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European Roulette Guide

James Smith
July 13, 2020
Modified: March 12, 2024
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European roulette is a classic table game widely played in casinos worldwide. It’s also one of the most popular game choices at online casinos in the UK because it’s a highly entertaining game with simple rules and a relatively low house edge compared to other games.

If you want to play roulette for real money, we’ve prepared the perfect guide to help you get started. We’ll introduce you to the game’s rules, explain the difference between inside and outside bets, and show you how to understand the roulette betting layout.

European Roulette History

Roulette games can be traced back to the 17th century, around 1655. At this time, the renowned mathematician Blaise Pascal was working on an experiment to create the world’s first perpetual motion machine.

From a scientific experiment, the invention eventually evolved into a gambling game that became popular in France and, eventually, Germany. In the 18th century, the roulette game was introduced in Europe and soon became a staple in casinos worldwide.

European Roulette Rules

european roulette rules

The European roulette rules are straightforward and easy to understand, even for beginners. Although roulette is a game of chance, it’s necessary to familiarise yourself with the basic rules before playing roulette games.

  • 🎲 European roulette is played with a single-zero wheel.
  • 🎲 Before the game begins, players must place their chips on their desired bets.
  • 🎲 A roulette table typically has between one and eight players. In online casino European roulette, the number of players is unlimited.
  • 🎲 When the betting time ends, the croupier calls out, ‘No more bets’.
  • 🎲 The ball is spun into the wheel, and the croupier waits for it to fall into a slot.
  • 🎲 The winning number (and colour) is announced.
  • 🎲 Any winning bets are paid out right away, while the house takes the losing bets.
  • 🎲 The next round can now begin. Players will be invited to place their chips if they want to play again.

Top 5 European Roulette Games You Can Play at Betiton

Top 5 European Roulette Games banner

Betiton provides many fun titles which use the European roulette wheel. As we’ll explain further in this guide, the European roulette house edge is the most favourable compared to other wheel types, which is why it’s the most popular variant.

Here are the top five European roulette real money games at Betiton:

🎲 Roulette GameπŸ–₯️ ProviderπŸ“… Release Year
3D European RouletteIron Dog Studio2017
Sapphire RouletteMicrogaming2019
20p RouletteInspired Gaming2015
Roulette ClassicIron Dog Studio2023
European Roulette VIPSpinomenal2019

European Roulette Wheels

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Roulette game types can be easily identified by the kinds of wheels used, particularly the number of zero pockets it has. A roulette wheel can have a single zero pocket or a double zero. Some casinos also have triple-zero wheels, but they’re rare.

πŸ”΅ Single-Zero Wheel

The single-zero wheel is the roulette wheel used in European roulette games. It has 37 pockets with one zero pocket that’s always coloured green. The rest of the slots on the wheel have a red and black colour sequence.

The European roulette wheel numbers range from one to 36. The roulette numbers are arranged randomly on the wheel.

The single-zero wheel is the most common and offers the best winning odds. It spins in a counterclockwise direction and is always in motion. The dealer throws the ball in a way that makes it spin clockwise, opposite to the wheel’s direction.

πŸ”΅ Double-Zero Wheel

As the name suggests, this wheel has a double zero. This is in addition to the single-zero slot, meaning the wheel has two green pockets. A double-zero roulette wheel has 38 pockets, with numbers also ranging from one to 36.

The double-zero roulette wheel is only used in American roulette, and it’s less popular than the single zero version because the house edge is significantly higher. Due to the extra zero, the house edge is around 5.26%, which means the odds are less favourable than the European roulette odds.

European Roulette Bet Types

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In online European roulette, there are both inside bets and outside bets. A third type, known as call bets or announced bets, also exists, which we’ll explain briefly in the following sections.  

πŸ”΅ Inside Bets in European Roulette

Inside bets are the bet types on the inside of the European roulette wheel layout. These bets cover single numbers, rows of numbers, or small groups of numbers adjacent to each other. As you can see from the European roulette payout chart included below, inside bets offer attractive payouts but low winning probabilities.

