Standard European roulette has 37 pockets, including one zero. Standard American roulette has 38, including zero and double zero. With the same standard payouts, the extra pocket increases the house edge.
The important differences
| Feature | European | American |
|---|---|---|
| Pockets | 1–36 and 0 | 1–36, 0 and 00 |
| Single-number probability | 1/37, about 2.70% | 1/38, about 2.63% |
| Standard single-number profit | 35 to 1 | 35 to 1 |
| Standard house edge | About 2.70% | About 5.26% |
These figures assume a fair wheel, standard payouts and no special rules. American five-number bets and modified or multiplier variants require separate calculations. Evolution’s American Roulette documentation identifies the double-zero format; it does not establish which games Felistra currently offers.
Why another zero matters
Place a hypothetical 1-unit straight-up bet on number 17. On a standard European wheel, one outcome gives a 35-unit profit and 36 outcomes lose the unit. Expected profit is (35 − 36) ÷ 37 = −1/37, or approximately −0.027 units per unit staked. On an American wheel, the same payout competes with 37 losing outcomes: (35 − 37) ÷ 38 = −2/38, approximately −0.0526 units.
This is a mathematical average, not what a particular spin deducts. Your actual outcome is the winning payout or loss according to the bet.
Red and black are not fifty-fifty
Both standard wheels contain 18 red and 18 black pockets. Zero is neither. A red bet therefore wins on 18 of 37 European outcomes or 18 of 38 American outcomes. The standard profit is even money, but the probability is below 50%.
Read the table rules
Some single-zero games use rules such as la partage on eligible even-money bets, returning half the stake when zero appears. Other variants change number payouts or add features. Do not assume the title “European” includes every favourable rule, or that a visually familiar table uses standard payouts.
Check minimum and maximum stakes, the total on the layout and the settlement rules before confirming a bet. Spreading chips changes which outcomes pay; it does not remove the house edge. Increasing stakes after a loss cannot guarantee recovery and can reach a spending or table limit quickly.