Roulette Rules and Types of Bets
Roulette is one of the oldest casino table games and remains easy to understand. Its basic mechanics are straightforward, so you can learn the rules quickly and start exploring this traditional game within minutes. Our roulette rules and bets guide explains the table, wheels, available wagers, and what happens when the ball settles in a pocket.
What Is Roulette?
At a land-based casino, look for the table drawing the biggest crowd; the 80% figure is an unverified estimate, not a measured statistic or prediction. Roulette is among the best-known games in physical casinos and is also popular online. The basic idea is to bet on the pocket where the ball might stop. The layout offers several options, from a single number, split, or column bet to even-money choices such as odd or even, red or black, and high or low.
How to Play Roulette
To start, place your chips on your chosen bets before the dealer spins the wheel and releases the ball. The winning number, its colour, its range, and whether it is odd or even determine which bets pay and whether your round ends in a win.
The rules are simple, but learning to play roulette well means understanding the basics. Get familiar with the wheel, the table layout or online betting overlay, and the different wagers, odds, and payouts.
The Roulette Wheel
The roulette wheel is the game's most recognisable feature. It has numbered pockets in different colours, and the pocket where the ball comes to rest determines which players win and which bets lose.
New players may not know that roulette comes in three variations. A quick look at the wheel and table layout will usually reveal which version is being played.
The main variations are European, French, and American roulette. European and French roulette share many features, while the American version differs more. We cover each in more detail below; here's a summary of their wheels:
- French/European Roulette Wheel: Both variations have 37 numbered pockets, from 0 to 36. Numbers 1-36 alternate between black and red, while the single zero is green.
- American Roulette Wheel: The American wheel has 38 pockets. Numbers 0 to 36 are coloured red or black, and the wheel also includes a double zero alongside the single zero.
The Roulette Table and Betting Rules
Once you understand the wheel variations, the next step is learning the table layout and where to place bets. Each table has minimum and maximum limits that set the least and most you can wager per round.
At a land-based casino, the betting layout is printed on the felt in front of you. Online casinos show the same arrangement as an on-screen overlay. In both cases, it indicates the available positions for your chips.
The layout has a central grid of numbers, with separate betting sections around the edges. The grid is for inside bets, while the surrounding sections are for outside bets. We’ll keep the descriptions brief here; our roulette odds, bets, and payouts guide provides a more detailed breakdown.
Roulette Inside Bets
Inside bets cover single numbers or small groups of numbers. Options include straight-up, split, line, street, corner, and basket bets, as well as combinations of these. Placed individually, inside bets generally have longer odds and higher payouts than outside bets. They win less often, but successful wagers pay more.
Here is the complete list of inside bets available in roulette:
- Straight Up: This bet selects a single number. A win pays 35:1.
- Split: This bet covers two adjacent numbers and pays 17:1 when it wins.
- Street: This bet covers a row of three numbers and pays 11:1.
- Corner (Square): A corner bet covers four numbers arranged in a square. The payout is 8:1.
- Six Line: This bet covers two adjacent rows, or six numbers in total. A win pays 5:1.
Roulette Outside Bets
By comparison, outside bets generally offer shorter odds and lower payouts. These include even-money bets on black or red, odd or even, and low or high. As BetMGM Canada explains, 50/50 is shorthand for an even-money roulette bet rather than a claim of exact odds: the green zero pocket works against the player, and these bets pay 1:1. Dozen bets are another option, paying 2:1. Smaller returns do not guarantee that your bankroll will last longer or grow, nor do they produce large payouts on every win.
These are the outside bets available in roulette:
- Red or Black: The bet asks whether the ball will land on a red or black number. A win pays 1:1.
- Odd or Even: This bet predicts whether the ball will land on an odd or even number. As an approximately 50/50 bet, it also pays 1:1.
- Low (1-18) or High (19-36): This bet predicts whether the ball lands on a low or high number. A win pays 1;!.
- Dozen Bet: This covers one of three groups of 12 numbers (1-12, 13-24, 25-36). A dozen bet pays 2:1.
- Column Bet: This bet selects one of the three vertical number columns. Since it covers one-third of the roulette wheel, it pays 2:1.
Which are the best roulette bets to use? Roulette has no single right answer when it comes to the best bets. Your choice depends on your playing style, bankroll, and strategy. If you prefer a more cautious approach or have a smaller bankroll, outside bets may be a better fit.
For more details, see our How to Play and Win at Roulette guide.
Racetrack Betting Rules
European and French roulette may also have a racetrack betting section. It shows the numbers in their order around the wheel, so you can bet on specific wheel sections. Here are some of the racetrack bets players commonly use.
- Voisins du Zéro (Neighbors of Zero): This bet covers numbers near zero on the wheel. In total, it covers 17 numbers using a combination of split and straight-up bets.
- Tiers du Cylindre (Thirds of the Wheel): This bet covers a third of the wheel, from 27 to 33. It uses 6 split bets and offers a 45.9% chance of winning.
- Orphelins (Orphans): This bet covers the numbers left out of the previous two bets, hence the name Orphans. The covered numbers are 1-20-14-31-9 in one wheel section and 17-34-6 in another.
- Neighbour Bets: A neighbour bet can be placed on any racetrack section and covers a selected number and its closest neighbours. For example, you could choose 5, 10, 23, 24, and 16.
Roulette Playing Terms: A Glossary
Understanding roulette rules is only part of learning the game; you also need to know the terminology. This glossary explains many of the terms you may encounter while playing:
- Inside Bets: Bets on individual numbers or small groups within the roulette layout.
- Outside Bets: Bets on broader categories such as colours, odd or even numbers, and high or low numbers.
- Straight Bet: A bet on a single number; a win has the highest payout but the lowest chance of occurring.
