Roulette americaine casino

American roulette is one of the most popular casino games in Las Vegas and worldwide. Land-based casinos offering roulette provide a traditional gaming environment with a dealer or croupier. 

Legal online casinos offer a more unique and solitary experience, catering to players at the click of a ‘Spin’ button. Live dealer roulette options, available on a computer, laptop, smartphone, or mobile device connected to Wi-Fi, take the game to another level.

Here’s a look at the history, odds, payouts, betting strategies, and more for this classic, globally recognized casino game—American roulette.

What Exactly is American Roulette?

Roulette is a French word that means “little wheel.” In pre-modern-day France in the 17th century, Blaise Pascal, a mathematician, physicist, and inventor, accidentally created a rudimentary version of a roulette wheel.

In Pascal’s attempts to develop a perpetual motion machine, he invented a spinning wheel instead.

In the next few centuries, France experienced a period of cultural innovation and population growth as a colonial empire. After French explorers claimed land in the Americas, military expenditures weakened the empire.

Around 1842, François Blanc, a French casino operator and entrepreneur, created a roulette wheel with a single 0 pocket. King Charles III of Monaco, one of Blanc’s gambling clients, commissioned the game to help with the kingdom’s finances.

Thus, a modern version of roulette reached Monte Carlo long before it flourished in America.

Other Roulette Variations

What is the Difference Between American and European Roulette?

Adding a single zero to the roulette table layout gave casinos a better house edge, generating extra revenue.

Roulette, with a single zero, likely spread to North America via French ports, including New Orleans, a top gambling center in early America.

Today’s modern version of the American roulette wheel layout includes another pocket, double zero (00), for 38 numbers (1-36, 0, 00).

European roulette and French versions only contain a single 0 pocket, with 37 numbers (1-36, 0). Both games offer different roulette table layouts, impacting how bets get placed.

French roulette also provides “en prison” and “la partage” rules that lower the house edge by returning half a player’s wager on even-money bets (see below) if the ball lands on zero.

How do you play the American roulette game?

The American Roulette Wheel

American roulette expanded upon previous incarnations, making it one of the most popular casino games worldwide. Today, you’ll find plenty of excellent options to play American roulette online.

To get started, choose an American roulette game and enter the table or room. Then, you can select a chip denomination and place your wager. Click ‘Spin’ whenever you’re ready to begin a new round.

The American roulette wheel consists of alternating red and black numbers from 1-36. Two green slots on the wheel depict zero (0) and double zero (00). Those two slots, like consecutive and same color numbers, occupy opposite sides of the wheel, which determine the odds for the game.

You’ll see the 38 numbers on the American roulette wheel in the following sequence: 0, 2, 14, 35, 23, 4, 16, 33, 21, 6, 18, 31, 19, 8, 12, 29, 25, 10, 27, 00, 1, 13, 36, 24, 3, 15, 34, 22, 5, 17, 32, 20, 7, 11, 30, 26, 9, 28.

Let’s take a look at odds and payouts before you play American roulette.

Odds and Payouts in American Roulette

Compared to about 2.70% for its European counterpart, the house edge in American roulette is 5.26%. That higher probability, which favors casinos, comes from an extra number via a double zero pocket (00).

The formula for calculating payouts in roulette is 36 / Bet (possible outcomes) – 1 = Payout. For example, a bet on red/black or even/odd (each with 18 numbers) looks like this: 36 / 18 – 1 = 1. That means if you win one of those bets, the payout is 1:1.

To calculate winning percentage odds in American roulette, divide the bet (possible outcomes) by 38.

Bet Types in American Roulette

To play American roulette, there are two main types of bets—inside and outside. With lower payouts, outside bets cover half the possible outcomes for each spin of the roulette wheel. Inside bets pertain to individual numbers and lines within the roulette betting table, offering higher payouts.

Players may choose from various inside wagers on numbers ranging from 0, 00, and 1-36. Winning odds on those bets for American roulette start at 2.63% for a straight-up bet on a single number to 15.79% on a combination of six numbers.

With lower odds than outside bets, inside bets come with more risk—and better American roulette payouts. (Most online casinos offer lower wager limits for inside than outside chances.)

It’s advisable to first wager on outside bets to build up your bankroll. Then, you may want to use your profits to take some risk on inside wagers.

Here are the available options:

• Straight Up / Single Bet – Place your bet on any individual number for a potential payout of 35:1.

• Split Bet – Choose two adjacent numbers on the roulette betting table and place your wager on the line that connects them. This bet offers a payout of 17:1.

• Street Bet – Pick any of the 12 rows of three numbers and put your bet on the line at the top of the row for a payout of 11:1.

