Roulette has been a casino classic for over two centuries, played everywhere from grand halls in France to modern online platforms. If you’re curious about the different versions you'll find when you play casino online Roulette, here’s a quick guide to the most popular types and what sets them apart.
European Roulette
Probably the most recognised variation, European Roulette is played on a wheel with 37 pockets – featuring numbers one to 36, plus a single zero. The pockets alternate red and black, with high and low numbers dispersed evenly. The single zero is a green pocket, and with only one green pocket, the house edge is typically lower in European Roulette games than it is in American Roulette variants.
Whether you play online or at a land-based venue, you can bet on a single number, a range, or even red or black. No matter how you decide to place your bets, or which variation of the game you choose to play, where the ball lands is always left to chance—there’s no method for predicting the outcome.
American Roulette
American Roulette looks similar to the European wheel, with numbers dispersed evenly, alternating in red and black pockets, but there’s an additional green pocket – a double zero. This brings the pocket total to 38, increasing the house edge from 2.70% to 5.25%.
Everything else works the same way—you can choose from bets on numbers, groups, or colours. But with the extra pocket, your odds are a bit less favourable than in the European variety. Again, the result is always determined by chance.
French Roulette
French Roulette features a couple of unique rules—La Partage and En Prison. Both come into play when you’ve placed an even-money bet (like red or black) and the ball lands on zero, lowering the house edge even further than that of European Roulette.
With La Partage, you have the chance to get half your bet back. En Prison allows your bet to “sit out” for another spin. If you win on that spin, your original stake is returned.
Other variations
Online casinos also feature a few less-typical options. Mini Roulette has just 13 pockets, which means a faster, slightly different game, but the basics don’t change—it’s all about chance.
Then there’s Multi-Wheel Roulette, letting you place a single bet across several spinning wheels at once. While you get more results per spin, each outcome is still completely independent and up to chance.
Online, you can play your chosen Roulette format in multiple ways as well, with digital games being kept fair and unpredictable with random number generators (RNGs) and unique graphics, while live casino games online feature a spinning wheel and a professional human dealer.
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No matter which version you try, it’s important to play responsibly. Set a limit on your time and budget before you start. Remember, every spin is a game of chance—there’s no way to reliably predict or influence where the ball lands.
