American and European Roulette

Roulette is one of the most recognizable features of a casino. It is an elegant game of chance that has never failed to seduce gamblers through the centuries. Its name means "small wheel" in French.

Origin of Roulette

Roulette today has two versions, one with 38 numbers and one with 37 numbers, respectively called American and European. However these terms are misleading as both versions actually came from France. The first 38-number roulette wheel appeared in 1796 under the shadow of the guillotine and the French Revolution, and 37-slot wheel came much later in 1842. The original roulette came into widespread use in the United States, while the roulette with 37 numbers became a hit in Europe, especially in Monte Carlo, Morocco.

Roulette Odds

The rules of roulette have gone basically unchanged since the days of the French Revolution. A tiny ball is cast into a spinning wheel. Players bet on a number of series of numbers to guess where the ball will stop at. The more numbers a player bets on, the more chances of winning, yet the smaller the payoff.

If you bet on a number in roulette, you get paid 35-1. At first, this seems like a fair payout since there are numbers 1-36 in every roulette wheel. However in European roulette there is one zero there, and in American roulette there are two zeros. Without these zeroes, there would be no house advantage.

American roulette has a bigger house edge of about 5.26%. European roulette has only about 2.7%. To show how the odds work, do this:

For European roulette, divide 100% by 37:

100 / 37 = 2.7

For American roulette, divide 100% by 38:

100 / 38 = 2.63

Now in the first case, each pocket including zero takes 2.7% out of the 100%. The zero represents the house, so we say the house edge is 2.7%.

But in American roulette, there are two zeros. Add the 2.63 of each zero:

2.63 + 2.63 = 5.26

Thus, with two zeros, the American roulette has a 5.26 edge for the casino.

Because of this, it is always preferable to play European instead of American roulette.

It is also wise to take advantage of such rules as "en prison" for European roulette and "surrender" for American roulette.

Despite the fact that roulette cannot be won, gamblers all over the world persist with this game. And in times as tumultuous as the age in which it was born, roulette is sure to stay.