• Square or Corner Bet – Choose from 22 corners on the roulette betting table where four numbers intersect and place your bet there. You’ll receive a payout of 8:1 if you win.

• Basket or Top-Line Bet – In American roulette, you’ll get a 6:1 payout from a winning bet on five numbers (0, 00, 1, 2, 3) placed at the top of the intersection between 00 and 3.

• Double Street or Line Bet – Place your bet at the top of the line, which connects two streets for a combination of six numbers. This bet pays 5:1.

Outside bets in American roulette offer the best chances to win each round. Winning odds start at 31.58% for betting on 12 numbers simultaneously and go up to 47.37% for wagers on 18 numbers, like red or black.

Higher odds come with lower payouts. For beginners or smaller bankrolls, however, outside bets remain an excellent choice.

Here are the outside bets and their payouts:

• Red / Black – One of the most common bets in roulette—a wager on 18 numbers out of 38 on the American roulette wheel corresponds to alternating pockets of red and black. This bet pays even money, 1:1.

• Odd / Even – Another standard bet corresponding to odd and even numbers (1-36). Place your wager on either Even or Odd for a 1:1 payout.

• Low / High – Wager on Low (1-18) or High (19-36) numbers for a 1:1 payout.

• Column Bet – Broken down into three columns of 12 numbers, place your bet at the right-hand side of any column for a payout of 2:1.

• Dozen Bet – Another way of separating the roulette wheel into thirds, this wager pertains to 1st 12, 2nd 12, and 3rd 12. Pick the correct dozen to win a 2:1 payout.

More Roulette Resources

Tips for Playing American Roulette

One important thing to remember about American roulette is the game’s house edge of 5.26%. That extra pocket of double zero (00) gives the casino a significant advantage over European and French roulette, especially compared to other games like baccarat, blackjack, and slots.

Here are a few simple tips for playing American roulette online for real money to ensure an entertaining experience.

American Roulette Strategies

Having a strategy when playing American roulette helps keep your bankroll intact. The most common betting method for roulette is the Martingale strategy on outside bets.

In the Martingale system, you start with one unit and double your bet size whenever you lose. When you win a round, you go back to your initial wager.

For example, say you bet $1 on red and lose. Then, you’d bet $2, $4, $8, $16, etc. Once you win, you go back to $1.

The Martingale betting strategy on outside bets helps to advance your profits, albeit in small increments.

Other common roulette strategies include the D’Alembert betting system and the Parlay. These two betting strategies offer players a more conservative Martingale method or inverse, where you increase your bet when you win and revert to your original wager when you lose.

Remember that the odds in American roulette remain the same for each spin, so looking for patterns might be costly.

For more advanced players or those with a bigger bankroll, there are also the following different roulette strategies:

More Roulette Strategies

Practice Free Versions

Among the latest trends in online casinos is social gaming. Plenty of safe options exist to play American roulette online for free.

Check to see if your favorite online casino offers demo versions of American roulette before playing for real money. That way, you can get a feel for the game, chip denominations, table limits, speed, ambiance, and more.

Take some time to see what betting methods might work best for your bankroll—without any risk.

Keep a Budget

Gambling should be entertaining. To keep yourself from losing too much money, it’s always wise to stick to a budget.

One of the first rules of gambling is to make sure you’re willing to lose whatever you spend. At best, gambling might generate secondary income. So it would be best if you don’t risk anything you can’t afford to lose.

It would help if you also had a goal regarding how much money you’d like to wager and win each time you play. Envision realistic goals, then set aside disposable money each week or month.

Maintaining your budget works best when sticking to wagers worth 1% – 5% of your bankroll. For example, if you’ve got a $100 budget, you’d wager anywhere from $1 – $5 each round.

Using the Martingale system with a $100 bankroll and starting with a $1 bet leaves some room to deal with a losing streak.

Finally, it’s always essential when gambling to know when to stop and walk away!

Sticking to a budget helps to maintain discipline and your bankroll.

American Roulette Conclusions

American roulette is a classic game at any casino, and with a bit of knowledge and strategy, it can be rewarding and fun. Its popularity derives from its wide availability, including various options from the industry’s top software developers and gambling companies.

Online casinos like BetMGM, Caesars Palace, bet365, and FanDuel offer dozens of American roulette titles, like First Person American Roulette, American Auto Roulette, sports-themed tables, and live dealer options. You can also choose between American or European roulette.

To learn more about roulette, check out our expert guides on European and French versions, along with in-depth breakdowns of the top betting strategies.

American Roulette FAQs

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