Roulette is one of the easiest casino games to pick up, yet a few small details decide how much each bet is really worth. Knowing how to play roulette properly means understanding which wheel you are sitting at, what each chip position covers, how winnings are worked out and what the green zero does to your chances. The sections below follow the order in which you meet each rule at the table, with payout tables for European, French and American wheels and practical notes for online and live dealer games. For a wider look at the game and where to play it, see our roulette guide.
What are the basic roulette rules?
Roulette rules are simple: you predict where the ball lands on a numbered wheel, and winning bets pay at fixed odds. A dealer, or a random number generator in digital games, spins the wheel in one direction and sends a small ball around the rim in the other. While betting is open, players place chips on a layout that mirrors the numbers on the wheel. When the ball settles in a pocket, that number wins, together with every bet that includes it.
Three ideas sit behind every rule that follows:
- You never play against other players. Everyone at the table bets against the house, so another player’s choice has no effect on your result.
- Every bet has a fixed payout. The table pays the same odds for the same type of bet on every spin, whatever the size of your stake within the limits.
- The zero belongs to the house. Payouts are calculated as if the wheel had only 36 numbers, and the extra green pocket is where the casino’s margin comes from.
Unlike card games, roulette asks for no decisions once the ball is in motion. You never hit, stand or split; your only choices are which bets to make and how much to stake on each one.
The roulette wheel and the betting table
The roulette wheel holds red, black and green numbered pockets, and the betting table repeats those numbers in a grid. Numbers 1 to 36 are split evenly, with 18 red and 18 black, while the zero is green. On the wheel the numbers are not in numerical order; the sequence is mixed so that high and low, odd and even, and red and black numbers are spread around the rim.
The betting layout is easier to read. The zero, or zeros, sit at the top, followed by the numbers 1 to 36 in twelve rows of three, which form three long columns. Around the edge of the grid are the boxes for outside bets: the three dozens, the three columns, red, black, odd, even, 1–18 and 19–36. In French games and on most live tables you will also see an oval racetrack, a map of the wheel used for sector bets.
European, French and American roulette compared
European, French and American roulette share the same bets, but the number of zeros and two special rules change the odds. The table below shows the differences that matter most.
| Wheel | Total pockets | Green zeros | House edge on most bets | House edge on even-money bets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| European | 37 | 1 | 2.70% | 2.70% |
| French (with La Partage) | 37 | 1 | 2.70% | 1.35% |
| American | 38 | 2 | 5.26% | 5.26% |
European roulette is the version you will meet most often at UK online casinos. French roulette uses the same single-zero wheel but adds La Partage, a rule that returns half of any even-money stake when the ball lands on zero. Some tables use En Prison instead: the even-money bet is held for the next spin and returned in full if it then wins. American roulette adds a double zero (00), which almost doubles the house edge, so it is worth skipping whenever a single-zero table is available.
How to play roulette: a round step by step
To play roulette, you fund your balance, choose a table, place chips, wait for the spin and collect any winnings. Every round, online or in a casino, follows the same rhythm.
1. Fund your balance
Before you can bet, you need money in your casino account. UK-licensed casinos check your age and identity before you play, so complete your account verification early; it also speeds up withdrawals later. Our page on deposits and withdrawals explains which payment methods are the quickest.
2. Choose a table and check the limits
Every roulette table shows a minimum and a maximum stake. Limits often differ between inside and outside bets, and the cap on a single number is usually much lower than the cap on red or black. Check which wheel the table uses as well: a European or French label tells you there is only one zero.
3. Place your chips
Select a chip value and click, or tap, the spot on the layout that matches your bet. You can place as many bets as you like in the same round, as long as each one meets the table minimum and the total stays within the maximum. Online games also let you undo, double or repeat your previous bets with a single button.
4. No more bets, then the spin
When the betting time ends, the dealer announces “no more bets” or the game locks the layout automatically. Chips placed after that point are not accepted. The wheel turns, the ball travels around the rim and eventually drops into a pocket.
