Types of Roulette: European, American, and French

Roulette comes in several variants, and what sets them apart isn't the design but the maths: the number of zeros on the wheel and a few extra rules. The type of roulette directly determines the theoretical return (RTP) and the house edge. Let's break down the three classic versions and the modern live variants, so it's clear how they differ and which one is the better choice.

European Roulette

The most widespread version. The wheel has 37 pockets: the numbers 1 to 36 plus a single green zero (0). Thanks to that single zero, the house edge is about 2.7%, and the theoretical return (RTP) is roughly 97.3%. European roulette is the version live providers offer most often, and it's the basis for most strategies and statistical observations.

American Roulette

This version has a second zero: alongside 0, the wheel also has 00, for 38 pockets in total. Because of this, the house edge almost doubles - to about 5.26% - and RTP drops to 94.7%. There's also a specific five-number bet (0, 00, 1, 2, 3) with higher risk. For the player, the American version is the least favourable, so when choosing a table, European is almost always the better pick. For a detailed breakdown, see our article on American roulette.

French Roulette

It looks like European roulette - also one zero and 37 pockets - but it adds two important rules that work in the player's favour on even-money bets (red/black, even/odd, 1-18/19-36):

• La Partage - when zero comes up, the player gets back half of that bet;
• En Prison - when zero comes up, the bet is "frozen" for the next spin, and if that spin wins, the money is returned.

These rules cut the house edge on even-money bets to about 1.35%, meaning RTP on those bets reaches up to 98.65%. That makes French roulette the best value of the classic versions, though it's less common. Bet names here are traditionally French, including the sector bets (Voisins du Zero, Tiers, Orphelins).

Live Variants

Besides the classics, providers release live roulette variants with extra mechanics. All of them are based on the European wheel with a single zero, but add their own twists:

• Lightning Roulette (Evolution) - each round, a few random numbers are assigned multipliers of up to 500x; XXXtreme Lightning - up to 2000x;
• Immersive Roulette - multiple cameras and slow-motion replays, classic rules;
• Speed and Auto Roulette - faster rounds and a dealer-less version;
• Mega Roulette (Pragmatic) - a similar format with multipliers of up to 500x.

Multipliers make the game more dynamic, but you pay for them with a slightly lower return on those numbers. You can check live statistics for these tables in the Evolution roulette section and for other providers.

Which Roulette to Choose

By the maths, the order is: French (with La Partage/En Prison) is better value than European, and European is noticeably better than American. If you're choosing between a European and an American table with the same stakes, go European. Live variants with multipliers are more about entertainment and big one-off payouts than about maximum RTP.

Statistics Across All Types

Whatever the type of roulette, many players keep track of statistics: non-appearance streaks for numbers, colours, dozens, columns, and sectors. The service shows this data for live tables from Evolution, Pragmatic, and Ezugi in real time. For how to read the table, see our article on roulette statistics.

Remember: the type of roulette affects the theoretical return, but every individual spin is still random. Play responsibly.

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