French roulette

What French roulette is and why the rules matter

The wheel in French roulette is identical to the one in European roulette: numbers 1 to 36 and a single green zero. The difference lies in what happens to the six even-money bets (red, black, odd, even, 1–18 and 19–36) when zero comes up. On a standard European table they simply lose. On a French table, one of two rules softens the blow.

That one adjustment makes French roulette the cheapest standard roulette game for players who stick to even-money bets. It is offered online at many UK casinos, both as software and as live tables streamed from studios. Our casino games hub covers the other wheels, and the online roulette UK guide compares all of them.

La partage: how French roulette halves your loss on zero

La partage means 'sharing'. If you have an even-money bet on the table and the ball lands on zero, the casino takes half your stake and returns the other half. Nothing else changes: a winning even-money bet still pays 1 to 1, and a losing one on any non-zero number is lost in full.

Here is how that plays out on a £10 bet on red over 37 typical spins. Red comes up 18 times, paying £10 each time (£180 profit). Black comes up 18 times, costing £180. Zero comes up once, costing £5 instead of £10. Net result: £5 lost on £370 staked, an edge of 1.35%. On a European table the same 37 spins cost £10, so the rule halves your average cost.

En prison: the alternative zero rule

En prison means 'in prison'. When zero lands, your even-money stake is not split; it is held on the table for the next spin. If the next spin wins for your bet, the stake is released back to you without winnings. If it loses, the stake goes. Under the simplest version, the outcome averages out to the same 1.35% edge as la partage, though the money is tied up for an extra round.

Some rule sets add detail, such as what happens if zero lands again while a stake is imprisoned. Those variations shift the edge only slightly, but they do exist, so read the help screen of the game you are playing. Online, la partage is the more common rule because it settles in a single round; Evolution's description of its live French Roulette, for example, names la partage.

Neither rule applies to inside bets, dozens or columns. A straight-up bet on 17 still loses in full when zero lands, and still carries the 2.70% edge.

The French roulette layout: terms you will see

French tables often keep the traditional French labels on the betting area. The grid of numbers is the same as on any single-zero table, but the outside bets are named and sometimes positioned differently, with even-money boxes on both sides of the number grid.

For a plain-English walk-through of every bet and where to put the chip, see roulette bets explained.

How to play French roulette online, step by step

1. Choose a table labelled French roulette and open its help screen. Confirm whether it uses la partage or en prison, and note the RTP figures for each bet type.
2. Check the table limits on the lobby card or the table itself.
3. Select a chip value and place even-money bets on rouge, noir, pair, impair, manque or passe if you want the reduced edge.
4. Add any other bets you want, such as a dozen or a cheval, knowing they carry the standard 2.70% edge.
5. Use the racetrack for announced bets if the table shows one; the game places the chips and totals the stake.
6. Confirm before the betting timer ends or press Spin on an RNG table.
7. If zero lands, look for the half-stake return (la partage) or the imprisoned chip (en prison) on your even-money bets.

Announced bets on French roulette tables

French roulette is closely tied to announced or 'call' bets, which cover sections of the wheel rather than areas of the grid. Online, you place them through a racetrack panel. The three classic sectors are voisins du zéro (17 numbers around zero), tiers du cylindre (the 12 numbers opposite) and orphelins (the 8 'orphan' numbers left over). Two further announcements are common on French tables:

• Jeu zéro: a smaller zero-section bet using 4 chips to cover 12, 35, 3, 26, 0, 32 and 15.
• Finales en plein: a straight-up chip on every number ending in the same digit. Finale 4, for example, covers 4, 14, 24 and 34 with 4 chips; finale 7 covers 7, 17 and 27 with 3 chips.
• Neighbours (voisins): a chosen number plus two numbers either side of it on the wheel, using 5 chips.

All of these are bundles of inside bets, so they carry the standard 2.70% edge. La partage does not apply to them. Our neighbours bet glossary entry explains that one in more detail.

French roulette vs European and American roulette

If you mainly play red or black, the French table is clearly cheaper. If you mainly play numbers, French and European cost the same, and the choice comes down to table limits, pace and presentation. Our American roulette page explains why the double-zero wheel is the most expensive, and roulette odds and payouts shows the full working.

Systems and myths at the French roulette table

A lower edge is still an edge. A staking pattern built around even-money bets, such as the Martingale system, costs less on a French table only because each pound staked costs less. It does not turn a negative game into a positive one. The same applies to the 'D'Alembert' and 'Labouchère' progressions, which have French names but no special effect on French roulette.

One myth is that la partage makes zero 'safe' to ignore. It does not: on a non-even-money bet, zero still costs you the full stake. Another is that numbers in the zero sector come up more often. Every pocket has the same 1 in 37 chance. More on why patterns mislead is in our guide to the gambler's fallacy.

UK rules that apply to French roulette

French roulette at a Gambling Commission-licensed casino follows the standard rules for online casino games. Since 17 January 2025, RNG versions must allow at least 5 seconds per game cycle and no casino game can offer autoplay; your net position and elapsed time must also stay visible, as set out in the remote gambling and software technical standards (opens in a new tab). Age and identity checks have been needed before any play, including demos, since May 2019, and credit cards have been banned for gambling since 14 April 2020.

Since 19 January 2026, any bonus you play with cannot require more than 10x wagering under the 10x wagering cap. Roulette is often excluded from bonus wagering or counted at a reduced rate, so check the terms before playing French roulette with bonus funds. The game design rules page lists the full set of display and speed requirements.

Budgeting for French roulette and getting help

With a 1.35% edge on even-money bets, £1 bets for 100 rounds have an average cost of £1.35. That figure is small, but it is an average; your real result after 100 rounds could easily be £10 or more either side. Decide your budget and session length before you start, and use a deposit limit to hold yourself to it.

If gambling is causing problems, the National Gambling Helpline is free and open 24/7 on 0808 8020 133, and GAMSTOP (opens in a new tab) lets you block yourself from all GB-licensed gambling sites. Our page on free gambling support in the UK lists other services.

Where to play French roulette at licensed UK casinos

Each of our partner casinos holds a Gambling Commission licence. Lobbies change often, so we do not claim that any particular partner has a French table today; look in the roulette or live casino section and check the help screen for la partage. Our profiles of PlayOJO's live casino and Casumo's live casino summarise each operator's published details.

Current offers (checked 5 October 2026): Casumo's 50% bonus up to £100 needs a £20 first deposit, 10x wagering on the bonus within 7 days and a £5 maximum bet, with game restrictions. PlayOJO gives 80 no-wagering spins on Big Bass Bonanza for a £10+ first deposit, and Coral gives 100 spins at 10p after you bet £10 on slots. The spins are for slots only. 18+, terms apply.

18+. Gambling should be entertainment that costs money, not a way to make it. Set a deposit limit before you play: how to set deposit limits. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.