5. The winning number is marked
The result is the pocket where the ball comes to rest. At a physical table the dealer places a marker, usually called the dolly, on the winning number, and losing chips are cleared from the layout first.
6. Winning bets are paid
The dealer, or the software, pays each winning bet at its fixed odds and leaves your original stake in place, so you can collect it or let it ride on the next spin. The marker is lifted and a new round of betting opens.
Roulette bets explained: inside and outside bets
Roulette bets fall into two groups: inside bets on specific numbers, which pay more, and outside bets on larger groups, which win more often. Both are placed on the same layout, and you can mix them freely in a single round.
Inside bets
Inside bets are placed on the numbered grid itself. The fewer numbers a bet covers, the higher the payout and the lower the chance of winning.
| Bet | How it is placed | Numbers covered | Payout | Win chance (European wheel) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Straight up | On a single number | 1 | 35:1 | 2.70% |
| Split | On the line between two numbers | 2 | 17:1 | 5.41% |
| Street | At the end of a row of three | 3 | 11:1 | 8.11% |
| Corner | Where four numbers meet | 4 | 8:1 | 10.81% |
| Six line | At the end of two adjoining rows | 6 | 5:1 | 16.22% |
Single-zero tables also accept a trio on 0, 1 and 2 or on 0, 2 and 3, which pays 11:1, and many offer a first-four bet on 0, 1, 2 and 3 at 8:1. On an American wheel the equivalent top-line bet covers 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3 and pays 6:1. It carries a 7.89% house edge, the worst bet on that table.
Outside bets
Outside bets cover large groups of numbers from the boxes around the grid. They pay less but land far more often, which makes them popular with players who want a budget to last longer.
| Bet | Numbers covered | Payout | Win chance (European wheel) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red or black | 18 | 1:1 | 48.65% |
| Odd or even | 18 | 1:1 | 48.65% |
| Low (1–18) or high (19–36) | 18 | 1:1 | 48.65% |
| Dozen (1–12, 13–24 or 25–36) | 12 | 2:1 | 32.43% |
| Column | 12 | 2:1 | 32.43% |
The zero is not red or black, odd or even, low or high, and it does not belong to any dozen or column. When the ball lands on zero, every outside bet loses unless the table uses La Partage or En Prison.
Call bets on the racetrack
Call bets, also known as announced or French bets, cover a section of the wheel rather than a block of the grid. You place them on the racetrack, and the game spreads your chips across the right splits, streets and single numbers for you.
| Call bet | Numbers covered | Section of the wheel |
|---|---|---|
| Voisins du Zéro | 17 | From 22 to 25, around the zero |
| Tiers du Cylindre | 12 | From 27 to 33, opposite the zero |
| Orphelins | 8 | The two gaps left between the other sections |
| Jeu Zéro | 7 | From 12 to 15, the numbers closest to zero |
| Neighbours | 5 | A chosen number plus two on either side |
Call bets are a quick way to cover part of the wheel with one click, but they are built from ordinary inside bets, so they carry exactly the same house edge.
How roulette payouts are calculated
Roulette payouts follow one formula: divide 36 by the numbers covered, then subtract one, which gives the odds paid on a winning bet. A straight-up bet covers one number, so 36 ÷ 1 − 1 gives 35:1. A split covers two, so 36 ÷ 2 − 1 gives 17:1. The same sum explains every figure in the tables above, down to 1:1 for an 18-number bet.
Odds such as 35:1 describe your winnings, not the total you get back, because your stake is returned on top. A few examples at a European table:
- £5 straight up on 17, ball lands on 17: £175 in winnings plus your £5 stake, so £180 back.
- £10 on a corner covering 17, 18, 20 and 21, ball lands on 20: £80 in winnings plus £10, so £90 back.
