Can you explain the differences between American and European roulette?
How is American roulette different from the European version? Why do so many Internet-based casinos have both?
2 Answers
In American roulette, there are two zeros (00) on the wheel, which increases the house’s advantage to 5.26%. In European roulette, there is only one zero on the wheel, reducing the casino’s advantage to just 2.7%. Adding that second zero in increases the number of potential outcomes when you place a bet, thus reducing your chance of success, which is why the house odds improve.
In addition, American wheels move the numbers around, thus altering the pace. For instance, the sequence of black and red is more random in America than on European wheels.
Both types of wheels are available on online casinos. Americans typically stick with the American option, while Europeans typically choose the single zero variant. Some sites even have “French” roulette with La Partage rule, which reduces the house advantage further. I would urge any player to play the version with which they feel more confident and comfortable, as it is a matter of both mathematics and strategy.
There’s little difference between American and European roulette, other than that American roulette uses two zeroes (0 and 00) – giving the house a 5.26% advantage – whereas European roulette has just one zero, which means the house takes only 2.7%. As it offers better odds to gamblers, European roulette is favoured on the Continent, but most internet sites offer both types of roulette to appeal to Americans as well as Europeans.