People love to test their luck with roulette. Betting on your lucky numbers and then watching the ball fly around the ever-moving wheel is a tradition for many at the casino. Even though this staple is mostly known as a game of chance, there are a few things you can learn to improve your chances of winning more while playing roulette. Knowledge is power when you’re at the casino, and we like to equip people with as much as possible.
In our guide to roulette odds, you’ll learn everything you need to know to be a roulette master at Bodog Casino. We’ll shine the spotlight on roulette odds, probability, house edge and payouts to give you the inside scoop on which bets you want to target and which to avoid. When you understand the foundation of roulette, you can make informed betting decisions at the virtual table, instead of just trusting your instinct as many of us do.
This information will make it easier to navigate our expanding suite of roulette games. We have all of the traditional ones, like European and American Roulette; odds are you’ve played those ones before.
But you may be less familiar with our suite of unconventional roulette games like Double Dragon Roulette, Double Double Dragon Roulette, Virtual Burning Roulette and Vulcano Roulette. These ones offer a unique roulette experience and are perfect for the players who like novel features included in their casino games.
All of our roulette games are available to play as a free trial through Practice Play mode, and for real money payouts using Real Play mode. After reading this guide, we encourage you to put the knowledge into practice by playing roulette from the comfort of home.
Odds of Winning Roulette
In roulette, the odds of winning a bet depend on two things: the type of bet you choose (more specifically, how many numbers the bet includes), and the number of zeroes included on the roulette wheel, which is where we’ll start.
All roulette wheels have numbers 1 to 36 in red or black, as well as a green zero that creates the house edge. The American wheel has the double-zero (00) in addition to the single-zero (0) for a higher house edge. On the European wheel, betting on a single number means you’ll have a 1-in-37 chance of winning, which equals 2.7% odds. On the American wheel, a single bet has a 1-in-38 chance of winning, which equals 2.6% odds. As you can see, there is a slight decrease in odds of winning with the extra double-zero.
Naturally, the more numbers you bet on, the greater your odds of winning. If you bet half of the numbers on the board through a red/black or even/odd bet, you’d have an 18-in-37 chance of winning on the European wheel, which is 48.64%; it would be 50% if it weren’t for the green zero in the pocket. On the American wheel, that same bet would provide an 18-in-38 chance of winning, which is 47.36%.
All of the other bets fall within this wide range. To figure out the odds of winning roulette bets, simply check how many numbers your bet includes and divide it by the total number of pockets on the wheel (37 in European Roulette and 38 in American Roulette). We’ll have a closer look at each variant’s odds in the following sections of our roulette guide.
American Roulette Odds
Interestingly enough, the American Roulette wheel was actually the original wheel used in Europe when the game was first introduced in the 18th century. The single-zero variant that we now associate with European Roulette came along many years later as a marketing effort from a casino in Germany; they wanted to attract roulette fans with their lower house edge. By that time, the double-zero roulette wheel was already established in America and it wasn’t impacted by the casino in Germany or what would eventually become the common European Roulette variant.
That extra zero does make a difference in American Roulette odds. Instead of having 37 possible outcomes, like you have in European Roulette, you have 38, two of which contribute to the house edge. Having the extra double-zero increases the house edge from 2.70% to 5.26%.
As mentioned, the probability of each bet winning depends on how many numbers the bet includes. See the chart below to get an idea of how they correspond to each other:
Bet Numbers Included Odds of Winning
Inside Bets
Single One 2.6%
Split Two 5.3%
Street Three 7.9%
Corner Four 10.5%
Basket Five 13.2%
Double Street Six 15.8%
Outside Bets
Even/Odds 18 47.4%
Red/Blacks 18 47.4%
Dozen 12 31.6%
Column 12 31.6%
The outside bets have far greater odds of winning than the inside bets, and as we’ll see shortly, that corresponds to the game’s payouts.
European Roulette Odds
European Roulette is the supreme pick for roulette players in search of the very best probabilities and lowest house edge possible. This wheel has just the single-zero (0), while no double-zero (00) is included. With just 37 possible landing spots on the wheel, the house edge is 2.7% no matter what bet you place.
Although the house edge stays the same for virtually all of the betting options in European Roulette, the odds of winning varies based on how many numbers are included in the bet. We’ll include the same chart that we covered with American Roulette above.
Bet Numbers Included Odds of Winning
Inside Bets
Single One 2.7%
Split Two 5.4%
Street Three 8.1%
Corner Four 10.8%
Double Street Six 16.2%
Outside Bets
Even/Odds 18 48.6%
Red/Blacks 18 48.6%
Dozen 12 32.4%
Column 12 32.4%
For the best odds of winning, stick with the outside bets, like even/odds, red/black, dozen and column for the big bets, and sprinkle in some inside bets when you want some risk.
Roulette Odds Calculator
The fastest way to check the odds of each roulette bet is with a roulette odds calculator. These handy tools combine with a roulette betting layout—both European and American Roulette—to instantly show you your odds of winning each bet.