- £20 on red, ball lands on a red number: £20 in winnings plus £20, so £40 back.
- £20 on red, ball lands on zero: the stake is lost, or £10 comes back under La Partage.
Because the formula is based on 36 numbers while the wheel has 37 or 38 pockets, every payout sits slightly below the true odds. That gap is the house edge.
The house edge in roulette and why the zero matters
The house edge in roulette comes from the zero pockets, because payouts are priced as if only 36 numbers existed. On a European wheel the zero is 1 of 37 pockets, which gives an edge of 2.70%. In practice that means an average loss of about £2.70 for every £100 staked over a long run of spins, although any single session can swing well above or below that figure.
The roulette odds on an American wheel are worse. With two green pockets out of 38, the edge rises to 5.26%, or about £5.26 per £100 staked. French roulette moves the other way on even-money bets: La Partage halves the loss on zero and cuts the edge on red, black, odd, even, low and high to 1.35%.
One detail surprises many players: on a given wheel, almost every bet carries the same house edge. A straight-up bet and a bet on red both cost 2.70% on average at a European table. Choosing between them changes how often you win and how large the wins are, not how much the game costs you over time. The only exceptions are the American top-line bet and the even-money bets at a La Partage table.
Roulette compared with blackjack
Roulette is a game of pure chance, while blackjack rewards decisions. At a blackjack table you choose whether to hit, stand, double down or split, and the game typically carries a house edge of 0.5% to 1% at good casino sites. A blackjack dealt from your first two cards pays 1.5 times the stake. Roulette cannot match that edge, but it needs no strategy at all, which is why many newcomers start with it. If you want another table game with few decisions, baccarat is worth a look, and our overview of casino games compares the main options side by side.
Five roulette rules to remember before you bet
Five roulette rules matter most, from choosing a single-zero wheel to treating every spin as independent of the last. Keep them in mind whenever you join a table:
- Pick a single-zero wheel. European and French roulette carry roughly half the house edge of the American game.
- Know the payout before you place the chip. A bet’s odds tell you exactly what you can win, so you can size each stake to your budget.
- Respect the table limits. Minimums and maximums apply per bet and per round, and inside bets usually have lower caps.
- Remember that zero beats outside bets. Unless La Partage or En Prison applies, red, black, odd, even, high, low, dozens and columns all lose on zero.
- Treat every spin as independent. The wheel has no memory, so a number that has not appeared for a long time is no more likely to land next.
Roulette betting systems and common myths
Roulette betting systems such as the Martingale change how you stake, not the odds, so the house edge stays the same on every spin. The Martingale doubles an even-money bet after each loss, aiming to win everything back with a single success. The problem is speed: a run of losses pushes the stake up quickly, and the table maximum or your budget can end the sequence before that win arrives. Gentler systems, such as the D’Alembert, which raises the stake by one unit after a loss, or the Fibonacci, which follows a number sequence, still face the same maths.
A few myths are worth clearing up:
- “Hot” and “cold” numbers. Many tables display recent results. They are a record of the past, not a forecast, and each spin has the same probabilities.
- “Red is due.” After a string of black results, red is no more likely on the next spin. Believing otherwise is known as the gambler’s fallacy.
- “Online wheels are rigged.” Digital roulette at licensed casinos runs on a random number generator that has to be independently tested. Our page on casino licensing explained covers how that oversight works.
- “Covering more numbers guarantees a profit.” Spreading chips across the layout raises your chance of a win on each spin, but the payouts shrink to match, and the edge stays where it was.
Online and live roulette: what changes
Online and live roulette use the same core rules as a casino table; only betting time, interface and some variant payouts change. In RNG roulette, software generates the result the moment you press spin, so you play at your own pace and can often find lower minimum stakes. Live roulette streams a real wheel and a human dealer from a studio, with a countdown timer for placing bets and a racetrack for call bets on most tables.
