Roulette bets explained

The roulette layout: where inside and outside bets go

The betting layout is a grid of the numbers 1 to 36 in three columns of twelve rows, with zero (and on American tables, double zero) across the top. Read across a row and you get three consecutive numbers: 1-2-3, 4-5-6 and so on. Read down a column and the numbers rise in threes: 1, 4, 7 up to 34. Everything inside that grid is an inside bet. The boxes around the edge, for dozens, columns and the six even-money options, hold the outside bets.

Where you drop a chip decides which numbers it covers. Centred on a number, it backs that number alone. On a line between two numbers, it backs both. On the corner where four numbers meet, it backs all four. Online, the software highlights the covered numbers as you hover or tap, which makes placement much easier than at a physical table. The casino games hub links to each roulette version we cover, and the online roulette UK page explains how they differ.

Inside roulette bets explained one by one

A straight-up bet is the simplest and the most volatile: it wins 1 time in 37 on a single-zero wheel. A split bet can be horizontal (17/18) or vertical (17/20), and any two numbers that touch on the grid can be split, including 0 with 1, 2 or 3. A corner bet, sometimes called a square, needs four numbers that meet at one point, so 17-18-20-21 works but 17-18-19-20 does not.

Bets that include zero

Zero is a number like any other for inside bets. You can back it straight up at 35 to 1, split it with 1, 2 or 3, or use one of the special zero groupings.

• Trio or basket (single zero): 0-1-2 or 0-2-3, paying 11 to 1, like a street.
• First four (single zero): 0-1-2-3, paying 8 to 1, like a corner.
• 0/00 split (double zero): both zeros together, paying 17 to 1.
• Five-number or top line (double zero): 0-00-1-2-3, paying 6 to 1, with a 7.89% edge, the worst bet on the table. Our American roulette page explains why.

Outside bets never cover zero, which is why a zero result clears them from the table on standard rules. The zero glossary entry explains its role in the game's maths.

Outside roulette bets explained

The six even-money options are collectively called even-money bets. Glossary entries for the red/black bet, odd/even bet, dozen bet and column bet give quick definitions. On a French table with la partage, the even-money bets lose only half their stake when zero lands, a rule covered on our French roulette page.

Call bets and racetrack bets explained

Call bets, also called announced or racetrack bets, cover a slice of the wheel rather than a block of the grid. Numbers that sit next to each other on the wheel are scattered across the layout, so placing these by hand would take many chips. The racetrack panel does it with one click, using standard splits, streets, corners and straight-ups underneath.

• Voisins du zéro ('neighbours of zero'): the 17 numbers from 22 round to 25 on the wheel, including zero. Uses 9 chips.
• Tiers du cylindre ('third of the wheel'): the 12 numbers on the far side of the wheel from zero, 27 round to 33. Uses 6 chips, all on splits.
• Orphelins ('orphans'): the 8 numbers not covered by voisins or tiers, in two groups on the wheel (1, 20, 14, 31, 9 and 17, 34, 6). Uses 5 chips.
• Jeu zéro ('zero game'): a smaller zero section of 7 numbers (12, 35, 3, 26, 0, 32, 15). Uses 4 chips.
• Neighbours: any number plus the two numbers on each side of it on the wheel. Uses 5 straight-up chips.
• Finales: a straight-up on every number ending in a chosen digit, such as 3, 13, 23 and 33.

Because these are made of ordinary inside bets, each carries the standard edge. Payouts depend on which chip in the bundle wins. The voisins du zéro, tiers du cylindre, orphelins and neighbours bet glossary entries give the detail, and the chip-by-chip placement is set out on our European roulette page.

How to place roulette bets online, step by step

1. Check the table limits panel: minimum and maximum for inside bets, outside bets and the whole round.
2. Select a chip value from the tray. The value is what each click adds.
3. Tap or click the layout. Watch the highlighted numbers to confirm what the chip covers before moving on.
4. Repeat clicks to stack more chips on the same spot, or use the racetrack for call bets.
5. Use undo to remove the last chip, or clear to start again.
6. Check the total stake shown on screen, then confirm or press Spin before betting closes.
7. After the result, choose your next bets. Rebet repeats the last round's chips only when you press it; there is no autoplay at UK-licensed sites.

