Roulette odds, payouts and wheels: what to pick and what to skip
The extra zero on one wheel nearly doubles your cost, and no betting pattern can refund it.
Roulette odds depend on the wheel. European and French wheels carry one zero and a 2.70 per cent house edge. American wheels add a double zero and rise to 5.26 per cent. Every bet type on the same wheel has the same edge, so the wheel matters more than the bet.
On screen, a European wheel and an American wheel look nearly identical. In your balance they are not. For the whole shortlist in one place, open our online casinos for Canadians.
Choose the wheel first, the stake second and the bet last. Players must meet the legal age of their province before sitting at any table.
Pick the wheel: three variants and what they cost
| Wheel | Pockets | Edge | Cost of CAD 100 staked, on average |
|---|---|---|---|
| European | 37 | 2.70% | CAD 2.70 |
| French (La Partage) | 37 | 1.35% on even-money bets | CAD 1.35 |
| American | 38 | 5.26% | CAD 5.26 |
If both single and double zero tables are open, take the single zero. Live lobbies sometimes add lightning-style multipliers; those alter the payout chart, so read the table rules first.
Bet types and payouts
- Straight up (one number): pays 35 to 1.
- Split (two numbers): 17 to 1.
- Street (three): 11 to 1.
- Corner (four): 8 to 1.
- Dozen or column: 2 to 1.
- Red or black, odd or even, high or low: 1 to 1.
The roulette bet types guide shows the layout and the probability of each one. Remember that a bigger payout means a smaller chance, not a better deal.
Why doubling up fails
Martingale says to double the bet after each loss. Start at CAD 2. Seven losses in a row means the next bet is CAD 256, and you have already lost CAD 126. Most tables stop you with a maximum bet long before the system recovers.
Losing streaks of seven are uncommon, not rare: on a red or black bet the chance is roughly one in a hundred per starting point. Other progressions behave the same way. They reshape results without touching the edge.
RNG wheel or live dealer?
RNG roulette spins in seconds and accepts tiny stakes. A live wheel takes a minute or more per round, which slows spending and lets you think. Read the live casino page for table limits and stream checks.
Both formats usually count for little toward a bonus, so look at the contribution rate in the terms before you start.
Pre-spin checklist
Wheel type, minimum and maximum bet, how the zero affects even-money bets, and the provider's name. Unknown words in the rules are defined in the glossary.
Common questions
What is the chance of hitting a single number?
On a European wheel it is 1 in 37, about 2.7 per cent per spin. On an American wheel it falls to 1 in 38. The straight up payout of 35 to 1 is the same on both wheels, which is exactly why the double zero wheel costs more.
Is French roulette better than European?
It can be. Under La Partage, an even-money bet that loses on zero returns half your stake, cutting the edge on those bets to 1.35 per cent. En Prison works similarly. Check that the table actually applies the rule, because many casinos label tables French without it.
What stake should I use at a roulette table?
Pick a unit that lets you survive at least 40 to 50 spins on your session budget. With CAD 50 that means bets of about CAD 1. Check the minimum shown at the table, since live tables often start higher than RNG versions, and stop when the budget is gone.