Understanding your roulette odds and payouts is crucial when playing real money games. Before making a bet, you should always consider your chances of winning and the potential payout would your bet to be successful. Since roulette is a relatively simple game, there is fortunately not too much calculation involved in deciding your odds, and it is even simpler to understand your roulette payout.
We will go through the odds and payouts of all the different roulette bets, both for American and European roulette tables. We will also teach you about the house edge and why the roulette odds and payout aren’t exactly equal.
Read no more if you want a quick overview of different roulette odds. Instead, look below, where we have compiled the odds of winning and potential payout. You will have a slightly higher probability of winning if you play European Roulette compared to American roulette.
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Here's a table presenting the roulette payouts and odds for different types of bets in American Roulette:
| American Roulette Bets | Chance of Winning | Payout |
| Even | 46.37% | 1:1 |
| Odd | 46.37% | 1:1 |
| Red | 46.37% | 1:1 |
| Black | 46.37% | 1:1 |
| 1-18 | 46.37% | 1:1 |
| 19-36 | 46.37% | 1:1 |
| 1-12 | 31.58% | 2:1 |
| 13-24 | 31.58% | 2:1 |
| 25-36 | 31.58% | 2:1 |
| Single Number | 2.63% | 35:1 |
| Combination of 2 Numbers | 5.26% | 17:1 |
| Combination of 3 Numbers | 7.89% | 11:1 |
| Combination of 4 Numbers | 10.53% | 8:1 |
| Combination of 6 Numbers | 15.79% | 5:1 |
| Combination of 0, 00, 1, 2, 3 | 13.16% | 6:1 |
This table presents the roulette payouts and odds for different types of bets in European Roulette:
| European Roulette Bets | Chance of Winning | Payout |
| Even | 48.6% | 1:1 |
| Odd | 48.6% | 1:1 |
| Red | 48.6% | 1:1 |
| Black | 48.6% | 1:1 |
| 1-18 | 48.6% | 1:1 |
| 19-36 | 48.6% | 1:1 |
| 1-12 | 32.4% | 2:1 |
| 13-24 | 32.4% | 2:1 |
| 25-36 | 32.4% | 2:1 |
| Single Number | 2.7% | 35:1 |
| Combination of 2 Numbers | 5.4% | 17:1 |
| Combination of 3 Numbers | 8.1% | 11:1 |
| Combination of 4 Numbers | 10.8% | 8:1 |
| Combination of 6 Numbers | 16.2% | 5:1 |
On every roulette wheel, there are 36 red or black slots numbered 1-36. There is one additional number in European roulette, the zero (0), which is green.
Similarly, there are two green slots in American roulette, the zero (0) and the double zero (00). Therefore, you will always calculate the roulette odds of winning from the total number of slots on the wheel.
For a European table, this means that the probability for the ball to land on any single number is 1 in 37, about 2.70%. That means that the odds are 36 to 1, 36 outcomes will make you lose the bet, and one will win.
When calculating the roulette payout, you will never include the green zero(s), and the calculation is relatively straightforward. There are 36 red or black slots on the wheel, and if you bet on a single number that wins, you would get 36 times the money in return. Subtract your initial bet, and you get your profit of 35 times the bet you made. Your roulette payout is therefore 35:1.
The most classic bet in roulette is the red or black bet. The red or black bet means that you can bet on one of the colors, let’s say red, and if the ball stops on any of the red numbers, you win, and any other color will lose.
The roulette odds are seemingly 50-50 for both outcomes, and the bet payout would be 1:1; you get double your money back. However, when you look closer at the roulette odds table, you see that while the payout is 1:1, the probability of winning the bet is only 48.6%; so where did the other 1.4% go?
The 1.4% is called the House Edge, the casinos' fee for running the game, employing dealers, and entertaining guests that aren’t gambling at the moment, and it exists because of the green zero on the roulette wheel.
Since we omit the zero in the calculation of payouts, the will always be a slight difference in the roulette odds and the roulette payouts. In the case of the red or black bet, the payout on either outcome is 1:1, but the chances on the respective outcomes are 48.65% for landing on a red number, 48.65% for landing on a black number, and 2.70% for landing on the green zero. The roulette house edge is therefore 2.70%
Probabilities vs. Roulette Odds In Depth
Mixing up the roulette odds and roulette probabilities is very common. Let’s take the example of the American double-zero wheel first. This wheel consists of 38 numbered pockets ideally spread around the wheel. These numbers are 1 to 36, along with 0 and 00. Assuming that you bet on 17, out of 38 numbers, a wager on 17 is a bet on one number out of the total 38. That is the probability; 1 out of 38. If you bet it, the number 17 has got one chance in 38 chances to show up. That one out of 38 is not the odds of your bet.
Roulette odds in the American double zero wheel(s)
When it comes to the American double-zero wheel(s), a player has got one chance of winning and 37 ways of losing the bet. In short, the odds are against a player as they are 37 to 1. In this case, the probability is one to how many numbers exist on the wheel, though the odds deal with how often a player is expected to win, and in this case, it is just once while losing is 37.
Translated into money, the payoff for winning bets is not 37 to one roulette odds but 35 to one. From another perspective, a player gets shortchanged two units by the casino. If the casino paid “fair” odds (37 to 1), it would not make money and probably close down. Such a move would end the life of all the casinos globally. In other words, roulette odds are not playing in the same league as the real payouts.
Roulette odds on the European single-zero wheel
The above scenario replicates itself here also. With the European wheel, there are 37 numbers (1 to 36) and a single 0. Here, the probability of a hit is one in 37, meaning that the roulette odds are 36 to one. Sadly, the European single-zero wheels also have a payback of 35 to one on any winnings. In short, it means a shortage of one unit. Actual odds are supposed to be 36 to one. However, the payout here is 35 to one.
Will Roulette Odds Always Pay Out On Time?
There’s something that requires close attention when looking at roulette odds and probabilities. The fact that these odds are 37 to one and 36 to one on the American double-zero wheel and the European single-zero wheel, respectively, doesn’t mean that a winner is found on every 38 or 37 spins. Gamblers would wish for this, but sadly, this is not the case. Roulette odds are just long-range figures based on math. A roulette game can be crazy as there may be many winners or no winners. You may face losing streaks or winning streaks every time you place bets.
As a player continues to place bets, the actual roulette odds start to shape. Though it will not be perfect, the calculations are based on the winnings and losses. Unfortunately, roulette probabilities and odds are the same regardless of whether you play a single spin or thousands of spins. And this is why some gamblers think that they can out-smart the math. They can’t.
Roulette Odds On Proposition Bets
Roulette odds work the same manner as every other bet in a game. Let’s take the example of an even-money bet of red-black. This bet is called even money since a win pays a gambler one unit for every one unit wagered. However, odds and probabilities aren’t one-to-one.
Let us assume that a player X decides to bet red. As you are aware, there are 18 red numbers and a similar count for black numbers. Now, player X wants red to hit and not black. However, the player also hopes that 0 or 00 on the American wheel also hits. These are losing bets.
Here come the odds: You will win 18 times and lose 20 times when playing on the American double-zero wheels. On the other hand, if you are playing on the European single-zero wheels, you are assured of 18 wins but, sadly, 19 losses.
The roulette odds here are 20 to 18 –or 10 to 9- while playing on double-zero wheels, while the odds will be 19 to 18 when playing on the European single-zero wheels. Of importance to note is that the American wheel shorts a player two units since the payout on winning bets is one-to-one. Also, the house edge here is 5.26%. On the European single-zero wheels, the house edge is 2.70%.
Remember that some bets come or rather consist of either greater or lesser house edges. Such was covered in previous sections.
