Online roulette is a casino game where a ball is spun around a numbered wheel — players bet on where it lands. European Roulette has 37 pockets (0–36) and a 2.70% house edge. American Roulette has 38 pockets (0, 00, 1–36) and a 5.26% house edge. Always choose European over American — the double-zero adds 2.6% to the house's advantage with no benefit to the player.
How to Play Online Roulette
Roulette is the simplest casino game to understand: you predict where the ball will land on the spinning wheel and place chips on the corresponding bet before the spin.
- Select your chip denomination from the betting panel
- Place chips on the desired bet position on the table layout
- Click Spin (RNG roulette) or wait for the live dealer to spin (live roulette)
- The ball settles in a numbered pocket — winning bets are paid at fixed odds
- Losing bets are cleared; place new bets for the next spin
Inside bets cover specific numbers or small groups — they pay more but win less often. Outside bets cover large groups like Red/Black or Odd/Even — they pay less but win nearly half the time. Neither bet type offers a different house edge in European roulette; all bets carry the same 2.70%.
French Roulette includes the La Partage rule: if the ball lands on 0, all even-money bets (Red/Black, Odd/Even, High/Low) receive half their stake back. This reduces the house edge on those bets to 1.35% — the best RTP in any standard roulette variant.
Roulette Bets, Payouts, and House Edge
All bets in European Roulette carry the same 2.70% house edge. The payout varies by how many numbers the bet covers — more numbers covered means lower payout but higher win frequency.
| Bet Type | Numbers Covered | Payout | House Edge (European) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight Up | 1 | 35:1 | 2.70% |
| Split | 2 | 17:1 | 2.70% |
| Street | 3 | 11:1 | 2.70% |
| Corner | 4 | 8:1 | 2.70% |
| Six Line | 6 | 5:1 | 2.70% |
| Column | 12 | 2:1 | 2.70% |
| Dozen | 12 | 2:1 | 2.70% |
| Red / Black | 18 | 1:1 | 2.70% |
| Odd / Even | 18 | 1:1 | 2.70% |
| High / Low | 18 | 1:1 | 2.70% |
| Five-Number (American only) | 5 (0, 00, 1, 2, 3) | 6:1 | 7.89% |
The Five-Number Bet in American Roulette (0, 00, 1, 2, 3) is the single worst bet in roulette at 7.89% house edge — avoid it entirely.
European vs American vs French Roulette
| Variant | Pockets | Zero Count | House Edge | Special Rules |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| European | 37 | Single zero | 2.70% | None |
| French | 37 | Single zero | 1.35% (even-money bets) | La Partage — half stake returned on 0 |
| American | 38 | Double zero (0 + 00) | 5.26% | Five-number bet (avoid) |
The choice is clear: French Roulette offers the best odds if available. European is the standard default. American Roulette should only be played if no other variant is available — the double-zero nearly doubles the house edge for no player benefit.
Online Roulette Variants
European Roulette
The standard online roulette variant — 37 pockets, single zero, 2.70% house edge on all bets. Available at virtually every online casino. The correct starting point for any player choosing between variants.
American Roulette
38 pockets including both 0 and 00. House edge of 5.26%. The additional double-zero pocket doubles the house advantage compared to European roulette while paying the same 35:1 on a straight-up win. There is no player-favorable reason to choose American over European roulette.
French Roulette
Same wheel layout as European (single zero, 37 pockets) but with La Partage: when the ball lands on 0, all even-money bets lose only half their stake. Some French tables also offer En Prison — instead of returning half, the losing bet is held for one more spin. The house edge on even-money bets drops to 1.35% under La Partage — the best RTP of any standard roulette game.
Lightning Roulette (Evolution Gaming)
European Roulette base game with a multiplier mechanic: before each spin, 1–5 numbers are randomly selected and assigned multipliers from 50× to 500×. Straight-up bets on multiplied numbers pay their multiplied amount instead of 35:1. The overall RTP is 97.1% — slightly lower than standard European due to reduced base payouts funding the multiplier pool. Lightning Roulette is the most widely played live casino game globally.
Immersive Roulette (Evolution Gaming)
Standard European Roulette filmed with multiple high-definition cameras, including slow-motion replays of the ball dropping into the pocket. No mechanical changes — same 37 pockets, same 2.70% house edge. Purely a presentation upgrade for players who want a more cinematic live roulette experience.
Red Door Roulette — Pennsylvania Lottery
Red Door Roulette is a Pennsylvania Lottery draw game — not an online casino roulette game. Players searching for "red door roulette result" are looking for Pennsylvania Lottery draw results, which are published at palottery.state.pa.us and updated daily.
For online casino roulette available to Pennsylvania residents: licensed operators including BetMGM PA, DraftKings PA, FanDuel PA, and PlayLive Casino offer European, American, and Lightning Roulette via Evolution Gaming under Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board licences.
Roulette Strategy: What Works and What Doesn't
Every spin of the roulette wheel is independent — previous results have no influence on future outcomes. No betting system (Martingale, Fibonacci, D'Alembert) changes the house edge over the long run. These systems change the distribution of wins and losses but not the expected return.
The actual strategies that improve your expected outcome:
- Choose French over European over American — this is the only decision that materially changes your expected loss per spin
- Flat betting — bet the same amount each spin rather than increasing after losses (Martingale). Progressive systems create large-loss risk for no mathematical benefit
- Set a session loss limit — roulette runs are highly variable; decide your maximum loss before sitting down and leave when you reach it
- Avoid the Five-Number Bet in American Roulette — the only bet with a higher edge than the standard 5.26%
FAQ
- What is the best online roulette strategy?
- There is no strategy that overcomes the house edge. The only effective decision is variant selection: French Roulette with La Partage (1.35% edge on even-money bets) beats European (2.70%) beats American (5.26%). Flat betting is mathematically safer than progressive systems like Martingale.
- What is Red Door Roulette?
- Red Door Roulette is a Pennsylvania Lottery draw game — not an online casino roulette product. Results are published daily at palottery.state.pa.us. Pennsylvania residents wanting online casino roulette can access licensed operators: BetMGM PA, DraftKings PA, and FanDuel PA.
- What is the house edge in roulette?
- European Roulette: 2.70% on all bets. French Roulette with La Partage: 1.35% on even-money bets, 2.70% on all others. American Roulette: 5.26% (7.89% on the five-number bet). Always choose European or French variants.
- Can you play roulette online for free?
- Yes — most online casinos offer RNG roulette in demo mode with no account required. Live dealer roulette cannot be played for free. Demo mode is useful for learning bet placement and the table layout before playing for real money.
- What is Lightning Roulette?
- Lightning Roulette is an Evolution Gaming live roulette variant where 1–5 numbers receive random multipliers (50×–500×) before each spin. Straight-up wins on multiplied numbers pay the multiplied amount instead of 35:1. RTP is 97.1%. It is the most widely played live casino game globally.