Roulette Odds and Payouts Explained: UK Player's Guide

Roulette odds and payouts explained: the numbers behind every bet on the table

Every bet on a roulette table has its own set payout and odds, and the gap between these two figures is where the casino quietly turns a profit. Get to grips with how this gap works - and how it shifts depending on the roulette variant - and suddenly, there's no mystery left in the value of any spin.

This guide walks through every standard bet type, pinpoints the precise payouts and odds on European and American wheels, explains how French rules shake things up, and highlights a few UK-specific details worth knowing before taking a seat.

The wheel is everything: European, American, and French

Before worrying about where to place a single chip, the first choice that shapes your whole session is the wheel type itself.

European roulette runs on 37 pockets - numbers 1 to 36 plus a single zero. The casino's mathematical edge across all bets is 2.7%, which means an RTP of 97.3%.

American roulette throws a second green pocket into the mix - the double zero - bringing the total to 38. That one extra number almost doubles the house edge to 5.26%, with an RTP of 94.74%. Payouts, however, stay exactly the same, which is exactly how the casino edges ahead.

French roulette uses the same 37-pocket single-zero wheel as European but adds two player-friendly rules on even-money bets. We'll cover those shortly.

For UK players at licensed online casinos, European and French wheels are the norm. American roulette does pop up, but the odds are simply worse for the player, with nothing else in its favour. Handy to know, so you don't end up picking it by accident.

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How the house edge actually works

The straight-up bet - a wager on a single number - makes the casino's advantage crystal clear.

On a European wheel with 37 pockets, the true odds against hitting your number are 36 to 1. The casino pays 35 to 1. That missing unit - one chip on every 37 spins, on average - is the house edge in its simplest form. One divided by 37 gives you 2.70%.

Every other bet on the table follows the same pattern: the payout sits just below the true fair odds. Red or black, for example, covers 18 winning pockets and 19 losing ones (zero included), but it still pays even money - as if the odds were perfectly balanced. Columns and dozens each take in 12 numbers and pay 2:1, though the real fair payout would be a touch higher at just over 2.08:1 on a 37-pocket wheel.

The payout structure jumps all over the place - a straight-up pays far more than red or black - but on a European wheel, the house edge holds steady at 2.7% across the board. Your choice of bet changes how bumpy the ride feels, not how much you're likely to lose per pound played.

Inside bets: the riskier, higher-paying side of the table

Inside bets go straight onto the numbered grid. They cover fewer numbers, pay out more handsomely when they land, but come in less often.

Straight up is a bet on a single number. It pays 35:1, with a probability of 2.70% on a European wheel (2.63% on American). Roughly one win in every 37 spins, on average.

Split covers two adjacent numbers. Payout: 17:1. Probability on European: 5.41%.

Street covers three numbers in a horizontal row on the table layout. Payout: 11:1. Probability on European: 8.11%.

Corner (or square bet) covers four numbers forming a square on the grid. Payout: 8:1. Probability on European: 10.81%.

Six-line covers two adjacent rows of three, for six numbers in total. Payout: 5:1. Probability on European: 16.22%.

Here's one inside bet worth knowing about, mostly so you can steer clear: the five-number bet, unique to American roulette, covers 0, 00, 1, 2, and 3, and pays 6:1. It's widely regarded as the worst standard bet in roulette, saddled with a house edge of 7.89% because the payout is woefully poor value for the five numbers it covers. Best to give this one a wide berth.

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Outside bets: better odds, smaller payouts

Outside bets sit around the edge of the numbered grid. They cover bigger groups of numbers, come in more regularly, but naturally pay out less in return.

Columns and dozens each scoop up 12 numbers out of the 37 on a European wheel. Both pay 2:1, with a win probability of 32.43%. Neither bet covers the zero, so neither quite hits one-third odds.

Red or black, odd or even, and low (1-18) or high (19-36) are your even-money bets, each paying 1:1. Each covers 18 numbers out of 37 on a European wheel, so the win rate sits at 48.65% per spin - not quite 50/50, as the zero sides with the house.

On American roulette, both zero and double zero reduce the probability on even-money bets to 47.37%, with payouts still at 1:1. That's the full picture of how the extra pocket chips away at the player's position.

French roulette: La Partage and En Prison

French roulette uses the same single-zero wheel as European but adds two rules that specifically benefit players on even-money bets when zero comes up.

La Partage - French for "the share" - means the house gives back half your even-money stake if the ball lands on zero. Put £10 on red and zero comes up, and you'll see £5 returned. This neat rule halves the house edge on even-money bets from 2.7% to 1.35%. For these wagers, French roulette with La Partage is arguably one of the best-value table games you'll find anywhere.

En Prison does the same job with more ceremony: rather than returning half your stake immediately, the bet is "imprisoned" and carried over to the next spin. If it wins, you get your original stake back without any profit; if it loses, you lose the stake as normal. Mathematically, En Prison and La Partage are equivalent - both result in a 1.35% house edge on even-money bets.

