You can place a wide range of different bets in roulette, and those bets offer a variety of roulette odds. Clearly understanding what those odds are will make sure you know exactly what bets you’re placing. And will allow you to find the right balance between the risk and the potential rewards of your wagers when you play roulette.
To help make sure you’re clear on roulette odds, here we explain what betting odds are. We detail the odds for each kind of roulette bet you can make and how you can use roulette odds to inform your betting.
What are Betting Odds?
Betting odds are the chance that a certain outcome will happen. For example, if you bet on one number in European roulette, there’s a 37/1 chance it’ll be the winning number. 37/1 means there’s a one in 37 chance of that bet happening. If the roulette wheel was spun 37 times, and you bet on the same number on each spin, you could expect to win once.
If you bet £1 at 37/1, and you were successful you’d win £37. Plus, you’d get your £1 back for a total of £38.
Understanding Roulette Odds
Roulette odds, also called roulette chances, are the likelihood that a certain bet in roulette will be successful. Different bets in roulette will offer you different odds, as some roulette bets are more likely to happen than others.
The less likely a roulette bet is to happen, the longer the odds will be but the higher the potential winnings on offer. If you bet £1 on red or black at 1/1, and you’re successful you’ll win £1 back plus your original £1 stake. If you make a successful £1 bet on number 30 at 35/1, you’ll win £35 back plus your £1 stake.
How are Roulette Odds Calculated?
Before we really dive into roulette wheel odds, we need to clear up the difference between European and American roulette.
● European roulette is played with 37 numbers (37 pockets on the wheel), running from 0 to 36.
● American roulette is played with 38 numbers (38 pockets on the wheel), with a 00 pocket, a 0 pocket, and then 1 to 36.
At the heart of roulette, you’re betting on which number the white roulette ball will land on. The more numbers you can include in a bet, the more likely you are to win and the lower your odds will be.
- If you bet on one number in European roulette, there’s a 1 in 37 chance that number will win, or a 2.7% chance written as a percentage.
- If you bet on one number in American roulette, there’s a 1 in 38 chance that number will win, or a 2.63% chance written as a percentage.
The odds for any one number in roulette will be the same as any other number. The spinning wheel and the rotating white roulette ball are random, and will be as likely to land on all numbers equally.
Types of Bets and Odds
One of the big attractions of roulette outside of the drama of the game, is the fact that you have so many betting options available to you. The different bets you can make in roulette offer you a variety of odds, meaning you can strike the balance you want between the risk of your bets and the potential rewards.
As you’re betting on numbers in roulette, the more numbers you cover in a bet the more likely you’ll be to win, but the lower your odds and your winnings. If you bet on one number, your payout will be 35/1. If you bet on two numbers, your payout will be 17/1. Four numbers gives you a payout of 8/1. If you bet on red or black, you’re betting on 18 numbers with a payout of 1/1.
There are lots of bets you can make in roulette. To make it easier to understand them, they’re grouped into inside bets and outside bets. This is based on where you place your chips on the roulette table.
The Odds of Inside Roulette Bets
Inside bets are made by placing chips on the inside area of the roulette table, on the grid of 0 or 00 to 36 numbers.
You can bet on single numbers, or on multiple numbers by placing chips across more than one of the numbered squares.
The odds for inside bets are:
Inside Roulette Bets | Fractional Odds (European Roulette) | Percentage Odds (European Roulette) | Fractional Odds (American Roulette) | Percentage Odds (American Roulette) | Payout |
Straight up bet on one number | 37/1 | 2.7% | 38/1 | 2.63% | 35/1 |
Split bet on two numbers | 37/2 | 5.41% | 19/1 | 5.26% | 17/1 |
Street bet on three numbers | 37/3 | 8.11% | 38/3 | 7.89% | 11/1 |
Corner bet on four numbers | 37/4 | 10.81% | 19/2
| 10.53% | 8/1 |
Six line bet on six numbers | 37/6 | 16.22% | 38/6 | 15.79% | 5/1 |
Basket bet (0, 00, 1, 2, 3) - American roulette only | - | - | 38/5 | 13.16% | 6/1 |
The Odds of Outside Roulette Bets
Outside roulette bets are made by placing chips on the outside areas of the roulette table, like on the red or black boxes.