On live tables, bets placed after the timer closes are not accepted. Our walkthrough on how to play live roulette explains the timer and what happens if your connection drops.

Combining roulette bets: what changes and what doesn't

Many players spread chips across several bets to win more often. It works, in the sense that more rounds end with a win, but the edge on every chip stays the same, so the expected cost is simply 2.70% of your total stake on a single-zero wheel. Here are three common combinations, each with £20 staked per round.

The two-dozens bet wins nearly two rounds in three, but each win is half the size of each loss. The black-plus-column bet has four possible outcomes: the 4 black numbers in column 3 win both bets (+£30), the 8 red numbers in that column give a net +£10, the other 14 black numbers break even, and the remaining 11 pockets, zero included, lose both bets. Whichever shape you choose, the long-run cost is identical. Our roulette odds and payouts page shows how to calculate any combination yourself.

Which roulette bets suit which style of play

There is no 'best' bet on a single-zero table, only different trade-offs between how often you win and how much. Choosing well means matching the bet to your budget and how long you want to play.

• Longer sessions on a small budget: even-money bets give the smallest swings, because wins come close to half the time, so a fixed budget tends to last longer in practice.
• Fewer, larger outcomes: straight-up and split bets win rarely but pay 35 to 1 or 17 to 1, so expect long losing runs between hits.
• Middle ground: dozens, columns and six lines win about a third or a sixth of the time.
• Lowest cost: even-money bets on a French table with la partage, at 1.35%.

For a direct answer to the common question, see what is the best roulette bet. For setting a sensible budget, see casino bankroll basics.

Roulette betting systems and myths

Betting systems prescribe which bets to place and how to size them. None changes the odds. The Martingale system doubles even-money stakes after each loss; starting at £1, a run of seven losses means an eighth bet of £128 with £127 already lost, and a table limit may block it. Systems that cover 'most of the board', such as betting two dozens and a column, simply move money between bets with the same edge.

Two persistent myths: that some bets are 'safer' because they win more often (they also pay less), and that hot or cold numbers predict the next spin (each spin is independent). Our guides to casino betting systems and the gambler's fallacy cover both.

UK rules on how you place roulette bets

The Gambling Commission does not regulate which roulette bets you can make, but it does regulate how online games run. Since 17 January 2025, every online casino game at a licensed site must be started by the player, with no autoplay, and RNG table games must allow at least 5 seconds per game cycle, as set out in the Commission's speed of play decision (opens in a new tab). Your net position and session time must stay on screen. The online table game speed rules page has the detail.

Roulette has no legal stake cap in the UK; the £5 and £2 limits apply only to online slots. Table limits are set by the casino. If you want a hard ceiling on spending, set a deposit limit, which UK casinos must prompt you to do before your first deposit since 31 October 2025. Support is free and confidential through GamCare (opens in a new tab) on 0808 8020 133, and GAMSTOP (opens in a new tab) offers self-exclusion from all GB-licensed sites.

Where to try roulette bets at licensed UK casinos

Every bet on this page is available on standard single-zero tables, which most UK casino lobbies carry. Our partners are all licensed by the Gambling Commission; we do not claim particular tables at any of them, so check the roulette and live sections and each table's help screen. The PlayOJO live casino and Coral live casino pages summarise each operator's published details. Demo tables, available after age verification, are a good way to practise placement without staking money.

Offers checked 5 October 2026: Casumo's 50% bonus up to £100 needs a £20+ first deposit and 10x wagering on the bonus within 7 days, with a £5 maximum bet and game restrictions. PlayOJO's 80 spins on Big Bass Bonanza (10p each, £10+ first deposit, no wagering) and Coral's 100 spins at 10p for £10 staked on slots are slot-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.