Live Roulette Explained: Inside Bets, Outside Bets and Wheel Types
2026-10-09
Live Roulette Explained: Inside Bets, Outside Bets and Wheel Types
Live roulette online is the same game you'd find at a casino table: a real wheel, a real ball and a dealer, streamed on video. The rules are simple. What decides how much you lose on average is which wheel you're playing and which bets you choose. This guide covers every bet with its payout, why an American wheel roughly doubles the house edge, and what changes when the dealer is on a screen.
Key points
- European wheel: 37 pockets (1-36 plus 0). House edge 2.70% on every standard bet.
- American wheel: 38 pockets (adds 00). House edge 5.26%, and 7.89% on the five-number bet.
- Inside bets (single numbers, small groups) pay more and hit less often. Outside bets (red/black, dozens) hit more often and pay less.
- French la partage returns half of an even-money bet when 0 lands, which cuts that bet's edge to 1.35%.
No betting system changes the edge.
European vs American roulette: one pocket, double the edge
Roulette payouts assume 36 numbers. The zero pockets are where the house edge comes from. A European wheel adds one zero, and an American wheel adds a double zero as well (Wizard of Odds).
| European | American | French (la partage) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pockets | 37 (0, 1-36) | 38 (0, 00, 1-36) | 37 |
| House edge, standard bets | 2.70% | 5.26% | 2.70% |
| House edge, even-money bets | 2.70% | 5.26% | 1.35% |
| Average cost per 1,000 units wagered | 27 | 52.6 | 13.5 (even-money only) |
Same game, same payouts, but the American wheel costs almost twice as much on average. If both are offered, the European or French wheel is always the cheaper one to play.
Roulette bets explained: inside bets
Inside bets go on specific numbers on the layout. Payouts are identical on both wheels, and only the chance of winning changes.
| Bet | Numbers covered | Payout | Win chance (European) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight up | 1 | 35 to 1 | 2.70% |
| Split | 2 | 17 to 1 | 5.41% |
| Street | 3 | 11 to 1 | 8.11% |
| Corner | 4 | 8 to 1 | 10.81% |
| Six line | 6 | 5 to 1 | 16.22% |
| Five-number (American only: 0, 00, 1, 2, 3) | 5 | 6 to 1 | 13.16% (American); edge 7.89% |
Outside bets and their payouts
| Bet | Numbers covered | Payout | Win chance (European) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red / Black | 18 | 1 to 1 | 48.65% |
| Odd / Even | 18 | 1 to 1 | 48.65% |
| Low (1-18) / High (19-36) | 18 | 1 to 1 | 48.65% |
| Dozen | 12 | 2 to 1 | 32.43% |
| Column | 12 | 2 to 1 | 32.43% |
When 0 lands, every outside bet loses, except under la partage (half back) or en prison (the bet is held for the next spin) on French tables (Wizard of Odds).
Payout vs true odds: where the edge hides
| Bet | Pays | Would need to pay to be fair (European) | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight up | 35 to 1 | 36 to 1 | 1 unit per win |
| Split | 17 to 1 | 17.5 to 1 | 0.5 |
| Dozen | 2 to 1 | 2.08 to 1 | 0.08 |
| Red / Black | 1 to 1 | 1.06 to 1 | 0.06 |
Every bet is short-paid by the same proportion, so the edge is 2.70% whichever bet you pick. Mixing bets changes how bumpy the results are, not what they cost on average.
What changes when you play live roulette online
| Live dealer | RNG (digital) | |
|---|---|---|
| Wheel | Physical wheel on camera | Random number generator |
| Speed | Set by the dealer; a betting timer runs each spin | As fast as you click |
| Variants | European, French, American, plus game-show variants with multipliers | Usually standard wheels |
| Payouts | Standard, but multiplier variants change the straight-up payout | Standard |
Multiplier variants pay less than 35 to 1 on normal straight-up wins in exchange for occasional large multipliers. Check the game's paytable before comparing it with standard roulette. Betin Exchange lists roulette alongside its other live dealer games.
Setting a session budget
- Choose a European or French wheel over an American one if both are offered.
- At 2.70%, 1,000 units of total bets costs about 27 units on average. Speed of play matters, because fast tables mean more units wagered per hour.
- Martingale and other systems cannot beat a fixed edge. They also run into table limits.
- Decide your stop point, for losses and for time, before the first spin.
FAQ
Which roulette wheel has better odds?
The European (single-zero) wheel. Its house edge is 2.70%, compared with 5.26% on the American double-zero wheel. French tables with la partage lower the edge on even-money bets to 1.35%.
What is the safest roulette bet?
Even-money outside bets such as red/black win most often (48.65% on a European wheel), so results are steadier. They do not have a lower house edge than other bets, except on French tables with la partage.
Is live roulette fair?
Live roulette uses a physical wheel and a dealer on camera. Fairness depends on the operator and game provider being licensed and audited. The house edge is built into the payouts, not into the wheel.
What is the difference between inside and outside bets?
Inside bets cover one to six specific numbers and pay 5 to 1 up to 35 to 1. Outside bets cover 12 or 18 numbers and pay 1 to 1 or 2 to 1. The house edge is the same on a European wheel.
Before you play
Casino games are for adults aged 18 and over. Laws on online gaming differ by country and by state. In India, the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 prohibits online money games, and its Rules have been in force since 1 May 2026 (PIB, 2026). Check the laws that apply where you live, and read our responsible gaming policy.
New to betting terms? See the beginner's guide to sports betting.