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All casino games provide the chance to play and win big, but what about the casinos? Have you wondered how they make a profit from providing such a service? Well, the way the casinos earn money is by having a built-in advantage known as the house edge, where the casino takes a percentage from every bet for a profit. Here, we will take a much closer look at the house edge in roulette and what it means for your returns over time. In the case of roulette, the house edge is directly related to the roulette variant you choose to play, which we’ll explain in detail here.
- The house edge is the casino’s cut from every bet, it is how casinos make their profit.
- The house edge ranges from 0.5% up to 25% for different casino games.
- Roulette is a casino game with a medium house edge.
- European roulette, with one 0 field, has a more favorable house edge than American Roulette, which has two 0 fields.
- The special La Partage and En Prison bets in French roulette have the lowest house edge in roulette.
Roulette House Edge Definition
The primary definition for house edge, according to the Nevada Gaming Control Board, is the house’s cut – house referring to the casino, and the cut is the calculated advantage over the player. In other words, the house edge means that the casino takes a cut from every bet you make. It implies that in the long run, the casino will always win, and this advantage is present in all types of roulette bets. It also means that there is a mathematical difference between the true odds for a particular bet and the roulette odds and payouts the casino offers.
Credit: AllySpin
How to Calculate Roulette House Edge?
Calculating the house edge in roulette depends on the type of roulette variant you choose to play. In the case of European roulette, the house edge is 2.7%, and in American roulette, the house edge is almost double, at 5.26%; the special bets in French roulette have a house edge of only 1.35%. It is straightforward to calculate the house edge using the different roulette variants, which we’ll cover below.
| Roulette variant | House edge |
|---|---|
| American roulette | 5.26% |
| European roulette | 2.7% |
| French roulette – La Partage/En Prison bets | 1.35% |
European Roulette House Edge
European roulette is a popular roulette variant, and it comes with more favorable odds. The roulette wheel and table layout are related to the house edge. The European roulette wheel has 37 fields, the numbers 1 to 36, and a single green 0 field. If there were only 36 numbers, then the chance of winning a red or black bet would be 50%, as there are 18 black and 18 red numbers. However, the green 0 field changes things up; if the ball lands on it, you will lose your bet. It tilts the scales in favor of the house, meaning the house has 19 in 37 chances of winning, while you get 18 in 37 chances of winning. Using a simple math equation, it comes down to a house edge of 2.7% in favor of the casino.
19/37 – 18/37 = 1/37
1/37 = 0.0270 or 2.7%
American Roulette House Edge
The house edge in American roulette is almost double that of European roulette house edge. In American roulette, the roulette wheel has two green fields, one 0 and one 00. It comes to a total of 38 fields, 36 numbers, and two 0 fields. Winning a red/black bet is not as straightforward, as the green fields change things up, the same with European roulette; if the ball lands on these fields, you will lose your bet. So, using the same formula as above, you get 18 in 38 chances of winning, while the house gets 20 in 38, which makes the American roulette house edge 5.26%.
20/38 – 18/38 = 2/38
2/38=0.0526 or 5.26%
French Roulette House Edge
The house edge in French roulette is the same as European roulette at 2.7% for the regular bets, as the wheel has the numbers 1 to 36 and has a single green 0 field. However, there is a difference when it comes to the specialty bets you can place. Per the roulette rules, French roulette comes with two specialty bets: La Partage and En Prison, where the house edge falls to 1.35%, and here is how this happens.
- The La Partage rule is applied to even-money bets like red/black, high/low, and even/odd. When you place one such bet, and the ball lands on the green 0 field, you won’t lose your bet but will get back 50% of your stake, which automatically lowers the French roulette house edge by half, bringing it down to 1.35%.
- The En Prison rule is also applied to even-money bets like red/black, high/low, and even/odd. But per this rule, if the ball lands on the green 0 field, you won’t lose your bet; instead, the bet rolls over to the next spin, and if you win, you will get the stake amount back. As with the above, the house edge is lower by half, down to 1.35%, as you play two bets with the same stake.
