Best roulette odds: Odds of winning at roulette online

Roulette odds abound in these classic casino games online. They are all about chance, with odds and potential payouts varying depending on the type of wager placed. This guide breaks down all the different roulette table odds, including which bets offer the best chances at winning and the differences among all roulette wheel odds.

Every licensed online casino that offers the game also features an odds table detailing the payouts of those casino games online. When playing online roulette for real money, those payout tables certainly come in handy to better understand which bets have the best chances of winning.

One of the most important things to know is how to interpret roulette odds with legal casino apps. Essentially, the lower payout, the higher the probability it hits. For example, wagering on red or black pays out 1-to-1 (even money), meaning those two wagers have better chances of winning. Meanwhile, betting on a single number – also known as a straight bet – has the highest payout of 35-to-1, making it the wager with the longest shot at landing.

American roulette features 38 slots on the wheel, consisting of 36 alternating black and red slots numbered 1 to 36 as well as green 0 and green 00 slots. With 38 pockets, that means the true odds of winning a straight bet are 1 in 38. 

So why is the payout 35-to-1 rather than 38-to-1? That's where house edge comes into play. Typically, online roulette carries a 5.26% house edge, which allows operators to keep a percentage of all wagers for themselves. Payout tables may feature percentages, which reflect the true odds of winning, while roulette odds payouts are shown as a ratio.

While most bet types are similar whether you're playing American, European, French or triple zero roulette, players will notice that each roulette odds payout differs. And it's no coincidence.

Odds are impacted by the number of zero slots on their wheels. European and French roulette features a single zero pocket, American roulette has 0 and 00, while Triple Zero – as one can imagine – allows for betting on 0, 00 and 000 slots.

Those slight tweaks affect betting odds as well as the house edge and return-to-player (RTP) rates.

It's been said before, but it's worth repeating and emphasizing: The odds of winning roulette are not the same as what online casinos pay out based on roulette table odds.

The probability/true odds of a specific bet landing differs from a roulette odds payout, which is a byproduct of the house edge – a built-in advantage for online casino operators that allows them to hold a small percentage of all wagers made.

For example, with 38 slots on an American roulette wheel, the true odds of landing on a specific number are 1 in 38. A straight bet, though, carries a payout of 35-to-1, which reflects the house edge.

Here's an example of all possible bets in American roulette, including the typical payout and the probability of that wager hitting.

While general rules and bet types are similar across the board, there are slight differences between American and European roulette that are worth highlighting because they affect the house edge as well as roulette odds and payouts.

The most significant difference between the two wheels is the number of zero pockets, with American roulette featuring 0 and 00 slots and the European version offering a single 0 pocket, giving that wheel 37 slots as opposed to the American game's 38. As a result, the house edge in European roulette lowers to around 2.7%,

Generally, players prefer to play European roulette as that has a lower house edge, and the single-0 slot leads to better odds. Most legal casino apps offer both American and European roulette, which gives users an opportunity to play casino games with the best odds.

The roulette wheel and table can understandably overwhelm beginners, but once they understand the layout, they can quickly get accustomed to gameplay.

Roulette bets basically fall into two categories: inside bets and outside bets. Each of those categories and individual wagers then has vastly different roulette odds and payouts. Let's break down each of those categories and wagers, basing win probabilities and payout odds on a European roulette wheel.

Before getting into the payouts of each bet, we should go over what each wager means.

Odds shown are approximate and based on a European roulette wheel. American roulette odds are lower due to the extra zero.

Again, a quick rundown of what each outside bet means before getting into the win probabilities and payouts for each:

Odds shown are approximate and based on a European roulette wheel. American roulette odds are lower due to the extra zero.

The two categories – inside bets and outside bets – are not randomly grouped together. For starters, when looking at a roulette table, those category names are based on where wagers are made on the table. On top of that, outside bets carry smaller payouts but higher probabilities for winning when compared to inside bets.

Consider the outside bets, which have a range of win probabilities between around 32% and up to over 48%. That suggests that, between one-third and nearly half the time, players will walk away with a winning wager. The size of the payout, though, is not as fruitful, with winning wagers resulting in payouts only as high as 2-to-1.

On the flip side, inside bets pay out as low as 5-to-1 and as high as 35-to-1. However, the win probability does not exceed 17% – meaning that, based on probability alone, the vast majority of inside bets won't hit.

That dynamic sets up a risk-reward decision for roulette players, who should always keep in mind the importance of responsible gambling to stay within their limits rather than constantly chasing big wins.

In this context, "best odds" is not about the highest payout but rather which wagers carry the lowest house edge and pay out more frequently.

Considering this, it should come as no surprise, then, that the roulette bets with the best odds – meaning less risky – are in the outside category: red/black, even/odd, high/low, dozen, and column.

While these bets do not come with big payouts, they do land more frequently based on probability and are generally considered the least risky wagers.

There's a reason why the wagers with the highest probability of landing – red/black, even/odd and high/low – are not only the most likely to win but also carry the same even-money odds, no matter which wheel users are playing.

Outside of the zero, there are 36 numbers on the wheel, with half colored red and the other half black. Obviously, half of that 36 is odd, and half is even. And, you guessed it, low (1-18) and high (19-36) also have the same number of options.

Similar to the aforementioned bets that are even-money, dozen, and column bets, carry favorable odds in terms of win probability. However, they pay out a little more – 2-to-1 vs. 1-to-1 – because they involve fewer numbers.

Making dozen and column bets involves wagering on select groups of numbers, like the even-money wagers. Rather than 18 numbers, though, these two bet types consist of 12 slots. For a dozen wager, that bet is either for the pill to fall in a pocket for a number between 1-12, 13-24, or 25-36. For column bets, there are also three groups:

Inside bets are wagers with longer probabilities of landing pay out more, but, obviously, hit less frequently. The largest payout comes on a straight bet, which involves players wagering on a single, specific number. Landing that pays out 35-to-1, but the probability of that happening is 1-in-38 (2.6)% in American roulette, which makes it a riskier bet than others.

