Roulette is universally recognized as one of the most iconic and popular games in casino history.

Choosing the wrong version of roulette is the most common and costly mistake new players make.

The Impact of the Double Zero

The American wheel, however, has 38 pockets: numbers 1 through 36, a single zero (0), and a double zero (00).

The addition of the 00 pocket effectively doubles the casino's built-in mathematical advantage over the player.

• The extra number changes all probability calculations
• The betting layout is slightly larger on the American table
• European tables often use a different chip system

Comparing the House Edge

With a house edge of 2.70%, European roulette is relatively fair compared to many other casino games.

Statistically, for every $100 you wager, you expect to lose $2.70 on European and $5.26 on American.

Lowering the Edge Even Further

The "La Partage" rule dictates that if the ball lands on zero, you only lose half of your even-money bet.

American roulette essentially never offers these rules, further cementing its status as the inferior option.

The conclusion is incredibly simple: you should always seek out and exclusively play European or French roulette.