What is the house edge in European roulette?

The house edge in European roulette is 2.703% on all standard bets. This arises because the wheel has 37 pockets (0–36) but payouts are calculated as if there are only 36, giving the casino a mathematical advantage on every bet.

What is the difference between European and American roulette?

European roulette has 37 pockets (0–36) and a house edge of 2.703%. American roulette adds a double-zero (00), giving 38 pockets and a house edge of 5.263% — nearly double. Always choose European roulette when possible.

What is the La Partage rule in European roulette?

La Partage is a rule offered by some European casinos. If zero lands on an even-money bet (red/black, odd/even, high/low), you receive half your stake back. This reduces the house edge on those bets from 2.703% to just 1.352% — the best odds available in roulette.

What is the best bet in European roulette?

Mathematically, all standard bets in European roulette carry the same 2.703% house edge. However, if La Partage is available, even-money bets (red/black, odd/even, low/high) drop to 1.352% house edge, making them the statistically best bets.

What are the odds of hitting a single number in European roulette?

The probability of hitting a specific single number is 1/37 = 2.703%. The payout is 35:1. You would need to play approximately 37 spins to statistically expect one win on a single number bet.

European Roulette Odds, Probabilities & House Edge

What Is European Roulette?

European roulette is the original and most player-friendly version of roulette. The wheel contains 37 numbered pockets — the numbers 1 through 36 plus a single green zero (0). The numbers 1–36 alternate between red and black, while the zero is always green.

Because there are 37 pockets but the maximum payout on a straight-up (single number) bet is 35:1, the casino retains a mathematical edge of exactly 1 in 37 = 2.703% on every bet. This is the house edge, and it applies equally to all standard bet types in European roulette.

Key advantage over American roulette: European roulette's single zero means nearly half the house edge compared to American roulette's double zero (5.263%). Always choose European roulette when given the choice.

European Roulette Wheel — Number Sequence

The numbers on a European roulette wheel are not arranged in numerical order. The official clockwise sequence is:

0 · 32 · 15 · 19 · 4 · 21 · 2 · 25 · 17 · 34 · 6 · 27 · 13 · 36 · 11 · 30 · 8 · 23 · 10 · 5 · 24 · 16 · 33 · 1 · 20 · 14 · 31 · 9 · 22 · 18 · 29 · 7 · 28 · 12 · 35 · 3 · 26

This arrangement ensures that high and low numbers, and red and black numbers, are distributed as evenly as possible around the wheel. The 18 red numbers are: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14, 16, 18, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 30, 32, 34, 36. The remaining 18 numbers (excluding 0) are black.

All European Roulette Bets — Odds & Payouts

Bet Type	Numbers	Win Probability	Payout	House Edge	EV on €100
Straight Up	1	2.703%	35:1	2.703%	-€2.70
Split	2	5.405%	17:1	2.703%	-€2.70
Street	3	8.108%	11:1	2.703%	-€2.70
Corner / Square	4	10.811%	8:1	2.703%	-€2.70
Six Line	6	16.216%	5:1	2.703%	-€2.70
Column	12	32.432%	2:1	2.703%	-€2.70
Dozen	12	32.432%	2:1	2.703%	-€2.70
Red / Black	18	48.649%	1:1	2.703%	-€2.70
Odd / Even	18	48.649%	1:1	2.703%	-€2.70
Low (1–18) / High (19–36)	18	48.649%	1:1	2.703%	-€2.70

The La Partage Rule — Cutting the House Edge in Half

Some European casinos — particularly in France and the United Kingdom — offer a rule called La Partage (French for "the sharing"). Under this rule, if the ball lands on zero and you have placed an even-money bet (red/black, odd/even, or low/high), you receive half your stake back instead of losing the full amount.

This halves the effective house edge on those bets from 2.703% to just 1.352%, making La Partage even-money bets the mathematically best wagers in roulette. A similar rule, En Prison, keeps your bet "in prison" for one more spin instead of returning half immediately.

La Partage EV on €100 even-money bet: Expected loss is only €1.35 per spin — versus €2.70 without the rule.

Why the House Always Wins in the Long Run

The house edge of 2.703% is not just a statistical curiosity — it is a mathematical certainty over many spins. For every €100 wagered, the casino expects to keep €2.70 on average. After 1,000 €1 bets, a player expects to lose €27. After 1,000,000 spins, the result converges almost exactly to a 2.703% loss regardless of which bets were placed.

No betting system — Martingale, Fibonacci, D'Alembert — can change this. They alter the distribution of wins and losses, but the expected value per euro wagered remains identical at -€0.027.

European Roulette Strategy Tips

Choose European over American every time — the house edge is half.
Seek La Partage tables if available — this is the single best mathematical move.
Set a budget before playing and stick to it regardless of wins or losses.
Avoid the Gambler's Fallacy — each spin is completely independent. Previous results have zero influence on the next spin.
Understand that all bets carry the same house edge — there is no "lucky" bet type that wins more often in the long run.

→ See the complete roulette odds chart | → Do betting systems work? The math explained