The odds for outside bets are:
Outside Roulette Bets | Fractional Odds (European Roulette) | Percentage Odds (European Roulette) | Fractional Odds (American Roulette) | Percentage Odds (American Roulette) | Payout |
High or low (18 numbers) | 37/18 | 48.65% | 19/9 | 47.37% | 1/1 |
Red or black (18 numbers) | 37/18 | 48.65% | 19/9 | 47.37% | 1/1 |
Odd or even (18 numbers) | 37/18 | 48.65% | 19/9 | 47.37% | 1/1 |
Dozen bet (12 numbers) | 37/12 | 32.43% | 19/6 | 31.58% | 2/1 |
Column bet on 12 numbers | 37/12 | 32.43% | 19/6 | 31.58% | 2/1 |
What is the House Edge in Roulette?
The House Edge is the advantage that the casino (the house) has over the players in the casino. When you place a bet in roulette, the house is more likely to win. The house won’t do so every time. You can still win plenty of your bets when playing roulette, but the House Edge is the long-term average the house has over the players.
For instance, say you bet on red in European roulette. You’ll be betting on 18 out of 37 numbers. If you placed that bet 37 times, on average you would win 18 times. But the house would win 19 times.
If you placed the same bet in American roulette 38 times, on average you would win 18 times. But the house would win 20 times.
The House Edge for European Roulette is 2.70%, and it’s 5.26% for American Roulette. This is because the American version of the game has an extra 00 pocket on its wheel.
Online Roulette Odds
If you’re playing a classic online roulette game, then the odds of the online game will most likely be the same as the odds of playing roulette in a brick and mortar casino. Those roulette odds won’t be determined randomly by a real-life wheel and ball, but they’ll be programmed into the online game.
However, plenty of online roulette games will offer new ways to play roulette, and may well offer you different (and better) odds. Whatever online version of roulette you’re planning on playing, make sure you understand the odds of each bet. Look for an in-game menu that shows you the odds and/or payouts of every bet.
One of the many benefits of playing online casino games is that you can take advantage of member offers and in-game bonuses. Even if you’re playing against the same odds as a real-life table, online roulette can still be more lucrative.
Maximising Roulette Odds
Unlike casino games like poker and blackjack, where you can take steps to improve your odds and out-fox other players, roulette is a game of chance. You can’t do anything to influence which numbered pocket the roulette ball will land in.
However, there are still plenty of steps you can take to improve your chances of stepping away from a roulette game with more money in your pocket than you began with, including:
● Ensure you understand roulette before you play: As well as knowing the odds of the bets you’re making, make sure you know the rules of any roulette game before you bet real money on it.
● Play for free at first: You can play lots of our online roulette games in a free demo mode before you play for real money, to make sure you understand how that specific game works.
● Place outside bets: Outside bets in roulette offer you lower potential winnings, but better odds. You won’t win as big as inside bets, but you are more likely to win if you play to the outside.
● Place minimum bets: You’ll be able to play for longer and win more often, if you make smaller bets – such as the table minimum – rather than making risky bets and losing large amounts of your bankroll.
● Play European rather than American roulette: European roulette offers better odds for the same bets than American roulette. In general, always try to play the version of roulette available to you that offers the best bets.
Playing Roulette with BoyleSports
When you step up to a roulette table – whether that’s in real life or online – you absolutely have to understand the odds of the bets you’re making. A knowledge of roulette chances means you can make the bets you want, balancing risk with your potential winnings.
And once you understand roulette wheel odds, put your newfound knowledge into practice by playing roulette online at BoyleSports Games . We offer you a variety of roulette games to play, both classic and innovative. Take a look at our Live Casino for real-life roulette tables that you can play online, with real dealers and all the action live-streamed to your screen.
Read more about how to play roulette if you still have any questions, then register with BoyleSports to start playing roulette today.