European Roulette Rules: Bets, Payouts and How to Play

European roulette is played on a wheel with 37 pockets: the numbers 1 to 36, half red and half black, plus a single green zero. You bet on where the ball will land, either on single numbers and small groups (inside bets) or on large groups such as red, odd or a dozen (outside bets). Winning bets are paid at fixed odds from 35 to 1 down to even money.

This guide covers the wheel, the table layout, every standard bet with its payout and chip placement, the French “call bets” you will meet on live tables, and how a round runs online. The maths behind the 2.70% house edge has its own page: roulette house edge explained.

The European roulette wheel

The single-zero wheel has 37 pockets arranged in a fixed order that alternates red and black, with the green 0 at the top. Going clockwise from zero, the sequence is: 0, 32, 15, 19, 4, 21, 2, 25, 17, 34, 6, 27, 13, 36, 11, 30, 8, 23, 10, 5, 24, 16, 33, 1, 20, 14, 31, 9, 22, 18, 29, 7, 28, 12, 35, 3, 26.

Red numbers are 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14, 16, 18, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 30, 32, 34 and 36. The other 18 numbers are black. Zero is neither red nor black, neither odd nor even, and neither high nor low, which is why outside bets lose when it lands (unless the table uses la partage or en prison, covered below).

That wheel order matters for one group of bets only: the call bets, which cover sections of the wheel rather than sections of the table.

The table layout

The betting layout shows the numbers 1 to 36 in a grid of three columns and twelve rows, with 0 at the head of the grid. Around the grid sit the outside betting boxes: three dozens (1-12, 13-24, 25-36), three column boxes at the foot of each column, and the six even-money boxes (1-18, Even, Red, Black, Odd, 19-36).

Where you put a chip decides which bet you have made. On a live table the dealer places chips you cannot reach, and online you simply click the spot; in both cases the bet only counts if it is accepted before the dealer or game announces “no more bets”.

Inside bets

Inside bets go on the numbered grid. They win less often but pay more.

A worked example: you stake 1 mBTC straight up on 17 and the ball lands on 17. You receive 35 mBTC in winnings plus your 1 mBTC stake, 36 mBTC in total. A 2 mBTC corner on 1-2-4-5 that hits on 5 returns 16 mBTC in winnings plus the 2 mBTC stake.

The grid holds 12 streets, 11 six lines and 22 corners. Some online versions also allow splits and corners that include zero, as listed above.

Outside bets

Outside bets sit around the grid and cover 12 or 18 numbers. Zero loses on every one of them.

Columns are easy to misread. The first column holds 1, 4, 7 and so on up to 34; the second holds 2, 5, 8 up to 35; the third holds 3, 6, 9 up to 36. A column bet is placed in the “2 to 1” box at the end of the column.

Call bets (announced bets)

Call bets come from French roulette and appear on many live European tables, usually on a separate “racetrack” that shows the wheel order. Each one covers a section of the wheel with a fixed number of chips spread over splits, corners or straight numbers.

Voisins du zéro (neighbours of zero)

Covers the 17 numbers from 22 to 25 around zero: 22, 18, 29, 7, 28, 12, 35, 3, 26, 0, 32, 15, 19, 4, 21, 2 and 25. It uses 9 chips: 2 on the 0-2-3 trio, 1 each on the splits 4/7, 12/15, 18/21, 19/22 and 32/35, and 2 on the 25/26/28/29 corner.

Tiers du cylindre (third of the wheel)

Covers the 12 numbers opposite zero: 27, 13, 36, 11, 30, 8, 23, 10, 5, 24, 16 and 33. It uses 6 chips, one on each of the splits 5/8, 10/11, 13/16, 23/24, 27/30 and 33/36.

Orphelins (orphans)

Covers the 8 numbers left over: 1, 20, 14, 31, 9 on one side of the wheel and 17, 34, 6 on the other. It uses 5 chips: 1 straight up on 1, and 1 each on the splits 6/9, 14/17, 17/20 and 31/34.

Jeu zéro (zero game) and neighbours

Jeu zéro is a smaller version of voisins covering 12, 35, 3, 26, 0, 32 and 15 with 4 chips: splits 0/3, 12/15 and 32/35, plus 26 straight up. A neighbours bet covers any number plus the two pockets on each side of it on the wheel, five straight-up chips in total.

Call bets do not change the odds. They are simply bundles of ordinary inside bets, so they carry the same edge as any other bet on the wheel.