- Split Bet: A bet covering two adjacent numbers on the layout, with slightly better odds than a straight bet.
- Street Bet: A bet on a row of three numbers.
- Corner Bet: A bet on four numbers arranged as a square on the layout.
- Six Line Bet: A bet on two adjacent rows, covering six numbers in total.
- Column Bet: A bet on one of the three vertical number columns on the layout.
- Dozen Bet: A bet on a group of 12 numbers: 1-12, 13-24, or 25-36.
- Red/Black Bet: A bet on either the red or black numbers.
- Even/Odd Bet: A bet on all even or all odd numbers.
- High/Low Bet: A bet on numbers 1-18 (low) or 19-36 (high).
- Croupier: The dealer who spins the roulette wheel and runs the game.
- Wheel: The circular device with numbered pockets where the ball may land.
- Ball: The small white sphere that travels around the wheel before settling in a numbered pocket.
- House Edge: The casino's statistical advantage over players in the long run.
- En Prison: This rule applies to even-money bets. If the ball lands on zero, the player's wager remains "in prison" for the next spin. If the bet wins on that spin, the stake is returned; if it loses again, the stake is forfeited.
- La Partage: Like En Prison, this rule applies to even-money bets, but returns half the stake if the ball lands on zero. It does not protect other losing bets.
- Voisins du Zéro: French for "neighbours of zero", describing a group of wheel numbers close to zero.
- Orphelins: French for "orphans", referring to numbers not included in the Voisins du Zéro or Tiers du Cylindre bets.
- Tiers du Cylindre: A bet on a third of the wheel, approximately opposite the numbers covered by Voisins du Zéro.
How to Play Online Roulette: A Quick Step-by-Step Guide
In most ways, an online roulette table works much like one at a land-based casino. For a standard roulette variation, the rules, house edge, and payouts should match those of the corresponding table game.
Note: Online roulette also includes non-standard versions. Some games add random multipliers to straight-up (single-number) bets, others have bonus rounds, and some introduce features such as a second ball. Always read the rules for the specific game, since its house edge, payouts, and other conditions may differ.
Follow these steps to play roulette online:
- Read our online casino reviews to compare sites offering a selection of roulette games.
- Complete the registration process with your chosen online casino. It should take only a few minutes. Review any welcome bonus the platform offers before making your first deposit.
- Browse the table-game and live-casino lobbies to find a roulette game. Consider practising in demo mode before risking real money. When ready, choose whether to play for real money at your selected table.
- Decide how much to stake and place your chips in the appropriate spot on the betting overlay. You may want to start with outside bets before trying inside bets sparingly.
- Wait for the ball to settle in a pocket that wins your bet. You can then place more wagers for the next spin and repeat the process.
Roulette Strategies: Can They Help You Beat the House Edge?
Our roulette strategy guide explores this topic in more detail, so here we’ll introduce the main approaches. Many systems provide a structured way to bet, including progressive methods for even-money wagers that change the stake after the previous result. For example, under the Martingale roulette strategy, a loss is followed by a bet double the initial stake on the next spin. This continues until a bet wins, but no system removes the house edge or guarantees a profit.
Other well-known roulette approaches include the James Bond strategy, Fibonacci, Reverse Martingale, Labouchere, and Paroli.
Different Roulette Game Variations
Land-based casinos commonly offer several roulette variations, while online play provides many more formats. Some feature extra balls, multipliers, bonus rounds, or other features. The next section describes roulette options you may come across online.
American Roulette
American roulette is widely available, but many players consider it the least appealing standard variation because its wheel gives the house a greater advantage. In addition to a single zero (0), it has a double zero (00). When the ball lands on either zero, many bets lose because those outcomes are neither odd nor even, red nor black, and are not covered by many other layout bets. With two zeros, the house has two built-in sections of advantage. American roulette has a house edge of 5.25%.
European Roulette
Because European roulette has a single zero, its RTP is 2.70%, almost half that of American roulette. Along with French roulette, it has the lowest house edge among the main roulette variations. Players can also use call bets, or announced bets, which can make the game quicker and more engaging.
French Roulette
French roulette has the same standard house edge as European roulette, but extra rules can improve the position on qualifying bets. When En Prison and La Partage apply, they insure even-money bets and effectively lower the house edge to 1.35%. Otherwise, French roulette is the same as European roulette.
Online Roulette Variations
Online casinos have the widest selection of roulette variations. Digital technology lets developers create formats that are hard to reproduce at a land-based casino. Here are examples you might find while browsing an online casino:
- Multiplier Roulette: Multiplier roulette has gained traction in recent years. Often offered on live casino platforms, these games randomly assign multipliers of up to 500x or 1,000x to individual numbers. Multipliers apply only to straight-up bets, so a winning number wager may qualify for a substantial payout.
- Mini Roulette: Mini Roulette is a compact take on the game. Its wheel and betting layout have fewer numbers—usually 12—to bet on. With fewer numbers, the rules, odds, and payouts differ from standard roulette, so review them before playing.
- Double Ball Roulette: Double Ball Roulette features two balls instead of one. This changes the way the game works and significantly affects its rules, so check them before betting.
- Auto Roulette: This automated roulette format has no dealer. Its quicker rounds can let players place more bets per hour.
- Speed Roulette: Speed Roulette cuts the betting period short and speeds up play. Wagers need to be placed sooner, which can mean more bets per hour.
Ready to Play Roulette?
Once you know the roulette rules and bet types, you can start comparing variants. Casino Ideal’s earlier roulette coverage can help you explore online casino options, including the Best Online Casinos for roulette, but it does not guarantee that an option is suitable or authorized, or that you will win. A winning number might come up within minutes and result in a payout under the table rules, but neither timing nor outcome is assured, whether you place a column, line, street, corner, or 50/50 bet.