🎲 Bet NameπŸ“ Description🫰 Bet PayoutπŸ’― Bet Probability
Straight/SingleBetting on any number on the European roulette wheel.35:12.70%
SplitBetting on two vertically or horizontally adjacent numbers.17:15.41%
StreetBetting on three horizontally adjacent numbers.11:18.11%
Corner/SquareBetting on four numbers that are adjacent to each other at the corners.8:110.81%
TrioA three-number bet covering the 0, 1, and 2 pockets.11:18.11%
Four NumberAlso known as a basket bet in American roulette, a four-number bet covers the numbers 0, 1, 2, and 3 in European roulette.8:110.81%
Six LineA bet on two rows of three adjacent numbers, also known as a double street.5:116.20%

πŸ”΅ Outside Bets in European Roulette

If you want to play European roulette online with better odds of winning, outside bets are less risky and have lower payouts but a higher probability of winning. As you can see from the European roulette payouts tablebelow, most outside bets pay even money, but the likelihood of winning is much higher than the odds of winning any inside bet.

🎲 Bet NameπŸ“ Description🫰 Bet PayoutπŸ’― Bet Probability
Dozens BetBetting on the first (1-12), second (13-24), or third dozen (25-36) group of numbers.2:132.40%
Even/OddA bet that the winning number will be odd or even.1:148.64%
Red/BlackA bet on the colour of the winning number, either red or black.1:148.64%
1 to 18A bet that the winning number will be in the low range.1:148.64%
19 to 36A bet that the winning number will be in the high range.1:148.64%
Columns BetA bet covering 12 horizontal numbers at once, placed on one of the three ‘2:1’ boxes on the table.2:132.40%

πŸ”΅ Announced or Call Bets in European Roulette

The final bet type refers to a series of bets found on the European roulette table and the French version, although they’re more common in the latter. These are often called French bets, and their names are originally in French.

🎲 Bet Name πŸ“ Description🫰 Bet Payout πŸ’― Bet Probability
Snake BetAlso called the red snake, this bet covers all the red numbers in an ‘S’ shape that resembles a snake.2:132.42%
Neighbours of Zero BetThis bet covers the 17 ‘neighbours’ of the zero pocket, combining different bet types.Depends on the winning number due to a combination of straight, split, and corner bets being placed.45.90%
Zero Game BetThis bet covers the six numbers closest to the zero pocket.Depends on the winning number due to both straight and split bets being placed.18.90%
Thirds of the Wheel BetA bet on the 12 numbers on the opposite side of the zero pocket on the wheel.2:132.80%
Orphans BetThis bet covers the remaining numbers that aren’t covered by the previous three bets and covers eight numbers.Depends on the winning number due to both straight and split bets being placed.21.60%
Finals BetBetting on every number that ends with the same digit,Depends on the numbers chosen10.80% or 8.10% (depending on how many numbers are covered)

Live European Roulette vs Online Roulette European Roulette

Live European roulette is no different than an online roulette game in terms of the rules and bet types that can be played, but there are significant differences between the two playing modes. For example, you can play free European roulette games for fun, but live roulette can only be played with real money.

Other important differences between these playing modes are compared below.

FeaturesLive European RouletteOnline European Roulette
RNG softwareβœ–οΈβœ…
Demo versionβœ–οΈβœ…
Real money playβœ…βœ…
Variety of gamesβœ…βœ…
Mobile accessβœ…βœ…
Play with bonusesβœ…βœ…
Live dealer interactionβœ…βœ–οΈ
Live chat accessβœ…βœ–οΈ

The experience is amazing for the players, including the convenience of playing at your own comfort. The European roulette version works well with all mobile operating systems, whether you are using an Android, iOS or Windows device. The simple design makes it easy to navigate most of them and you can quickly emerge in a quick round of your favourite roulette while on the go.

FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions About European Roulette

European roulette is a single zero roulette game with a wheel that has 37 numbers with numbers ranging from zero to 36.

Bets are placed on the roulette table to play European roulette. The croupier spins a ball in the wheel and announces the number and colour it falls into. Any winning bets are immediately paid out. Some players like to use a European roulette strategy to play the game with better bankroll management, although it won’t increase the odds of winning.

European roulette online has a house edge of 2.70%.

A European roulette game has better odds than American roulette, which has a house edge of 5.26%.

The difference between European and French roulette is that the latter has two rules which don’t apply to European roulette. These are the La Partage and En Prison rules.

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James Smith

At the age of 28, James, an expert in technology and video gaming with a passion for online casinos, pursued studies in Creative Writing and Media Studies at the University of London. As an active contributor to the Gizmodo Twitter account, his goal is to share his knowledge of video game culture and technological advancements with you, the readers.

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