European roulette rules explained

Roulette might be the most exciting game of all online casino games. The European roulette rules are quite simple and easy to learn. The differences between the European and American roulette rules will also be explained. Although we have a separate page for the American roulette rules, you will be able to play both games after reading the rules on this page.

Roulette history explained

Roulette means little wheel in French. The roulette game finds it origin in France at the end of the 17th century. In the 18th century the roulette game found its way to the rest of Europe and the US. Roulette has now become one of the most popular games in the online gambling industry. During all those centuries the rules of roulette stayed pretty much unchanged.
In the US the ‘double zero’ wheel was introduced. Nowadays the ‘double zero’ wheel is still used in the US, the rest of the world plays roulette with the European Roulette wheel which has a single zero.

European roulette rules / American roulette rules, the differences

The difference between the American and European roulette game are almost not worth mentioning. The only difference in the rules of the two variants is the amount of pockets on the roulette wheel.

• European roulette is played with a roulette wheel with 37 numbers (1 – 36 + 0)
• American roulette is played with a roulette wheel with 38 numbers (1 – 36 + 0 + 00)

All numbers are colored black or red. The 0 and the 00 are colored green. European roulette offers a better chance of winning because of the single 0. Therefore we advise players to choose European roulette when a casino offers both versions.

Placing bets in European roulette

A game of roulette starts with placing a bet. Bets can be made by placing one or more chips on the different betting sections of the roulette table. The little ball is removed from the pocket and the roulette wheel starts to spin. The ball always spins in the opposite direction to the rotating Roulette wheel. The little ball bounces in a numbered pocket. This pocket has a number and a color (black / red / green)

As said, the ball ends up in a pocket and the number of this pocket is the winning number. This winning number is also showed on the billboard of your screen. In most casinos, you can also check the latest winning numbers on this billboard. Lost bets will be cleared from the table. In case you win, your winnings are showed on the screen. Your winnings will be added to your players balance.

Possible bets

There are 2 main-betting options available at a game of roulette. First there is the inside bet where the player bets on a certain straddle or on which number the ball will land in. Second there is the outside bet where the player gambles on odd/even, black/red or the positional groupings of pockets. For an overview of all inside and outside bets, see the following tables:

Inside bets		Payout
Straight	Bet on single number	1 - 35
Split	Bet on two numbers	1 - 17
Three line	Bet on a row of three numbers, a street	11 – 1
Corner / square	Bet on four numbers that form a square	8 – 1
Six line	Bet on two gathering streets	5 - 1

Outside bets		Payout
Left / middle / right row	Bet on all 12 numbers in the left, middle or right table-section	3 - 1
1st 12 / 2nd 12 / 3rd 12	Bets on 12 numbers in four consecutive rows	3 - 1
19-36 or 1-18	Bets on the numbers 1-18 (low) or 19-36 (high)	1 - 1
Red or black	Bets on all red or all black numbers	1 - 1
Odd or even	Bets on all odd or all even numbers	1 - 1

Special / progressive bets

Some online casinos offer a 'special bets' feature. These special bets are different from the traditional roulette bets. Usually you'll find these special bets in the special bets panel. Some roulette tables are also connected to a progressive jackpot. A progressive jackpot grows with every bet placed. There are hundreds of online casinos connected to these progressive jackpots. The rules of the roulette game with special / progressive bets are similar to the rules of the regular roulette games.

After reading the European roulette rules on this page, it should be no problem to name the differences between the American and European roulette rules. We hope that our explanation of the roulette rules will contribute to your success when playing roulette online!

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