Roulette House Edge and Different Roulette Bets
The table below shows the differences between the odds and payouts between the different bets you can place in roulette. As you can see from the table, the odds refer to your chances of winning your bet, and the house edge is consistent across all bets. Please note that the house edge is not related to your stake, as you can play low-stakes roulette, high-stakes roulette, and even free roulette, and it will remain the same.
| Roulette bet | Payout | European Roulette odds | European Roulette house edge | American Roulette odds | American Roulette house edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Straight bet | 35:1 | 2.70% | 2.7% | 2.60% | 5.26% |
| Split bet | 17:1 | 5.4% | 2.7% | 5.3% | 5.26% |
| Street | 11:1 | 8.1% | 2.7% | 7.9% | 5.26% |
| Corner | 8:1 | 10.8% | 2.7% | 10.5% | 5.26% |
| Basket | 6:1 | N/A | N/A | 13.2% | 7.89% |
| Line | 5:1 | 16.2% | 2.7% | 15.8% | 5.26% |
| Column | 2:1 | 32.40% | 2.7% | 31.6% | 5.26% |
| Dozen | 2:1 | 32.40% | 2.7% | 31.6% | 5.26% |
| Even/Odd | 1:1 | 48.60% | 2.7% | 47.4% | 5.26% |
| High/Low | 1:1 | 48.60% | 2.7% | 47.4% | 5.26% |
| Red/Black | 1:1 | 48.60% | 2.7% | 47.4% | 5.26% |
However, after applying some math, the house edge for all the best bets in roulette comes down to 2.7% for European and 5.26% for American roulette. Still, there is one bet where the house edge differs, and that is the Basket bet. Per the rules of the Basket bet, which is only available in American roulette, you place a bet on 5 numbers: 0, 00, 1, 2, and 3. Because you place a bet that involves the two green zero fields, the house edge here comes to 7.89%; it is known as a sucker bet, and we advise you never to play.
Credit: 22Bet
Can You Lower Roulette House Edge?
As we mentioned above, the house edge for all bets in European roulette is 2.7% and 5.26% for American roulette bets (except for the basket bet, where it is 7.89%). Still, many times, roulette players will try anything that could lower the house edge and try different roulette strategies that claim to affect the outcome and improve the winning chances. No strategy can reduce the casino’s house edge, as this is a built-in feature of the game, but some strategies can boost your winning chances:
- The Romanovsky system aims to boost the winning chances up to 86.48% for European roulette and 84.2% for American roulette by placing a combination of bets that cover 32 numbers on the roulette table.
- The Andrucci strategy is based on the theory of hot and cold numbers, claiming that it can predict the upcoming winning number based on the more frequent winners from the past 30 spins. The strategy focuses on placing straight-up bets that come with low odds, high payouts, and fixed house edge.
- Money-managing roulette strategies like the Martingale, d’Alembert, or Paroli systems don’t affect the house edge or the gameplay, as these are only focused on maximizing the budget and taking advantage of a potential winning streak.
FAQs
Does the House Edge Differ for Online and Land-based Roulette Games?
No, the house edge in roulette is fixed, and it does not change whether you play at a land-based casino or your favorite online casino. It is because the payout will always be lower than the true odds, which is how the casino makes its profits.
Can You Lower the House Edge with a Roulette Strategy?
Unfortunately, there is no roulette strategy that you can use to lower the house edge; you can only apply roulette strategies that can boost your winning chances and roulette strategies that can help manage and maximize your bankroll.
Why Does House Edge Differ in European and American Roulette?
The house edge differs between European and American roulette as these variants have different numbers of fields on the wheel and table. European roulette has a single green 0 field, while the American roulette variant comes with two green fields, 0 and 00.
What Roulette Bets Have the Lowest House Edge?
French roulette comes with special rules known as the La Partage and En Prison rules that have a very low house edge of only 1.35%. These apply only for even-money bets like red/black, even/odd, and high/low, where you either get half of your stake back if the ball lands on a 0 per the La Partage rule or your bet rolls over for the next spin per the En Prison rule.
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