How a round of European roulette works

1. Choose a chip value within the table’s minimum and maximum. Limits apply per bet and often per spin.
2. Place your bets on the layout or racetrack. You can combine as many bets as the table limits allow.
3. Betting closes. The dealer or RNG game announces “no more bets” and locks the layout.
4. The wheel spins and the ball drops into one pocket. Online RNG versions show an animation of the result the generator has already drawn.
5. Losing bets are cleared and winning bets are paid at the odds in the tables above. Your winning stake stays on the layout unless you remove it.
6. Repeat or rebet. Most online tables have “rebet” and “double” buttons for the previous layout.

European, French and American roulette: the rule differences

• European: single zero, 37 pockets; when zero lands, every bet that does not include zero loses.
• French: the same wheel with a French-language layout, the racetrack for call bets and usually a zero rule for even-money bets. La partage returns half of an even-money stake when zero lands; en prison holds the stake for the next spin.
• American: adds a 00 pocket (38 in total), uses a different wheel order and offers a five-number bet on 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3 that pays 6 to 1.

The single zero is the reason players prefer the European game: the payouts are the same, but there is one losing green pocket instead of two. The numbers behind that, bet by bet, are on our house edge page.

Playing European roulette online with crypto

Online you will find three formats. RNG tables use a certified random number generator and let you play at your own pace. Live-dealer tables stream a real wheel and dealer from a studio, with a timer for placing bets. Crypto casinos may also offer their own “original” roulette with provably fair results, which you can verify after each spin with the steps in our provably fair guide.

Before you place a real bet, open the game’s help screen. It confirms the wheel type (look for a single zero), any zero rule, the RTP, table limits and how a disconnection is handled. Some modern variants add multipliers or side bets and lower the standard 35 to 1 payout to pay for them, so the paytable is worth a look. Our crypto roulette hub lists where to play.

Practical tips that actually help

• Stick to single-zero tables. Avoid any wheel with 00 or 000 when a European or French table is available.
• Use la partage tables for even-money bets when you can find them; the rule only helps red/black, odd/even and high/low.
• Learn the chip placements on a free-play table before staking, so a mis-click does not turn a split into a street.
• Set a budget and a stop time before you start. No betting pattern changes the outcome of the next spin, so budget control is the only tool that really protects you. See our bankroll tips.
• Ignore hot and cold number boards. Each spin is independent, and past results do not predict future ones.

Roulette is a game of chance with a built-in edge for the casino. Play for fun, keep stakes affordable and use the limits and self-exclusion tools your casino provides. Our responsible gambling page lists independent help.

European roulette FAQ

How do you play European roulette?

Place chips on numbers or groups of numbers before betting closes, then the wheel is spun and the ball lands in one of 37 pockets. Bets covering that pocket are paid at fixed odds, from 35 to 1 for a single number to 1 to 1 for red or black, and all other bets are lost.

How many numbers are on a European roulette wheel?

There are 37 pockets: the numbers 1 to 36, split into 18 red and 18 black, plus one green zero. American wheels have 38 because they add a double zero.

What does a straight-up bet pay in European roulette?

A straight-up bet on one number pays 35 to 1, so a winning 1 mBTC bet returns 35 mBTC in winnings plus the 1 mBTC stake.

What happens to outside bets when the ball lands on zero?

On a standard European table, all outside bets lose when zero lands. On French tables with la partage, half of each even-money stake is returned; with en prison, the stake is held for the next spin.

What are call bets in roulette?

Call bets cover sections of the wheel rather than the table: voisins du zero (17 numbers, 9 chips), tiers du cylindre (12 numbers, 6 chips), orphelins (8 numbers, 5 chips) and jeu zero (7 numbers, 4 chips). They are bundles of ordinary inside bets.

Is European roulette better than American roulette?

Yes for the player. Both pay the same odds, but European roulette has one zero pocket instead of two, so its house edge is 2.70% compared with 5.26% on the American wheel.

Is roulette 100% luck?

Yes, as far as the result goes. Each spin is independent, every pocket on a fair 37-pocket wheel has the same 1 in 37 chance, and no betting pattern changes the 2.70% house edge. Your choices only decide how much you stake, which bets you make and when you stop.

What's the luckiest number in roulette?

There is none. On a fair European wheel each of the 37 numbers comes up with a probability of 1 in 37, about 2.7%, on every spin, and past results do not change the next one. Boards that show hot and cold numbers describe the past, not the future.