For most of the calculators online, you place chips on any bet and select the “Calculate” button. The odds of winning the bet are displayed on the calculator. Most of these tools also have “Undo” and “Clear Bets” buttons included for ease of use.
By using a roulette odds calculator, you’ll always know your odds of winning, and there are many benefits to this awareness. For one, you can size bets according to their odds of winning; make smaller bets when the odds are lower and bigger bets when the odds are higher.
Another advantage of using the odds calculator is that you can see just how unlikely it is to win a bet on a single number. It may be fun entertainment to watch someone put it all down on a single number in a movie, like Lola (Franka Potente) does when she puts it all on 20 in Run Lola Run, but for most people, spreading it around with higher odds bets makes more sense.
The calculation for determining the odds is simple. Take the number of winning scenarios and divide it by the total number of outcomes. To see the answer illustrated as a percentage, you’ll need to multiply it by 100.
For example, if you take a Corner bet in roulette, there are four winning scenarios; each of the four numbers included in the corner. If you’re playing on a European wheel, there are 37 possible outcomes every round. Four divided by 37 is 0.108. Multiply that by 100, and you can see that the odds of winning a Corner bet on a European wheel is 10.81%.
Repeat that process with each and every bet, or let the roulette odds calculator do it for you. It may not be feasible to use one in a land-based casino, but when you play online, bring on the calculator and take full advantage of the technology at hand.
Roulette Odds and Payouts
We’ve now seen the wide variance in roulette odds for all of the bets on the board, and it may leave you wondering why people take the bets with ultra-low odds of winning. The answer is simple: the payouts are tantalizing.
Payouts are naturally balanced by probabilities in all casino games, including roulette. The higher the odds of a bet winning, the lower the payout. And the lower the odds of winning, the higher the payout. In European Roulette, the black/reds bet has the highest odds of winning (48.65%) and pays the least (1-to-1). On the flip side, the single bet has the lowest odds of winning (2.70%) and pays the most (35-to-1). This ensures there’s something at the roulette table for every kind of bettor out there.
To illustrate the correspondence between probability and payout, we’ve compiled all bets into a chart for European Roulette and American Roulette.
European Roulette
Bet Odds Payout
Single 2.7% 35-to-1
Split 5.41% 17-to-1
Street 8.11% 11-to1
Corner 10.81% 8-to-1
Double Street 16.22% 5-to-1
Column 32.43% 2-to-1
Dozen 32.43% 2-to-1
Red/Blacks 48.65% 1-to-1
Even/Odds 48.65% 1-to-1
American Roulette
Bet Odds Payout
Single 2.63% 35-to-1
Split 5.26% 17-to-1
Street 7.89% 11-to1
Corner 10.53% 8-to-1
Top Line 13.16% 6-to-1
Double Street 15.79% 5-to-1
Column 31.58% 2-to-1
Dozen 31.58% 2-to-1
Red/Blacks 47.37% 1-to-1
Even/Odds 47.37% 1-to-1
In American Roulette, all of the bets have the same 5.26% house edge except for the Top Line bet on the 0,00,1,2,3. This bet has a 7.89% house edge and is exclusive to American Roulette.
Play Roulette Games at Bodog
Hop over to the Roulette section of our casino to see all of the different roulette options available right now. The traditional ones are there and include European Roulette and American Roulette, with several versions of each to choose from. In European Roulette, the house edge is lower and you’ll find a series of French Call bets, including Tiers du Cylindre, Les Orphelins and Voisins du Zero tucked in the oval racetrack.
With an extra double-zero in the pocket, American Roulette brings more risk and more excitement. This is the version that has the Top Line bet (0,00,1,2,3); you won’t find that in its European counterpart.
All of the other roulette games bring a novel element to the traditional game of roulette. Multipliers boost single numbers in Dragon Roulette, Double Dragon Roulette and Vulcano Roulette. If you bet on a single number and it wins with a multiplier attached, you get paid far more (up to 500X) than the standard payout. That makes the Single bets a little more enticing.
Vulcano Roulette is a bridge between regular online roulette and Live Dealer Roulette. You have to put down your bets before the timer runs out every round, and an audio recording of a croupier announces the winning number after the ball finds its pocket. For the full Live Dealer experience, however, we recommend you head over to the Live Dealer section of our website.
In the Live Dealer section, you’ll find many popular table games, including American Roulette, European Roulette and AutoRoulette. Get a taste of a real land-based casino from the comfort of home when you join a table of Live Dealer Roulette. The game happens in real time and is streamed onto our site, where you can place your bets and collect real-money wins as the action happens.
No matter how you prefer to play roulette games, at Bodog, there will always be an option that’s ideally suited for you. To find it, launch sessions of them all and see which ones you like the best. After reading about roulette odds, you’ll feel like a pro when you see it in action. Good luck with your bets and enjoy the excitement of this timeless casino classic. Whether it’s learning about European Roulette or understanding inside bets and outside bets on the tables, you’re right at home at Bodog Casino as we teach you the best roulette strategies around.