House Edge in Roulette – Understand Different Variations
9 minutes
Last Updated: August 29, 2022
Do you really think casinos would pour in money from their end to make you play table games? That’s exactly how you understand the actual meaning of house edge roulette.
It is also referred to as house advantage, and house here is referred to as ‘casinos.’ This is the main income source for these establishments.
Roulette house edge indicates the predetermined odds of payouts for roulette games offered to fetch profits against the stakes made by the players.
Roulette is amongst the games with the highest house edges, but that does not nullify your winning potential on the tables.
However, players need to consume every detail relevant to it to minimize the impact on their bankrolls. Roulette is subject to different variations, each determining a distinct house edge.
The below post explains how to calculate the house edge and its effect on different game variations!
What is the House Edge in Roulette?
Getting a profound knowledge of roulette and house edge can ultimately enable you to get a thorough grasp of the exact percentile and how you can anticipate the tentative payouts range here.
To understand the edge in detail, let’s refer to the example of French roulette.
A standard roulette wheel provides you with around 37 winning number possibilities, and each player can get a payout of 35 of 1 for stakes made on a single number.
When they win the bet of 1 unit, the casino will pay them 35X the amount of the initial bet.
To place a straight-up stake, the success probability is around 1/37, i.e., once in 37 times. The player will ultimately receive 36 units, and the difference here is 1 unit.
This is the exact house advantage in roulette. If you calculate this in numerical value, the exact equation is:
- 1 x 1/37 = 0.0270270 x 100 = 2.70270
You can round it off to 2.70%.
The next way to measure this is by multiplying the difference of actual odds resulting in loss to the house odds to the house odds with its probability of success.
- House Advantage = (Odds to probability success- House odds) x Success Probability.
How One Determines House Edge in Roulette?
In layman’s terms, house advantage in roulette is the monetary benefit of the casino over the players.
It directly replicates the exact difference between the odds of winning and the casino payouts regarding winning wagers for some games.
Not just roulette, but even other casino games are well-structured to keep a house edge on top.
A positive aspect of roulette is it’s a luck-based table game and allows players a better winning chance. Hence, you have more winning probabilities here.
On average, the house edge lies between 1-17% for most casino games. In a few jackpot-based games, this mark even stretches to 20%. Talking about the casino advantage, roulette is a renowned mid-range game.
Players can find variations in the house advantage prevalent for various types of games.
The house edge for American Roulette is around 5.25%, indicating that the casino would bag higher profits from the players.
In contrast, the European Roulette might put you in a better winning position with an average house edge of 2.6% for the single zero-wheels.
A lower house advantage does not ascertain your winning chances, while the higher edge does not necessarily mean you will lose.
Calculated risks and knowledgeable decisions are the key ingredients for lucrative payouts in this game.
Players must aim at minimizing losses and trusting their instincts to achieve a better position over the game tables.
House Edge in Roulette for Distinct Variations
Now that you have a fair understanding of what is the house edge in roulette and how to calculate it, it’s time to take a glance at different roulette table variations and their house edge.
European Roulette Table
A glance at the European roulette table gives a fair view of its setting, which consists of 36 numbers in all.
Here, there are numbers 1-36 in red and black colors. There is also a green space labeled 0 (zero).
The addition of the 0 pocket results in an actual house edge as the players get paid on 36 numbers when there are 37 pockets in all.
It means players are subject to a 2.7% lesser payment than they should receive.
On the European roulette table, both red and black spaces have equal counts of 18 each.
So, for instance, if the player wagers on black space, it’s taking over all 18 black numbers, and here the winning scope is pretty high, giving them a 50/50 chance of winning.
In all, there are 18 black spaces, 18 red spaces, and 1 zero, and the actual odds are 18/37 instead of 18/36.
That accounts for the 48.6% benefits in favor of the house. Hence, players are more likely to lose at this table than win.
American Roulette Table
In American Roulette, the house advantage deviates due to different conditions and is certainly not in favor of the players.
There are slight tweaks on the game table when compared to the European format. This variant has another zero label on the wheel (the double zero).
It indicates that players can bet on 18 red and 18 black numbers as on any other roulette table.
But along with a single-zero green space like in European variation, there’s also a double-zero pocket on the opposite side.
In total, there are 38 numbers on the wheel, which is 1 more than its counterpart. Despite slight changes in the wheel design, the basic rules are the same here.
Players have to place stakes on just 36 numbers, and they will receive payments only against those probabilities.
Still, the players are contesting against 38 numbers in real-time and receive payments on (2/38), which is 5.26% less than they should get to break even.
