Roulette odds and payouts

Roulette odds and payouts at a glance

The table below is the reference most players need: what each bet pays, and how likely it is to win on each type of wheel. Probabilities are per spin. Whatever version you play, from the plain European roulette table to Lightning Roulette, check the game's help screen for its own payouts, since some variants change them.

For what each bet looks like on the layout, see roulette bets explained. This page focuses on the numbers.

How roulette payouts are calculated

Every standard roulette payout comes from one formula: divide 36 by the number of pockets your bet covers, then subtract 1 for your returned stake. A split covers 2 numbers, so 36 ÷ 2 − 1 = 17, which is why it pays 17 to 1. A dozen covers 12, so 36 ÷ 12 − 1 = 2. The formula would give perfectly fair odds on a wheel with 36 pockets and no zero. Real wheels have 37 or 38, so every payout is a little short of fair.

1. Count the numbers your bet covers (n).
2. Work out the payout: (36 ÷ n) − 1 to 1.
3. Work out the true odds against winning: (pockets − n) ÷ n to 1, using 37 or 38 pockets.
4. Work out the win chance: n ÷ pockets.
5. Compare: the gap between the true odds and the payout is the casino's margin on that bet.

True odds vs payout odds in roulette

'Odds' can mean two things, and mixing them up is a common source of confusion. True odds describe how likely a bet is to lose versus win. Payout odds describe what the casino pays if it wins. In roulette the payout is always slightly lower than the true odds, which is the whole business model. Our explainer on casino odds covers the same idea across other games.

In British bookmaker style, 35 to 1 is written 35/1. The equivalent decimal price, which includes the stake, is 36.0. An even-money bet is 1/1 or 2.0 in decimal.

Roulette house edge: the maths in pounds

The house edge is the average share of each stake the casino keeps. You can derive it from any bet. Take a £1 straight-up bet on a single-zero wheel. It wins 1 time in 37 and returns £36 (£35 plus the stake). Over 37 average spins, you stake £37 and get back £36. The missing £1 is 1 ÷ 37 = 2.70% of your stakes.

Run the same calculation on a dozen bet. It wins 12 times in 37, returning £3 each time: £36 back from £37 staked. Same 2.70%. Every standard bet on a single-zero wheel gives the same answer, because every payout is built on the same 36-pocket formula. On a double-zero wheel, £38 staked returns £36, a 2 ÷ 38 = 5.26% edge. The five-number bet is the outlier: 5 wins in 38 returning £7 each gives £35 from £38, or 7.89%.

The French figure comes from la partage, which returns half of an even-money stake when zero lands. Our French roulette page shows the working, and the RTP explainer shows how RTP and house edge mirror each other.

Expected value examples for common roulette bets

Expected value is the average result per bet over a very long run. It is the same for every bet on a single-zero table, but the way you get there is very different.

• £10 on red, European wheel: 18 in 37 chance of +£10, 19 in 37 chance of −£10. Expected value: (18 × 10 − 19 × 10) ÷ 37 = −£0.27.
• £10 on a single number, European wheel: 1 in 37 chance of +£350, 36 in 37 chance of −£10. Expected value: (350 − 360) ÷ 37 = −£0.27.
• £10 on a dozen, American wheel: 12 in 38 chance of +£20, 26 in 38 chance of −£10. Expected value: (240 − 260) ÷ 38 = −£0.53.
• £10 on red, French wheel with la partage: −£10 becomes −£5 when zero lands. Expected value: (180 − 180 − 5) ÷ 37 = −£0.14.

Same average, very different experience. The red bettor wins nearly half the time; the single-number bettor loses 36 rounds in 37 but occasionally collects 35 times the stake. That spread is variance, and it is why two players with identical expected losses can walk away with very different results.

Roulette streak odds: how often runs really happen

Runs of the same colour look meaningful but are a normal feature of random results. The table shows the chance that a specific even-money outcome, say red, lands several times in a row on a single-zero wheel.

Five reds in a row has about a 1 in 37 chance from any starting spin, so over an hour of 60 or more spins it is quite likely to show up at least once. A run of ten looks extraordinary but, across thousands of tables, happens many times a day. The probability of the next spin being red is still 18 in 37 regardless of what came before. That is the gambler's fallacy in a sentence.

How likely is your number to come up in a session?

A single number has a 2.70% chance per spin on a single-zero wheel. Over several spins, the chance of it landing at least once grows, but more slowly than many players expect.

Notice that 37 spins, the 'average' gap between hits, gives only about a 64% chance of seeing your number at all. With £1 straight-up bets, more than a third of players will go 37 spins and lose £37 without a single hit. Our page asking can you predict roulette explains why no method improves those figures.

Roulette odds compared with other casino games

Roulette's edge is fixed by the wheel, so it is simple to compare. Standard figures from published game maths put single-zero roulette in the middle of the table-game range: cheaper than most slots and game shows, dearer than blackjack played with basic strategy or the banker bet in baccarat. Exact figures depend on the rules of each game, and the help screen shows the live number.

• Online blackjack: often below 1% with good rules and basic strategy, much more with poor play.
• Online baccarat: around 1.06% on banker and 1.24% on player under common rules.
• Slots: the RTP is set per game and published in its help screen; see our high RTP slots guide.
• Game shows and multiplier games: usually below plain European roulette; check each help screen.

For a ranked list, see which casino games have the best odds. A reliable reference for roulette maths, including rare rule variations, is the Wizard of Odds roulette guide (opens in a new tab).

UK rules that affect roulette odds and how they are shown

UK rules do not set roulette payouts; the game design does. What the rules control is fairness, transparency and pace. Games supplied to Gambling Commission licensees must meet the remote gambling and software technical standards (opens in a new tab), which require information about the game, such as rules and return to player, to be available to players. Our RTP display rules page explains what must be shown.

Since 17 January 2025, RNG roulette must allow at least 5 seconds per game cycle and no autoplay, and your net position must stay on screen. None of these change the odds, but they slow the rate at which the edge accumulates and make your running result visible. Our game design rules page lists every requirement and date.

Using roulette odds to plan a budget

Turn the edge into a session cost before you play. Multiply your stake by the rounds you expect, then by the edge. £2 a round for 80 rounds on a European wheel is £160 staked, with an expected cost of about £4.32. That is the average, not a cap: results will vary much more than that either way. Set a deposit limit and a time limit to match, and treat what you spend as the price of entertainment. If it stops feeling that way, the National Gambling Helpline is free on 0808 8020 133.

Where to find the best roulette odds at licensed UK casinos

The best odds come from choosing the wheel, not the casino: a single-zero table, ideally French with la partage for even-money bets. Our partners are all licensed by the Gambling Commission; we do not claim specific tables at any of them, so check the roulette lobby and each help screen. Our online roulette UK guide lists the versions to look for, and the Casumo live casino page covers that operator's published details.

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