Steve Buck | February 20, 2023 | Updated on: July 20th, 2023
European Roulette is a popular casino game that has been played for centuries. It involves a spinning wheel with numbered slots, a ball, and a betting table. The objective is to predict where the ball will land on the wheel.
This roulette version has 37 slots wheel, numbered from 0 to 36, with a single zero. This means that the house edge is relatively low compared to other roulette variations.
We explore the rules, strategies, and the European roulette house edge.
Best Real Money European Roulette Casinos
How to Play European Roulette
European Roulette is played on a spinning wheel with 37 numbered pockets. The pockets are numbered from 0 to 36. The numbers 1 to 36 are coloured red or black, and 0 is coloured green.
The dealer spins the wheel and then drops a small ball onto it. The ball eventually rests in one of the pockets, which becomes the winning number.
Before the spin, players place their bets on the roulette table. Many different types of bets can be made, including:
- Straight up: A bet on a single number, with a payout of 35 to 1.
- Split: A bet on two adjacent numbers, with a payout of 17 to 1.
- Street: A bet on three numbers in a row, with a payout of 11 to 1.
- Corner: A bet on four numbers that meet at a corner, with a payout of 8 to 1.
- Six line: A bet on six numbers in two rows, with a payout of 5 to 1.
- Dozen: A bet on the first 12, second 12, or third 12 numbers, with a payout of 2 to 1.
- Column: A bet on one of the three vertical columns of numbers, with a payout of 2 to 1.
- Red or black: A bet on the colour of the winning number, with a payout of 1 to 1.
- Even or odd: A bet on whether the winning number will be even or odd, with a payout of 1 to 1.
- Low or high: A bet on whether the winning number will be in the low half (1-18) or high half (19-36) of the numbers, with a payout of 1 to 1.
After bets have been placed, the dealer spins the wheel and drops the ball. When the ball comes to rest, the dealer announces the winning number and pays out any winning bets.
Playing European Roulette Online
Live Roulette, including Live European Roulette, is quite similar to roulette played at land-based casinos. Online European Roulette, on the other hand, is different but much easier. Anyone of legal age can play by simply following the below steps:
- Choose a reputable online casino that offers European roulette.
- Register an account and make a deposit.
- Select the European roulette game from the list of available games.
- Place your bets on the virtual roulette table by clicking on the corresponding chip values and then clicking on the numbers or betting options you want to wager on.
- Once you’ve placed your bets, click the “Spin” button to start the game.
- The ball will spin around the virtual roulette wheel until it stops in one of the numbered pockets.
- You win if the ball lands on a number or betting option you’ve wagered on.
European Roulette Rules
Roulette is a straightforward casino game that does not require much thinking. Here are the European Roulette games rules:
- European Roulette has a wheel with 37 numbered pockets (0 to 36).
- The game’s objective is to predict which pocket the ball will land in.
- Players place their bets on the table, which features a grid of numbers and other betting options.
- Bets can be placed on a single number, a range of numbers, or various combinations of numbers.
- After all bets are placed, the croupier (dealer) spins the wheel and drops the ball onto it in the opposite direction of the spin.
- Once the ball rests in a pocket, the croupier announces the winning number and pays out any winning bets.
- If the ball lands on the number 0, all even-money bets (such as red/black or odd/even) lose, and the croupier collects them.
- The odds of winning and payouts vary depending on the type of bet placed.
American Roulette VS European Roulette
| American Roulette | European Roulette |
| America Roulette Wheel has 38 numbered pockets, including one zero and one double zero. | Roulette wheel has 37 numbered pockets, including one zero. |
| Wheel numbers are arranged in pairs across from each other. | Wheel numbers are arranged in a random order. |
| Players can recoup their losses on even-money bets (red/black or odd/even) if the ball lands on zero. | |
| If the ball lands on zero (or double zero), all even-money bets automatically lose. | The house edge is approximately 2.70%. |
| The house edge is approximately 5.26%. | Does not offer “Five Number” bet. |
Best European Roulette Strategy Tips
Many different strategies can be used when playing European Roulette. However, it is essential to remember that no system can guarantee a win, as roulette is a game of chance.
Martingale System
One popular strategy is the Martingale system. This strategy involves doubling your bet after every loss to recover your losses when you eventually win.
If you start with a $10 bet and lose, you would bet $20 on the next spin. If you lose again, you would bet $40 on the next spin, and so on. When you eventually win, you will have made back all your losses and a small profit.
D’Alembert System
Another strategy is the D’Alembert system. This strategy involves increasing your bet by one after every loss and decreasing your bet by one after every win.
If you start with a $10 bet and lose, you would bet $11 on the next spin. If you win, you would bet $10 on the next spin. This strategy aims to gradually increase your winnings while minimizing your losses.
Fibonacci System
A third strategy is the Fibonacci system. This strategy involves betting based on the Fibonacci sequence, in which a series of numbers in which each is the sum of the two preceding numbers. For example, the sequence is 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13.
Free European Roulette Online
Playing for free online is an excellent option if you want to try your luck at European Roulette without risking your money. Our recommended online casinos offer a free-to-play version of the game.
The free version of European Roulette is identical to the real money version, except that you won’t be playing with real money. This means you can play without worrying about losing your hard-earned cash. It’s also an excellent way to test different strategies and see what works best for you.
European Roulette FAQs
Whether European or American roulette is better is a matter of personal preference. However, European Roulette has fewer pockets than American roulette. This means European Roulette odds favours the players.
In European roulette, players bet on where a ball will land on a spinning wheel with 37 numbered pockets, 1-36 and a single green 0. Players can bet on individual numbers or groups of numbers and make inside bets on the layout or outside bets on characteristics like colour or odd/even.
There is no guaranteed successful strategy for playing European roulette, as it is a game of chance with random outcomes. However, some players may prefer strategies that involve betting on outside bets with higher odds, such as even/odd or red/black. Others may use betting systems such as the Martingale or the Fibonacci, which involve adjusting bet sizes based on wins and losses.
Roulette is primarily a game of luck, as a random ball landing determines the winning number on a spinning wheel. While players can use various betting strategies, they do not guarantee consistent wins and cannot alter the game’s odds.
The smartest bet in roulette is the even-money bets such as red or black, odd or even, and high or low. These bets have the highest probability of winning, with almost a 50/50 chance, and they also have the lowest house edge in the game.
However, they also have the lowest payout compared to other types of bets, such as straight-up or split bets, which offer higher payouts but lower odds of winning.
The riskiest bet in roulette is betting on a single number, also known as a straight-up bet. This bet offers the highest payout but has the lowest odds of winning, with a probability of only 2.7% in European roulette and 2.63% in American roulette.
There is no “luckiest” number in roulette. Each spin is independent and has the same probability of landing on any number.