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Like many other classic casino games, Roulette has a few different varieties for players to choose between. The two most popular formats of Roulette are known as European and American, with French Roulette sitting in third place.
But what is it that sets these two varieties of Roulette apart? It’s important to know the distinction before deciding which of the two to play in a live casino format online.
Zero vs double zero
There is one big difference between the European and American Roulette wheels – the number of zeros on them.
European Roulette wheels feature a total of 37 pockets that number from 0 to 36. The green zero sits alongside the 36 other pockets, which alternate between red and black.
The American Roulette wheel instead has 38 pockets thanks to the addition of a double zero pocket. This is another green pocket which tilts the balance of the wider wheel, lowering the relative odds of each other individual pocket.
While the exact spread of numbers around the wheel varies between the two wheels it is the presence of the double zero that’s the real difference.
The house edge
All casino games have something known as the house edge, which is a guide to the relative odds and payouts of a game. This is another factor that differs between European and American Roulette, all thanks to that one extra pocket.
In European Roulette, the house edge is 2.7%. What this means is that the casino has an average, relative advantage of 2.7% over players in the long term.
American Roulette has a higher house edge of 5.26%, almost double, thanks to the additional green pocket. This impacts the relative odds of the ball landing in a non-green pocket, reducing the odds on each spin compared to a European wheel.
Between the two, European Roulette carries slightly better odds compared to American Roulette games.
Different options between European and American Roulette
Aside from the number of pockets on their wheels, European and American Roulette are all but the same at their core. The gameplay of different Roulette varieties may be the same, but the wagering options for players are slightly different.
The table layout of American Roulette games allows for an additional type of wager known as the five-number bet. This is placed on the numbers zero, double zero, one, two and three and edges against the possibility of the ball landing in a green pocket.
However, the house edge on this particular wager sits at 7.89% – rather higher than other wagers placed on groups of numbers or categories like colour.
All other inside and outside bets function the same between the two versions, only with slightly altered odds due to the American Roulette wheel’s extra pocket. Still, the payouts associated with each wager are generally kept the same, even with the slight shift in odds.
At first glance, it may be hard to tell the difference between the European and American Roulette wheels. But with the addition of the double zero pocket, the American format changes up the house edge and general odds of the game.
Which of the two that players prefer is largely down to personal preference, with both European and American Roulette games available to play online.
