Roulette is a massively popular casino game that has been popularised by the famous James Bond movies. It is the face of online casinos and is portrayed in many Hollywood movies over the years. At a single glance, Roulette seems like a fairly simple casino game with a spinning wheel and multiple colored numbers on the table. However, did you know that there are different variants of Roulette? The most popular ones include American Roulette, European Roulette, and French Roulette. The difference between American Roulette and European Roulette is quite minor but it is still big enough to classify them as different variants.
Roulette is well-known and one of the most prominent casino games to ever exist. When casinos were digitised and moved to the online sector, Roulette was among the very first games to reach their digital versions. However, not many gamblers know that there are different versions of Roulette according to where they are played.
The origins of the Roulette wheel can be traced back to 17th-century France. It is believed to be invented by Blaise Pascal, a French mathematician and physicist who was trying to invent the perpetual motion machine but he build a Roulette wheel instead. While he couldn’t manage to make his invention, he did make the Roulette wheel and in turn gave birth to one of the most popular casino games ever.
The early Roulette games feature both single and double zeroes. The double-zero wheel granted a significant house edge. However, with time, the games diverged on small minor changes and today we have three different variants of the Roulette wheel. These variants have different strategies, different house-edge, and different odds for playing Roulette. However, today we will be only talking about the difference between American and European Roulette house edge and everything in between.
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Gambling has been part of American culture for a long time. It is deeply rooted in the American Western culture as early risk-takers were hoping to strike rich in one way or another and gambling seemed like a perfect fit for them. However, with the widespread legalized casino gambling, casino operators wanted a way to generate hefty revenues from their casinos. That’s when American Roulette was born.
As the name suggests, American Roulette is a version of Roulette that is primarily played in the USA. The key distinction is that American Roulette consists of 38 tiles on the wheel instead of the regular 37. The American variant consists of a “Double Zero” tile which greatly increases the house edge. Moreover, the American Roulette betting strategy is also quite different from the European version. At a single glance, the American Roulette wheel looks similar to that of European roulette live and a beginner gambler won’t be able to tell the difference.
European Roulette casinos can be traced back to the 18th century. The wheel was first spun by the Europeans and over the years the game has evolved significantly. The game rules and the game concept have remained unchanged. A standard European wheel consists of 37 numbered tiles, starting from 0 to 36.
18 tiles are red. 18 of them are black, and one is green. Gamblers can bet on every possible outcome, including single numbers, groups of numbers, sequences, odd or even, and even green or red. While the European roulette betting strategy differs from the American version, the European roulette play version can actually be found all over the world and is probably the most-played version of Roulette in Asia and Europe.
Difference Between American Roulette and European Roulette
Now that you have a general understanding of both variants, it is time to take a look at the key differences between European Roulette vs. American Roulette. The differences while minor have a major impact on the gameplay and the overall experience of the game.
Number of Zeroes on the Wheel
The most prominent difference between the two variants is the number of green tiles on the wheel. A typical European wheel has a single zero while the American variant also features a 00 tile. While it may not seem a major difference at first glance, the addition of an extra green tile doubles the number of losing tiles.
If you are betting on any of the 50-50 bets such as green or red or odd or even, if the ball lands on the green tile, all bets are lost. It significantly increases the casino’s house edge and is a major advantage for the house.
Available Bets
Both the European roulette strategies and the American roulette betting strategy are largely similar as the available bets are also similar. These bets include all types of 50-50 bets like odd or even, red or black, high and low, etc. While most of the bets are identical, the European roulette online real money offers a number of additional bets that can’t be found in the American-style Roulette wheel. Let’s have a look-
Voisins du zero: This bet revolves around the 17 numbers surrounding the number 0 on the Roulette wheel.
Jeu zero: This bet includes the 7 numbers closest to the 0 tile.
Le tiers du Cylindre: It roughly translates to the third of the wheel and includes placing a 12-number bet.
Orphelins: The Orpehlins is also known as an Orphan bet and includes betting on a small group of numbers that don’t fall into other grouped numbers. It is an 8-number bet.
The addition of an additional zero might not seem like a major difference to the average layman but professional casino gamblers know how big of a deal it is. It significantly increases the house advantage and it makes the game from one of the most player-favoured games to the worst.
The average casino House edge for a European roulette wheel is around 2.7% which is very player-friendly. On the other hand, the addition of the “Double Zero” tile greatly increases the house edge to a staggering 5.3% which is double that of the European variant. So if you are thinking about which variant will be suitable for you, the low house edge on the European Roulette wheel makes it the preferred choice.
Table Limits
By now you must have understood the importance of the “Double Zero” tile, and most casino operators also understand its value. This difference between American and European Roulette online real money isn’t major but it is worth mentioning. While casino operators understand the house edge on both tables, and they charge extra to play on European tables which are extra player-friendly. In most casinos, the European Roulette table layout is generally found at higher limits. Make sure to understand the best European roulette strategy before you actually place your bet with the dealer.
If you are playing at a popular gambling destination like Macau or Vegas, you will have to enter a high-limit room to play at the European table. And some of these rooms include minimum bets of over $100.
The house edge and RTP rates of both variants are varied. While the European Roulette board has a house edge of 2.3%, the American-style Roulette wheel has a staggering house edge of 5.3%. We have provided a house edge and RTP rates on different types of bets on both variants of the Roulette game. Take a look.
RTP in American Roulette
Bet Type
Bet Payout
House Edge
Return to Player
Straight
35/1
5.26%
94.74%
Split
17/1
5.26%
94.74%
Street
11/1
5.26%
94.74%
Square or Corner
8/1
5.26%
94.74%
Five Line
6/1
7.89%
92.11%
Six Line
5/1
5.26%
94.74%
Column
2/1
5.26%
94.74%
Dozen
2/1
5.26%
94.74%
Red or Black
1/1
5.26%
94.74%
Odd or Even
1/1
5.26%
94.74%
High or Low
1/1
5.26%
94.74%
RTP in European Roulette
Bet Type
Bet Payout
House Edge
Return to Player
Straight
35/1
2.70%
97.30%
Split
17/1
2.70%
97.30%
Street
11/1
2.70%
97.30%
Square or Corner
8/1
2.70%
97.30%
Six Line
5/1
2.70%
97.30%
Column
2/1
2.70%
97.30%
Dozen
2/1
2.70%
97.30%
Red or Black
1/1
2.70%
97.30%
Odd or Even
1/1
2.70%
97.30%
High or Low
1/1
2.70%
97.30%
Lucky for us, most online casinos feature both American and European Roulette tables, so we can choose the one we want to play. However, European Roulette odds chart are significantly better than American Roulette odds which makes the European version a lot more viable. In turn, European roulette payout will be better as compared to Amercian Roulette.
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