The House Edge
The house edge in roulette is the built-in mathematical advantage that ensures the casino wins over time. This small percentage might seem harmless at first, but it is the core reason why no betting system can beat roulette in the long run. Below you will learn exactly how it works, how it is calculated, and which roulette variants give players the best odds available.
What Is the House Edge?
The house edge is the average percentage of each bet that the casino mathematically expects to retain over a large number of spins. It is not a guarantee per individual spin — you can win or lose any single round. It is a long-run statistical average that becomes increasingly accurate as the number of spins grows.
A 2.70% house edge means that for every €100 wagered over thousands of spins, the casino expects to keep €2.70. The remaining €97.30 is returned to players on average. This is why roulette has one of the lower house edges among casino games — and why variant choice matters so much.
How Is It Calculated?
The house edge comes from one source: payouts are set as if there are 36 numbers on the wheel, but the wheel actually has 37 (European) or 38 (American). The extra zero pocket — which pays 35:1 like any other number but causes all outside bets to lose — is where the casino’s mathematical advantage lives.
European (straight-up bet): (37 − 35 − 1) ÷ 37 × 100 = 2.70%
American (straight-up bet): (38 − 35 − 1) ÷ 38 × 100 = 5.26%
The same calculation for any bet type on European roulette always returns 2.70% — the payout ratio scales exactly with the number of pockets covered.
La Partage changes this for even-money bets only: when zero lands, half the stake is returned. This effectively halves the house edge from 2.70% to 1.35% — because zero only costs you half a bet instead of a full bet on even-money positions.
House Edge by Roulette Variant
| Roulette variant | Zero pockets | Total pockets | House edge | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| French Roulette + La Partage | 1 | 37 | 1.35% | Even-money bets only |
| European Roulette | 1 | 37 | 2.70% | All bets |
| American Roulette | 2 (0 + 00) | 38 | 5.26% | All bets |
| American — Five Number Bet | 2 | 38 | 7.89% | This specific bet only |
| Triple Zero / Mexican | 3 | 39 | 7.69% | All bets |
| No Zero Roulette | 0 | 36 | 0.00% (theoretical) | Promotional — rare, usually compensated elsewhere |
Does the House Edge Change Per Bet Type?
No — on a European wheel, every bet carries exactly the same 2.70% house edge. A straight-up bet at 35:1 and a red/black bet at 1:1 have identical expected value per euro staked. This is one of the most misunderstood aspects of roulette.
| Bet type | Payout | Win % (EU) | House edge (EU) | Expected loss per €100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Straight Up | 35:1 | 2.70% | 2.70% | €2.70 |
| Split | 17:1 | 5.41% | 2.70% | €2.70 |
| Street | 11:1 | 8.11% | 2.70% | €2.70 |
| Corner | 8:1 | 10.81% | 2.70% | €2.70 |
| Six Line | 5:1 | 16.22% | 2.70% | €2.70 |
| Dozen / Column | 2:1 | 32.43% | 2.70% | €2.70 |
| Even Money (EU) | 1:1 | 48.65% | 2.70% | €2.70 |
| Even Money (FR + La Partage) | 1:1 | 48.65% | 1.35% | €1.35 |
The only exception on a European wheel is La Partage on even-money bets — which genuinely halves the expected loss.
How to Reduce the House Edge
You cannot eliminate the house edge in standard roulette, but you can minimise it through variant selection and rule awareness. These five actions have a direct mathematical impact:
Comparison with Other Casino Games
Roulette’s house edge is competitive against most casino games — particularly when played on a French table with La Partage. The table below shows how it compares across popular formats:
| Game | House edge | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| French Roulette + La Partage | 1.35% | Lowest among roulette variants — even-money bets only |
| Blackjack (optimal strategy) | 0.5% | Best overall edge — requires memorising correct play |
| Craps (Pass Line bet) | 1.41% | Comparable to French Roulette |
| European Roulette | 2.70% | Standard — all bets equal edge |
| Baccarat (Banker bet) | 1.06% | Low edge but 5% commission on wins reduces appeal |
| American Roulette | 5.26% | Avoid — double zero nearly doubles the edge |
| Slots | 4–10% | Varies widely by machine and operator |
| Keno | 25–40% | Very high edge — lottery-style |