American Roulette Guide

Although roulette was first devised and popularised in France, it quickly made its way to all four corners of the globe – heading across the Atlantic to the US during the 19th century.

A staple of the casino floors, American roulette uses the original wheel invented in France back in the 1600s. However, its double-zero pocket is a point of difference from the games made popular across Europe and Asia.

So, what is American roulette, how do you play it, and what are the key rules?

How to play American roulette

You play American roulette in exactly the same way as you would any other version of the game, placing your chips on the bet table to correspond with where you think the ball will land at the end of a spin of the wheel.

Whether you’re playing online American roulette or a live casino version of the game, there are common bet types you can place – we’ll explore those in more detail later in this article.

Indeed, the only difference between American roulette and its counterparts from across the globe is the addition of an extra number – 00 – on the wheel and bet table.

A history of American roulette

It’s commonly accepted that roulette was first invented in France in 1655, when the mathematician and scientist Blaise Pascal was trying to devise the world’s first perpetual motion machine.

Although he was unsuccessful in that ambition, he did – inadvertently – create the basic mechanics of the roulette wheel, which would later be adopted in French casinos in the 1800s.

Paris was a city that French aristocrats would frequent during the 19th century, combining their love of fine wines and culinary delights with a few turns in the casinos, which back then had very select guestlists.

Roulette was a game beloved by these blue-blooded types, but it wasn’t really a money-making venture for either the casino or players at this time – until the Blanc brothers, Francois and Louis, devised the zero pocket at the command of King Charles III of Monaco, who wanted to boost the economy of Monte Carlo.

Soon, one of the most enduring gambling destinations on the planet was born – and so also was the casino’s ‘house edge’.

The strong French connection in Canada saw roulette head to North America in the 1800s, with the game soon heading south of the border to the gaming establishments of New Orleans and Mississippi.

At some point during the late 19th century, a new type of roulette wheel was rolled out in America – one with an additional zero pocket, which saw 0 and 00 sit opposite each other on the wheel.

It was this version that stood fast as roulette exploded in popularity simultaneously with the boom in casino gaming in Las Vegas and beyond, creating the phenomenon that is still enjoyed by millions to this day.

What is the American roulette wheel?

You probably already know a little bit about the roulette wheel, with its segments numbered and coloured either red or black.

The standard roulette wheel across Europe has 37 pockets: 18 red, 18 black and a single green 0. However, in American roulette, the wheel features an additional pocket – the double zero, which sits opposite the single zero on the wheel. The 00 brings with it added jeopardy but also an extra bet type.

American roulette bet types

The different bets you can place in American roulette can be split into two broad categories: inside and outside bets.

They’re called inside and outside bets because of their position on the bet table. You can place your chips in the outside zones on the table to signal your standard bets – these include red or black, odd or even, or high or low. Another outside bet called ‘dozens’ allows you to wager on whether you think the ball will land on a number in the range 1-12, 13-24 or 25-36.

‘Inside’ bets in American roulette are those placed on the numerical parts of the bet table. As you may already know from Hollywood depictions of the game, you can wager on single numbers (sometimes known as ‘straight up’) – if your luck is in, you will land a payout of 35:1, with the 1 being your stake, which is then multiplied by 35.

The positioning of your chip on the bet table reflects which wager type you want to place. So, if you stacked your chip on the line that joins two numbers on the bet table, you’re indicating your wish to place a ‘split’ bet – that is, you’ll win if the ball lands on either of these two numbers. This earns you a payout of 17:1.

If you drop your chip on the corner point adjoining four different numbers, this is a ‘corner’ or ‘square’ bet, which will pay out if the ball lands on any of the four numbers involved in your selection. The payout is 8:1.

You can use the bottom line of the table to place three other inside bets. Place your chip on the side-line of any row of three numbers you want to take – e.g., for a ‘street’ bet on 1-2-3, you would put your chip down on the side-line of 1. These pay 11:1 if the ball comes to rest on your any of your street numbers.

A line bet can be placed by putting your chip on the adjoining edge where two numbers meet. So, if you wanted to place a line bet on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, you would put your chip down on the line that joins 1 and 4. These bets pay 5:1 if successful.

Finally, we have a bet type that is exclusive to American roulette: the five bet, or ‘basket’. This is a specific wager that combines the 00, 0, 1, 2 and 3 in a single bet that pays out 6:1. You can stake on the basket bet by placing a chip where the 0 is adjoined to the 1.

What’s the difference between American and European roulette?

There are really only a couple of differences between American roulette and its European counterpart. The American roulette wheel has 0 and 00 pockets, as we’ve established, whereas the European wheel only has 0. This means that in American roulette, we can place the basket bet, which is not available in the European version.

What’s the difference between American and French roulette?

The same differences between American and European roulette exist with the French version, with an extra little USP thrown in for good measure.

With the En Prison and La Partage rules, French roulette players have the chance to get their even-money stakes back – or at least reduce their loss by half. Read our guide to French roulette for more information on this.

FAQs

What is the layout of the American roulette wheel?

The American roulette wheel is laid out with 38 segments, with 18 numbered and coloured red and another 18 numbered and coloured black. The two remaining segments, 0 and 00, are green.

What bets can I place in American roulette?

There are two categories of bets that you can place in American roulette. The outside bets pay 1:1 – odd/even, red/black or high/low – while the ‘dozens’ wager pays 2:1. The inside bets allow you to wager on single or groups of numbers, with payouts of up to 35:1 available.

Where can I play American roulette games?

American roulette is, by definition, the most popular form of the game in casinos in the US. However, if you don’t have an American holiday booked, you can play roulette online right here at LeoVegas.