Essentially, any wager that is about betting on singular numbers – like split (two numbers), street (three), and corner (four) – is riskier as the probability of hitting these bets is lower than others. Because of that low frequency, they do pay out more. But that does not make them any better to bet on.

A six-line bet covers six consecutive numbers on the table, which brings the payout down to 5-to-1 and increases the win probability to over 16%. There is still some risk here, again emphasizing that any wager dependent on a specific number hitting is not as safe a bet.

Lastly, there is a wager for American roulette known commonly as a top line bet or a five line bet, which pays out 6-to-1 if a 0, 00, 1, 2 or 3 lands. Is it a safe bet? Considering the 13.1% probability of that happening, not as much as outside bets.

Playing roulette for real money can provide misleading information regarding win probability and odds.

It's always important to remember: Roulette is a game of chance. If a player finds themselves continuously hitting bets over a short time, that doesn't mean they will continue to. Win probabilities are based on the general frequency of certain slots and wagers landing over a longer period of time, not over a short sample.

All of this is to say: Properly managing your bankroll and practicing responsible gambling are the most important, overarching tenets when gambling online, not only in roulette but with all casino games online.

With almost any real money online casino games, someone is bound to profess some version of a can't-miss strategy or wins-only betting system. Let's be clear: There is no system or strategy to improve your odds while playing online roulette.

The game is all about chance, one determined by a random number generator for digital roulette games at casino apps or a physical wheel for live dealer games.

The only thing that can be assured is that the type of roulette being played is the only thing that will improve odds. As noted, American roulette has two zero pockets, which impacts the win probability for all other wagers. European and French roulette, meanwhile, feature just one zero slot, which improves probabilities for other bets.

One popular theory is that managing your bankroll, including spreading bets over various wagers, improves win probability. It does not. Rather, it merely affects the overall experience. Sure, players may "win" more because multiple bets may lead to more-frequent wins (depending on the bet), but your overall bottom line may not change much at all.

One of the more popular online casino games is live dealer roulette. Here, players make bets as a live host streams from a dedicated studio and spins a physical wheel that determines which bets win.

Live dealer games provide a level of experience not found with digital table games. There is an aspect of in-person gambling, with users from all over placing bets at one virtual table with the ability to chat with each other along the way and with the live dealer interacting with all players.

The key difference between online roulette and live dealer roulette is how a winning bet is determined. Online, digital roulette results are based on random-number generators, while live dealer roulette – as noted – involves the live dealer spinning a physical wheel. Wherever the pill falls, just as in a land-based casino, is the round's result.

The odds of winning any given bet do not change based on the choice between online roulette and live dealer roulette. Once again, only the format (American, European, etc.) results in any shift in win probability.

There are certain things to look for when it comes to players searching for online roulette games that carry better odds.

For starters, it is the type of wheel the game involves. With only a single 0 on their wheels, European and French roulette titles carry the better win probabilities across the board. American roulette typically has slightly worse odds thanks to the two 0 slots on its wheel.

Roulette games with the worst odds are any variation that includes triple-zero wheels, which have 0, 00 and 000 pockets. These games worsen the odds on all wager types and have one of the highest house edges at nearly 8%.

For any online roulette game, players should not only review the rules before playing but also make sure that there is a clearly defined payout table to consider.

As it has been emphasized throughout this page, playing online roulette – or any casino game online – should be a form of entertainment rather than a reliable source of income. Practicing responsible gambling and staying within your means should be the No. 1 priority.

Part of that practice is understanding that roulette is a negative-expectation game, one based purely on chance and odds probability. Even if the odds suggest that you should be winning more often than not, it doesn't mean that will be the case. There is no guarantee of a win, much less a profit.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, visit the National Council on Problem Gambling for free resources and hotlines to get help. 

Odds for roulette bets vary but break down like this (odds shown are based on a European roulette wheel; American roulette odds are lower due to the extra zero slot on the wheel):

Red/black, even/odd, high/low: 48.6% win probability

Generally speaking, most online casinos offer similar roulette odds and payouts, but operators could have specific house rules or payouts for casino games online. Players should always look at roulette rules and payout tables to get a better understanding of what to expect when playing roulette online.

French roulette carries the lowest house edge, typically at 1.35%, meaning the odds of winning improve for each wager. European roulette has the next-best odds with a house edge of 2.7%, followed by American roulette at 5.26%.

Roulette odds and payouts may vary based on the specific game and online casino. Generally speaking, though, each bet has a similar payout across the board:

In terms of win probability, outside bets (red/black, even/odd, high/low, dozen, column) have better odds of winning, as the likelihood of those wagers landing is higher. Payouts may not be as high as inside bets, but they are less risky.

In American roulette, the chances of winning a straight bet are 1 in 38, while European roulette puts the probability at 1 in 37. Payouts are typically the same for both wheels, with straight bets paying out 35-to-1.

Players generally prefer European roulette, as its wheel features one fewer zero slot and therefore has a smaller house edge than American roulette, and increases the win probability for roulette bets.

No. Betting systems cannot change the odds in roulette, which is purely a game of chance. That said, while you cannot improve your odds with a betting system, having a strategy in place – specifically for managing your bankroll to stay within your limits – is always a great idea and a strong way to practice responsible gambling.

Yes. Odds are determined by the wheel type (American, European, etc.) rather than the format itself. The only difference between online casino roulette and live dealer roulette is that digital games use random number generators to determine winning bets while live dealer games use physical wheels.

Grant Lucas