino, on average, for each bet.

The potential profits are the same in all types of the game, so why the difference in house edge? It’s because in American Roulette, there is an extra green zero slot (the double zero). The even-money bets like Red or Black, Even or Odds go to the casino if the ball lands in the zero or the double zero slot. As there are two such slots in American roulette wheel, compared to one green slot in European, the house edge is doubled.

There are 161 possible combinations of roulette bets, each with their own odds of winning. These bets are grouped into two categories: inside and outside bets. Outside bets cover larger groups of numbers, offering lower risk but also lower payouts. In contrast, inside bets cover fewer numbers, presenting higher risk due to lower odds, but they offer higher potential payouts.

Odds for Outside Bets in Roulette

Outside bets are placed on the spaces around the outside of the roulette table, covering broad sets of numbers ranging from 12 to 18.

• Red or Black (betting on color), Odd or Even (choosing number parity), and High or Low (betting on ranges 1–18 or 19–36) are all known as even-money bets. Each covers half of the numbers on the roulette wheel, excluding the green slots, and offers a 1:1 payout on both European and American roulette, doubling your bet if you win. The roulette table odds for these bets are high. Odds of hitting red or black and other even-money bets in European roulette are 48.65% and 47.37% in American. However, the profits are the lowest of all roulette bets.
• Two popular outside bets are Columns and Dozens, both dividing the 36 numbers into three blocks. Column bets involve choosing one of three vertical sections, while Dozen bets cover groups of 1-12, 13-24, or 25-36. These bets cover 12 numbers, that means that the odds in European wheel are 32.4% in European wheel and in American version are 31.6%. In both roulette games, these bets have a payout odds of 2:1. A successful $10 Column or Dozens bet would give the profit $30.

Odds for Inside Bets in Roulette

Inside bets are placed on options in the center of the roulette layout and involve selecting the exact number where the ball will land or a small set of adjacent numbers.

• The Straight bet or Single number bet. The odds of landing one of these bets are 2.7% in European game, with 37 slots on the wheel, and 2.6% in American Roulette, which has 38 slots. In both cases, the return is 35:1. For example, a $10 winning bet on the number 7 would give the total profit $360 ($10 x 35 + $10).
• The Square bet involves betting on a group of 4 numbers that from a square on the table layout, for example 1, 2, 4, 5 or 10, 11, 13 and 14. If the ball lands on any of these numbers, you win with a reward 8:1. The odds in European roulette are 10.81% and 10.53% in American wheel.
• The Street bet is placed on a row of three numbers (”street”), with a payout of 11:1. To make Street bet you would choose a row of three consecutive numbers, such as 2, 3 and 4, for example. The chances of winning a bet is 8.11% in European version and 7.89% in American.
• The Split bet covers two adjacent numbers on the roulette table, with a return of 17:1. For instance, if you want to bet on the numbers 12 and 13, you would place your chip on the line between these two numbers. The odds of winning are 5.41% in European type and 5.26% in American roulette.

Payouts are displayed in ratio format, with the first number indicating the amount by which your bet will be multiplied if you win.

There is a simple formula for calculating winnings, the same for both European and American roulette: divide 36 by the number of winning numbers subtract one and thus we get the payout. This formula provides a simple way to calculate the winning multiplier based on the count of winning outcomes for each type of roulette bet. Here is how it works:

1. 36 represents the total number of slots in roulette wheel, without considering the green zero(s)
2. Winning number refers to the specific numbers covered from the bet. For example:

• For Straight bet (single number), the winning outcomes = 1
• For a Split bet (two adjacent numbers) it will be 2
• For a Red or Black bet (covering 18 numbers), it will amount to 18.

Lastly, 1 is subtracted to get the house edge for the winning bet.

Understanding roulette odds and calculating payouts is easy if you follow these steps carefully, remembering that the probability to win and payouts vary with each type of bet.

Improving the odds or affecting the house edge is impossible in both land-based and online roulette. However, you can increase your chances of winning more often, and making your bankroll last longer. Here are some helpful roulette tips:

• Pick your bet: Being aware of the different odds and probabilities helps you to have a higher winning chance in this casino game. We recommend to place the outside bets, this will give you better roulette payout odds. By betting on Red or Black or Odds or Evens, you will have smaller profit, but you will win more regularly.
• Select the game type: Choosing the Roulette type is another good strategy to improve your chances of winning, as different roulette types affect the odds and house edge. It is best to opt the European or French roulette, as the house edge in European version is 2.7%, compared to 5.26% in American.

Finally, make sure that your bets are proportionate to the size of your bankroll, so that you don’t lose all your money too quickly.