Rules and History of European Roulette

November 1, 2022

Roulette is a game of chance that has gained a lot of popularity over the years. It is played in almost every casino. The history of the exciting casino game goes back to the 17th century in France. Now it is so widespread that it is even played online. There are three main varieties of the game European, French and American. But the European one is the most popular all over the world. Even though the core rules are the same, there are a few major differences that every player should be aware of.

But it is safe to say that the European version of the game is much more profitable for the player than the American one. It’s all hidden in nulls, so keep reading to find out more.

Differences between American and European roulette

What is a roulette wheel without a wheel?! So, let’s start with the emblem of the game. As mentioned above, American roulette is being modified in order to increase the profit of the casino and reduce the chances of players to win. Thus, European roulette is preferred all over the world as it gives the player higher chances of winning. An additional zero pocket in American roulette increases the house edge from 2.70% to 5.26%. While the American wheel has 38 spaces (1 to 36, plus zero and double zero), the European wheel has 37 numbered spaces (1 to 36, plus zero). A common trait that both wheels share is that the numbers alternate between black, red, and green for the zero-numbered pocket(s). Odd and even numbers also alternate.

The order of the cells on the wheel seems to be random, but in fact it is arranged in a mathematical order in a certain way, so that the chances of each number coming up are equal. An interesting fact is that if you add up all the numbers on the wheel, then the total will be 666 (aka the “Devil’s Number”).

With the American wheel, the numbers seem more structured. On it, opposite numbers are two consecutive ones. Although there is no clear pattern in how the numbers are arranged on the European wheel, one can easily notice that they alternate almost perfectly between high (19 to 36) and low (1 to 18). The only exception is when 5 is adjacent to 10. There is another subtle difference between the numbers on the two wheels. On an American wheel, the numbers face outward, while on a European wheel, they face towards the center of the wheel.

In terms of colors, both wheels have 18 red and 18 black numbered pockets. Odd numbers from 1 to 10 and 19 to 28 are colored red, while even numbers are colored black. Then from 11 to 18 and from 29 to 36 the picture is reversed: odd numbers are displayed in black, and even numbers in red.

Possible bets in European roulette

The game starts by placing your chips on different sections of the betting table. Bets are accepted until the croupier tosses the ball, and a couple of seconds after that, the last bets are made. After the announcement of the winning number, the croupier begins to pay out the winning bets, and all losers are removed from the table. After that, players can start betting again. Players have different betting options. Each table has different minimum and maximum limits, and players can bet as much as they want, as long as the limits are met. The layout of bets is not much different from other roulette variants and bets are divided into two main groups “inside” and “outside” bets.

European Roulette Rules

European roulette has several variations of the rules that make it slightly different from other versions of the game. The most notable difference is the “in jail” rule, which is used in European roulette but not used in American or French roulette.

The “in jail” rule essentially means that if the ball lands on zero, then players who bet on any of the even-money bets (red/black, odd/even, 1-18/19-36) will get their bets. “sharpened” for the next spin. If their bet wins on the next spin, they will get their original stake back; if not, they will lose their bet.

There is also a difference in how European Roulette bets are made. In American Roulette, players can bet on single numbers or on groups of numbers (for example, “1-12” or “18-36”). However, in European roulette, players can only bet on individual numbers or groups of numbers, not both at the same time.

Finally, the order of the numbers on the wheel in European roulette is different than in American roulette. In European roulette, the numbers are in the sequence from 0 to 36, while in American roulette they are in the sequence from 0 to 28, plus 0 and 00.