Studios also run game-show style variants that add random multipliers to selected numbers. To fund those multipliers, they often pay less than 35:1 on ordinary straight-up wins, so open the help screen and check the paytable before you play. Auto roulette, where a machine launches the ball and no dealer is present, keeps the standard rules but speeds up each round. You can compare formats on our live roulette page and see which studios build them in our overview of game providers.
Key roulette terms
Key roulette terms are short and worth learning before your first spin, because dealers and game screens use them constantly.
- Croupier: the dealer who spins the wheel and settles bets.
- Dolly: the marker placed on the winning number.
- En Prison: a rule that holds an even-money bet for one more spin when zero lands.
- La Partage: a rule that returns half of an even-money bet when zero lands.
- Racetrack: the oval map of the wheel used for call bets.
- Single-zero wheel: a European or French wheel with 37 pockets.
For more definitions, browse our casino glossary.
Playing roulette responsibly in the UK
Playing roulette responsibly means setting a budget before you start, because no rule or system removes the house edge. You must be 18 or over to gamble in the UK, and licensed casinos give you tools to stay in control: deposit limits, loss limits, session reminders, time-outs and self-exclusion, including the national GamStop scheme. Pick a stake size that lets your budget last, stop when you reach your limit and never chase losses by raising your bets. If you are new to online casinos, our beginner’s guide and our advice on how to choose a casino cover the basics, and you will find more practical articles in our guides section.
Frequently asked questions
How do you play roulette as a beginner?
You play roulette by placing chips on numbers or groups of numbers, then waiting for the ball to settle in a pocket. Bets must go down before the dealer calls no more bets, and winners are paid at fixed odds, such as 35:1 for a single number or 1:1 for red or black. Beginners often start with outside bets on a European wheel, which has one zero and a 2.70% house edge.
Which roulette rule matters most for your chances?
The key roulette rule is that zero is neither red nor black, odd nor even, so outside bets lose when it lands. That green pocket is where the casino’s margin comes from: 2.70% on a single-zero European wheel and 5.26% on an American wheel, which adds a double zero. French tables with La Partage soften the blow by returning half of an even-money stake on zero.
Is French roulette better than European roulette?
Yes, French roulette is better for even-money bets, because La Partage halves your loss when zero lands. Both versions use the same 37-pocket wheel, but that rule cuts the house edge on red, black, odd, even, low and high from 2.70% to 1.35%. On straight-up, split, corner and other inside bets the two games are identical, so the advantage only applies to even-money wagers.
Can a betting system beat the roulette wheel?
No, a betting system cannot beat the roulette wheel, because it changes only the size and order of your stakes. Every spin is independent, and each bet on a European table keeps the same 2.70% house edge. The Martingale, which doubles the stake after each loss, can also run into the table maximum after a short losing streak, leaving a large loss that the system cannot recover.
How much does a straight-up bet pay in roulette?
A straight-up bet on a single number pays 35:1, so a winning chip returns 35 times its value plus the original stake. On a European wheel the chance of hitting any one number is 1 in 37, or 2.70% per spin. Some live game-show variants pay less than 35:1 on ordinary straight-up wins because they add random multipliers, so check the paytable before you bet.
Are live dealer roulette rules the same as online roulette rules?
Yes, live dealer and online RNG roulette share the same core rules, bet types and fixed payouts. The differences are practical: RNG games generate the result instantly and let you spin at your own pace, while live tables use a real wheel, a human dealer and a timed betting window. Variants with multipliers or extra features can change specific payouts, so read the help screen first.
What is a call bet in roulette?
A call bet is a wager on a section of the wheel, placed on the oval racetrack rather than the number grid. The best known are Voisins du Zéro, covering 17 numbers around zero, Tiers du Cylindre with 12 numbers opposite zero, Orphelins with 8 numbers and Jeu Zéro with 7. They are built from ordinary splits, streets and single numbers, so the house edge does not change.