So, here the roulette house edge is 5.26% which means higher profit margins for the casinos.
American roulette table primarily favors the house as the odds reach out to 18/38, which is approximately 47.4%.
Though it would not impact players occasionally engrossed in roulette play, the losses might pile up if you stick to these tables for longer periods.
French Roulette Table
The next variation to understand the house edge roulette is French roulette. It is also played over the European wheel, which has 37 spaces. Even this wheel has a zero pocket that favors the house odds with a better push.
You can divide the single-zero pocket with 37 spaces (1/37), and the house edge here is 2.70%. This reasonably low percentile makes it a more profitable option for the players.
A distinct rule giving French roulette a unique touch is ‘La Partage.’ According to this rule, the players receive half of the even-money stake back when the ball rests at zero.
Here, the key is that players should prefer making an ever-money bet.
Let’s understand the ‘La Partage’ rule with an example. Say the player made a $10 bet on an odd pocket, and the ball lands in the zero pockets. Now you can claim $5 back into your casino account.
Owing to this fantastic rule, the house advantage roulette for French tables moves down to just 1.35%. However, wagering with even bets is extremely important to capitalize the amount.
Apart from the even bets, the house edge roulette on other types of bets is still 2.70%.
Roulette Games with Terrible House Advantage
It is equally important to know about the roulette variations that feature the worst odds in the game. Specifically, the first two represent the worst odds in the game.
Triple Zero Roulette & Mini Roulette Without La Partage
The Triple Zero Roulette wheels faded away from the gaming scene several years ago. Lately, their presence in the casino industry has revived the ugly tales.
The triple-zero casino wheel has 39 pockets, including a single, double, and triple zero.
With three zero pockets, you receive an unwanted probability of (3/39) that results in a 7.69% house edge which is extremely high.
On the other hand, the mini-Roulette has 13 spaces and consists of a single zero. Therefore, when you divide zero with all 13 numbers, the game receives a house edge of 7.69%.
Apart from the above, there is yet another worst variation that features an extremely high roulette house edge.
Mini roulette, when synced with the La Partage rule, can minimize the house edge to 3.85%, which is around (7.69/2).
Though we cannot applaud the 3.85% house edge, it is at least imaginable in the casino world. Players can also try several mini variations that come with the la Partage.
American Roulette without La Partage
Most American Roulette games do not include the ‘La Partage’ rule in common scenarios. Instead, they consist of straight games over the American wheel.
In a common scenario, it has a house advantage of 5.26%, and even still, it dominates the US gambling industry.
Hence, despite the high range, it is tricky to refrain from this table when you hit online or land-based casinos.
Where to Find Tables with Low House Edge for Roulette?
After learning everything about the best and worst variations along with the house edge, it is essential to locate these game tables to start experiencing the real fun.
We have listed both land-based casinos and online options for an immersive gaming experience.
Europe
Players can wager on both French and European roulette wheels at the brick-and-mortar casinos in Europe.
Western Europe regions are especially rich in such roulette wheels, and many of these features the La Partage rule on reasonable stakes.
If visiting Europe to indulge in such casinos seems like a costly affair, you can also catch up with the live action online.
Even in France, you can find plenty of online casinos with a lower roulette house edge. Many of these also feature the French variation of the game.
Online Casinos
If you cannot visit the physical establishments, you can still have fun playing European Roulette. The good news is that most online casinos offer European wheels to play.
Hence, players can wager over a house edge of 2.70% at any given time. A few popular gaming developers also feature French Roulette, like Microgaming and RealTime Gaming.
The best part is players can try these games at just $1/ spin or even lower.
Las Vegas
Most Americans travel to Sin City to try their fortunes on roulette wheels. Las Vegas features European tables at its casinos with a starting range of $5 minimum stakes.
People can also spot French roulette here, which is again famous for the lower house advantage. At Treasure Island, you can try the most reasonable French game.
Winding Up
Hopefully, we were able to inform you in detail about the house edge in roulette and the different variations of the game.
Roulette is primarily a luck-based game, but players having a notch over payout odds and winning ratio calculation can improve their winning chances.
Most casino games have a higher house edge, so roulette holds one of the top positions.
If you intend to get better returns on your bets, try out playing over European roulette tables instead of American wheels.
Gambling is always subject to potential losses and risks, and hence, we do not claim certain profits with any roulette format.
It entirely depends on your knowledge of the game, risk-taking ability, and luck. Take a recap of this post before you hit the roulette tables online or offline next time!
