La Partage and En Prison are two French roulette rules that apply exclusively to even-money bets when zero lands. Both rules cut the house edge from 2.70% to 1.35% — the lowest available in standard roulette. If you play even-money bets, these rules are the single most valuable thing to look for when choosing a table.
1.35%
House edge with La Partage
2.70%
House edge without it
50%
Stake returned on zero
La Partage — How It Works
“La Partage” means “the sharing” in French. When the ball lands on zero, all even-money bets lose half their stake automatically — the other half is returned to the player without any further action required.
1️⃣
You place a €20 bet on Red — the ball spins on a French Roulette table with La Partage active.
2️⃣
The ball lands on zero (0) — without La Partage you would lose your full €20. With La Partage, the croupier splits your stake.
3️⃣
€10 is returned to you — half your stake comes back automatically. The other €10 goes to the casino. You do not win, but you only lose half.
Key point: La Partage applies automatically — you do not need to do anything. The croupier handles the split when zero lands. At online tables the software applies it instantly.
En Prison — How It Works
“En Prison” means “in prison.” Instead of returning half the stake immediately, the entire even-money bet is locked — imprisoned — for one additional spin. The outcome of that next spin determines whether you recover your stake or lose it entirely.
1️⃣
You place a €20 bet on Red — the ball spins on a French Roulette table with En Prison active.
2️⃣
Zero lands — your bet is imprisoned — the croupier places a marker on your €20 chip. It stays on the table, locked, for the next spin.
3️⃣
Next spin — Red lands — your full €20 stake is returned. No profit — you simply get your original bet back and leave even.
4️⃣
Next spin — Black or Zero lands — your full €20 is lost. If zero lands again, some tables apply En Prison a second time — rules vary by casino.
La Partage vs En Prison
Both rules produce the same mathematical house edge of 1.35% on even-money bets. The practical difference is how zero is handled — immediate half-return versus a locked bet on one more spin.
Feature
La Partage
En Prison
When zero lands
Half stake returned immediately
Full stake locked for one more spin
Player action required
None — automatic
Wait for next spin result
If next spin wins (En Prison)
N/A
Full original stake returned, no profit
If next spin loses (En Prison)
N/A
Full stake lost
House edge (even-money bets)
1.35%
1.35%
Variance
Lower — predictable half-loss
Higher — all-or-nothing recovery spin
Most common on
French Roulette, some European tables
Traditional French casino tables
Which is better? Mathematically identical. If you prefer certainty — La Partage returns half immediately with no risk. If you prefer the chance to fully recover your stake at the cost of more uncertainty — En Prison. Most online tables offer La Partage; En Prison is more common at land-based French casinos.
Impact on House Edge
On a standard European wheel, zero lands on average once every 37 spins. Without La Partage, that zero costs you your full even-money stake each time. With La Partage, it only costs half. Over 37 spins at €10 per spin, the difference looks like this:
Scenario
Total wagered (37 spins × €10)
Expected loss
House edge
European Roulette — no rule
€370
€10.00
2.70%
French Roulette — La Partage
€370
€5.00
1.35%
American Roulette — no rule
€380
€20.00
5.26%
Expected loss per 37-spin cycle at €10/spin. La Partage saves €5 per cycle versus standard European Roulette — €6.75 per 100 spins.
€6.75
Saved per 100 spins at €10
€40.50
Saved per 100 spins at €60
€67.50
Saved per 100 spins at €100
Which Bets Qualify?
La Partage and En Prison apply only to even-money outside bets. Inside bets and other outside bets are not affected — when zero lands, they lose in full regardless.
Bet type
La Partage applies?
When zero lands
Red / Black
Yes
Half stake returned
Even / Odd
Yes
Half stake returned
Low (1–18) / High (19–36)
Yes
Half stake returned
Dozen (1st / 2nd / 3rd)
No
Full stake lost
Column
No
Full stake lost
Straight Up / Split / Street / Corner
No
Full stake lost
Straight Up on zero (0)
No — wins 35:1
Zero pays 35:1
Dozens and columns are not covered. A common misconception is that La Partage covers all outside bets. It only applies to the three 1:1 even-money bets. Dozens and columns (2:1) lose in full when zero lands, even on a French Roulette table.
Where to Find These Rules
La Partage and En Prison are standard on French Roulette and occasionally available on European Roulette tables. They are rarely found on American Roulette.
🇫🇷
French Roulette
Always includes La Partage or En Prison as standard. The go-to choice for even-money players — 1.35% house edge.
No — only the three even-money bets: Red/Black, Even/Odd and Low/High. Dozens, columns and all inside bets lose in full when zero lands regardless of La Partage. Only 1:1 bets qualify for the half-return.
Both produce exactly the same house edge of 1.35%. La Partage returns half immediately — lower variance, certain outcome. En Prison locks the full stake for another spin — higher variance, chance of full recovery. For most players La Partage is preferable because the outcome is predictable and requires no additional wait.
Rules vary by casino. Some tables apply En Prison a second time — the bet stays locked for another spin. Others treat the second zero as a loss and take the full stake. Always check the specific table rules before playing, as there is no universal standard for this scenario.
La Partage reduces the house edge from 2.70% to 1.35% — that means any even-money betting system (Martingale, D’Alembert, Fibonacci) loses at half the rate per spin compared to a standard European table. The systems themselves do not change, but their long-run expected cost is halved. See our strategies guide for a full comparison.
Yes — most online live dealer casinos offer French Roulette with La Partage. It is also available in RNG (software) versions of French Roulette. Look for tables explicitly named “French Roulette” or listing “La Partage” in the game rules. Standard European Roulette at online casinos typically does not include La Partage unless specifically stated.
