A Complete Guide on Roulette Odds

  • Knowing your chances of winning on different roulette bets and how they vary in each variant will help you make much more informed decisions as a player and improve your gameplay. Here, we will help you to do that and answer the question of “What are the odds on roulette?”.

Odds of Winning Roulette

The odds of winning at roulette are determined by the type of bet you place and the variant you play (American, European, French). We'll take a closer look at how the variants affect this below. For now, let's stick with the bet types. Bets in this game fall into two categories:

  • Inside bets: Bets placed on a single number or a limited range of numbers. They pay well, but have low odds. 
  • Outside bets: Bets that only pay 1x or 2x, but offer a higher chance of winning, for example, red/black. They have the best odds for roulette. 

In the tables below, you can find the answer to the question “What are the odds in roulette?” for each betting category.

Inside Bets: Worst Odds in Roulette

Roulette Bet Type Example Roulette Bet European Roulette Odds American Roulette Odds
Straight-Up Any single number (e.g., 7) 2.70% 2.60%
Split Two adjacent numbers (e.g., 19 and 20) 5.40% 5.30%
Street Any three numbers in a row (e.g., 28, 29, 30) 8.10% 7.90%
Corner Four adjacent numbers (e.g., 5, 6, 8, 9) 10.80% 10.50%
Five-Number 0, 00, 1, 2, 3 (American roulette only) 13.50% 13.20%
Six-Line Two rows of three numbers (e.g., 1–6) 16.20% 15.80%

Outside Bets: Roulette Best Odds

Roulette Bet Type
Column Any 12 numbers in a column (e.g., 1st column) 32.40% 31.60%
Dozen Any 12 numbers in one of the three dozens (e.g., 1–12) 32.40% 31.60%
Even Bet Bet on Even numbers (e.g., 2, 4, 6) 48.60% 47.40%
Red/Black Bet on Red or Black (e.g., Red) 48.60% 47.40%
Odd/Even Bet on Odd or Even (e.g., Odd) 48.60% 47.40%
High/Low Bet on High (19–36) or Low (1–18) numbers 48.60% 47.40%

Announced (French) and Other Roulette Betting Odds

Bets placed using a special area called a ‘racetrack’, often found in the French variant, are called “announced” and offer different odds. This is because they are a combination of multiple bet types. In terms of winning chances, they fall somewhere between inside and outside bets.

French Roulette Betting Odds

Roulette Bet Type Example Roulette Bet European Odds American Odds
Voisins du Zéro Numbers adjacent to zero (e.g., 22, 18, 29) 32.40% 31.60%
Tiers du Cylindre One-third of the wheel’s numbers (e.g., 27, 13, 36) 32.40% 31.60%
Orphelins The remaining numbers on the wheel (e.g., 6, 17, 34) 32.40% 31.60%
Jeu Zéro Bet on 7 numbers around zero (e.g., 12, 35, 3) 32.40% 31.60%

Other Roulette Betting Odds

Roulette Bet Type Example Roulette Bet European Odds American Odds
Top-Line 0, 00, 1, 2, 3 (American roulette only) 13.50% 13.20%
Neighbour Bet Bet on numbers adjacent to a chosen number 5.40% 5.30%

How to Calculate Roulette Odds and Payouts: The Easy Way

  • There is an easy way to answer the question “What are the odds of winning roulette?” for each bet type: divide the number of outcomes covered by your bet by the total number of pockets on the wheel. For example, a “red” bet covers 18 outcomes, and a single-zero roulette has a total of 37 pockets. So:

    • 18/37 = 0.4864 (48,64%)

    Payout calculation is also quite simple. To calculate how much any bet will pay out, divide the outcomes your bet covers by 36 and subtract 1 from the result. For example, let's say you place a street bet covering 3 outcomes. So:

    • 36/3 = 12
    • 12 - 1 = 11

    The payout of the bet will be 11x (11 to 1). Learning the odds and payout calculations is important to develop a strategy and increase your chances of winning.

Choose Roulette Type:

Odds on Roulette Are Affected by Zero Pockets and Wheel Type

We mentioned above that the odds in roulette vary depending on the game variant too. In this context, the number of zeros on the wheel will affect your chances of winning. Let's break it down according to the basic variants:

European Roulette

There is a single 0 pocket on the wheel and 37 numbers. Your chances of winning a bet on a single number are 1/37.

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American Roulette

The wheel has two 0 pockets (0+00) and 38 numbers. Your chances of winning a bet on a single number are 1/38.

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French Roulette

Identical to the European variant in terms of odds, but offers a much lower house edge due to the La Partage rule, which refunds half of losing bets in certain circumstances.

Read More

In this regard, single-zero roulette odds are always higher, and if you are looking for the best odds on roulette, you should opt for them. Double-zero roulette odds will always be lower. 

House Edge and Roulette Wheel Odds

The house edge is the profit rate the casino will make in the long run from every bet you place. For example, European roulette has a house edge of 2.70%. This means that for every 100 units you place, the casino will keep 2.70 units. The house edge doesn't affect the odds on a roulette table, as they are already determined. However, a smart player should consider this value when determining their strategy and choose the games where the profit to the casino from their investment will be the lowest. In this regard, here are the house edge values of the basic variants: 

  • European Roulette (2,70%)
  • American Roulette (5,26%)
  • French Roulette (1,35%)
  • Triple Zero Roulette (7.69%)

Myths & Misconceptions About Odds of Roulette

There are many myths and misconceptions about roulette odds. The most common is the belief in hot & cold numbers and/or the existence of winning - losing streaks. However, roulette is a game where the results are random and do not follow a pattern. All odds are reset on every spin. 

For the same reason, no hot and cold numbers and no streaks exist. If you want to increase your chances of winning, you need to accept that the outcome will always be random and learn that the best (or even the only) thing you can do is to choose bets that offer the best roulette odds.

FAQ About Roulette Winning Odds

  • What is RTP in Roulette?

    RTP is a value that shows how much of the money you invest in a game you can win back in the long run and has no influence on roulette number odds; it is determined by them just like house edge. 

  • How does the number of zeros affect the odds?

    The number of zeros determines how many total outcomes are taken into account in the odds calculation, and the higher they are, the lower your chances of winning. For example, roulette odds 00 are lower because it requires 38 numbers to be considered. 

  • Which bet has the best odds in roulette?

    In single zero games, roulette odds red or black are the highest and have a winning chance of over 48%. Even in double zero games it still offers the best chances. 

  • What is the house edge, and how does it impact your winnings?

    The house edge is a ratio that shows what the casino's profit will be from the money you spend on a game and it does not change the betting odds on roulette in any way; it is determined by them. 

  • Can I improve the odds on a roulette table?

    No. Odds for roulette are fixed and cannot be manipulated in any way. However, for example, in roulette, the odds of black or red are the highest, and you can maximize your chances of winning by choosing this bet.