Neither rule applies to inside bets, columns, or dozens. For those, French and European roulette are identical - the edge is only in play on even-money wagers.

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Call bets (announced bets)

Play live dealer European or French roulette online and you'll notice a racetrack layout alongside the main grid. This is where call bets come in - combinations that cover particular sections of the wheel instead of the numbered table.

Voisins du Zéro ("neighbours of zero") covers 17 numbers nearest to zero on the wheel using a combination of splits and a corner. Tiers du Cylindre covers 12 numbers on the opposite arc of the wheel. Orphelins picks up the remaining eight numbers not covered by either.

These aren't separate bet types with special house edges. They're simply shortcuts for placing several inside bets at once. Each part still has the standard 2.7% house edge. Good to know before the racetrack layout takes you by surprise.

Is online roulette actually random?

It's a fair question. With a physical wheel, there's comfort in watching the ball settle. Online, though, outcomes are handled by a random number generator ticking away in the background - completely out of sight.

At UK-licensed casinos, the rules are clear-cut: the UKGC's RTS 7 insists that licensed games deliver genuinely random outcomes, and adaptive or compensated results - where the game shifts based on what's just happened - are banned outright. Every game's RNG is checked by an independent, accredited test house before launch, then re-tested every year. Even live-dealer studios are subject to regular inspection.

If you want more on how the certification process works, our piece on whether online slots are rigged covers the same framework - the same testing requirements apply to roulette and all other UKGC-licensed casino products.

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What UK rules actually say about roulette stakes

Let's clear up a common point of confusion: the 2025 stake limits - £5 per spin for players aged 25 and over, £2 for those aged 18 to 24 - apply to online slots only. The UKGC spelled it out clearly in the statutory instrument: these limits don't touch other casino games, including roulette, blackjack, or baccarat.

So, there's no legal per-spin cap for roulette at UK-licensed sites. Operators set their own table limits, and these can change quite a bit between standard, premium, and VIP tables - but there's nothing like the fixed ceiling you'll find on slots.

One rule does apply across all gambling products, including roulette: a financial vulnerability check kicks in if net deposits go over £150 in a rolling 30-day window. That's about keeping an eye on spending patterns, not about setting a cap on any particular game.

Which version should you choose?

If odds are the deciding factor, French roulette with La Partage stands out for even-money bets - the 1.35% house edge is tough to beat anywhere. European roulette at 2.7% is a strong second and much more widely available. American roulette, at 5.26%, doesn't offer any real advantage and is better approached as a curiosity than as a serious choice for regular play.

Within European roulette, your choice of bet changes how lively (or nerve-wracking) the session feels, but not the underlying cost per pound staked. Straight-up bets will come in about once every 37 spins and pay handsomely; even-money wagers win just under half the time. The house edge stays the same, but the ride can be very different depending on your appetite for swings.

If you're looking for a UK-licensed casino with a decent live roulette lineup - European, French, and multiple table limits - our best online casinos guide covers the current market, and our LeoVegas review is a good place to start for live dealer roulette in particular.

Frequently asked questions

What's the house edge on European roulette?

2.7% on all standard bets. French roulette with La Partage drops this to 1.35% on even-money bets. American roulette sits at 5.26% across almost all bets.

What does 35:1 mean as a roulette payout?

You receive 35 times your stake as profit, plus your original stake back. A £1 straight-up bet that hits returns £36 in total. The true fair odds on a European wheel would be 36:1 - that one-unit gap is the house edge at work.

Do the £5/£2 stake limits apply to roulette?

No. The UKGC's 2025 stake limits are for online slots only and do not apply to roulette, blackjack, baccarat, or other casino table games.

What is the best bet in roulette?

Mathematically, an even-money bet on French roulette with the La Partage rule active carries the lowest house edge available: 1.35%. Within European roulette, no bet type is better than another - all share the same 2.7% edge. "Better" means a lower house edge, not a higher chance of winning on any single spin.

What's the five-number bet and why is it worth avoiding?

It's an American-only bet covering 0, 00, 1, 2, and 3, paying 6:1. Unlike every other standard roulette bet, which shares the uniform 5.26% American house edge, this bet has its own unique edge of 7.89% - the worst of any standard wager on the table.

What's the difference between La Partage and En Prison?

Both rules apply when zero hits on an even-money bet. La Partage returns half your stake immediately; En Prison holds your bet for a second spin, returning the full stake if it wins and losing it if it doesn't. The mathematical outcome is the same: a 1.35% house edge on even-money bets.

Safer gambling: the house edge is always there, no matter the spin. Setting a deposit limit is a straightforward way to keep a session within the bounds you meant to spend. If gambling is ever causing issues for you or anyone close to you, the National Gambling Helpline is free and open 24/7 on 0808 8020 133.