Roulette bet types: payouts and odds for each bet
Every roulette bet has nearly the same cost over time, but the shape of the risk changes a lot.
Inside bets on numbers pay more and win less often, while outside bets on large groups pay less and win more often. A straight-up number pays 35 to 1, a dozen pays 2 to 1 and red or black pays 1 to 1. On a European wheel the house edge is 2.70 per cent on every bet.
Roulette gives you many ways to bet, but they all share the same maths. What changes is how often you win and how large the swings are. The full picture is in the trusted Canadian online casinos that we update every month.
This guide lists each bet, its payout and its chance of winning on a European wheel. You must be of legal age in your province to play.
What are inside bets?
| Bet | Numbers covered | Payout | Chance on a European wheel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight up | 1 | 35 to 1 | 2.70% |
| Split | 2 | 17 to 1 | 5.41% |
| Street | 3 | 11 to 1 | 8.11% |
| Corner | 4 | 8 to 1 | 10.81% |
| Six line | 6 | 5 to 1 | 16.22% |
Inside bets are placed on the numbers themselves, on the lines between them or at corners.
What are outside bets?
| Bet | Numbers covered | Payout | Chance on a European wheel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dozen or column | 12 | 2 to 1 | 32.43% |
| Red or black | 18 | 1 to 1 | 48.65% |
| Odd or even | 18 | 1 to 1 | 48.65% |
| Low or high (1-18, 19-36) | 18 | 1 to 1 | 48.65% |
The zero makes even-money bets slightly less than fair. That is where the house edge comes from.
Is any bet better than another?
On a European wheel, all standard bets have a house edge of 2.70 per cent. On an American wheel with 0 and 00, the edge is 5.26 per cent on most bets and 7.89 per cent on the five-number basket bet (0, 00, 1, 2, 3), which you should avoid. French tables that apply La Partage or En Prison give half your even-money stake back, or hold it for another spin, when the ball lands on zero, which lowers the edge on those bets to about 1.35 per cent.
How do you choose a bet style?
If you prefer a steady session, outside bets cause smaller swings. If you want a chance at a large payout, inside bets give it at the cost of long losing streaks. Combining bets does not change the long-run cost. Choose a stake that fits your budget and stick to it, using the guidance on our roulette page.
Are there special bets online?
Some online and live tables offer called bets such as Voisins du Zero, Tiers du Cylindre and Orphelins, which are fixed groups of chips. They are convenient but cost the same as their component bets. Live tables with multipliers change the payout for some straight-up numbers, so read the paytable. See live roulette tables for more.
What does a session look like in numbers?
With a CAD 2 stake on red, you win CAD 2 about 48.65 per cent of the time and lose CAD 2 the rest. The expected loss is about CAD 0.054 per spin, so 100 spins cost about CAD 5.40 on average, though the actual result can be well above or below. Use the RTP simulator to see how variance looks across sessions.
How should you read the table layout?
The number grid has three columns and twelve rows. Chips placed on a number are straight-up bets, chips on a line between two numbers are splits, and chips on the edge of a row are streets. The outside boxes hold dozens, columns and the even-money bets. Most online tables highlight the numbers covered when you hover, so check it before confirming a bet.
Frequently asked questions
Which roulette bet has the best odds?
On a European wheel every standard bet has the same house edge of 2.70 per cent, so none is mathematically better. Even-money bets win more often and straight-up bets pay more. On French tables with La Partage, even-money bets cost less. On American wheels, avoid the five-number bet.
What does 35 to 1 mean?
It means you win CAD 35 for each CAD 1 staked on a winning number, and you also keep the original stake. There are 37 numbers on a European wheel, so the true odds are 36 to 1. The gap between 35 and 36 is the house edge.
What is La Partage?
La Partage is a French roulette rule: if the ball lands on zero, you get half of your even-money stake back. It lowers the house edge on those bets to about 1.35 per cent. Check the table rules to confirm it applies, since not all online tables use it.