Roulette reference
Roulette House Edge
The house edge is the average cost built into roulette payouts. It is lower on European roulette because the wheel has one zero instead of two.
Quick answer
European roulette has a 2.70% house edge on standard bets. American roulette has a 5.26% house edge because it adds a double zero. That makes American roulette almost twice as costly over the long run.
European roulette
- Numbers
- 0 and 1-36
- Pockets
- 37
- Green zeroes
- 0
- House edge
- 2.70%
American roulette
- Numbers
- 0, 00, and 1-36
- Pockets
- 38
- Green zeroes
- 0 and 00
- House edge
- 5.26%
How zero creates the house edge
On a European wheel, an even-money bet such as red covers 18 of 37 pockets. If roulette paid true odds, the payout would need to reflect the extra zero. Instead, the bet pays 1:1, and the zero causes the long-run average loss.
On an American wheel, 0 and 00 both make most outside bets lose. The added double zero raises the house edge from 2.70% to 5.26%.
The same idea applies across standard roulette payouts. Higher payout bets do not beat the edge because their win probability is lower.
What the edge means in practice
Real sessions can finish above or below those averages. The house edge describes the long-run average across many spins, not a guaranteed result.
House edge questions
Is European roulette better than American roulette?
For house edge, yes. European roulette has one zero, so its standard house edge is lower than American roulette.
Do outside bets have a lower house edge?
No. Outside bets usually have lower variance, but the house edge is the same on standard roulette bets for the same wheel type.
Where can I calculate expected value?
Use the roulette expected value calculator to estimate average result by wheel type, stake, bet, and spin count.
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See the edge through practice
Run free sessions and compare short-term swings against the long-run house edge.
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