European vs American roulette
Same payouts, different odds
| Bet | Pays | Win % EU | Win % US | Edge EU | Edge US |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Straight Up | 35:1 | 2.70% | 2.63% | 2.70% | 5.26% |
| Split | 17:1 | 5.41% | 5.26% | 2.70% | 5.26% |
| Corner | 8:1 | 10.81% | 10.53% | 2.70% | 5.26% |
| Dozen | 2:1 | 32.43% | 31.58% | 2.70% | 5.26% |
| Red | 1:1 | 48.65% | 47.37% | 2.70% | 5.26% |
Why America has two zeros
Early European wheels themselves carried 0 and 00 — single-zero was Bad Homburg’s 1843 marketing coup to undercut rival spas, and Europe followed. America kept the older layout, so “American” roulette is simply the pre-reform wheel. One US mercy exists: Atlantic City’s half-back rule refunds half of even-money bets on 0/00, trimming those bets to 2.63% — the closest America gets to la partage.
Same felt, same speed, one decision
Layouts, chips, rituals — identical. Nothing about the American table plays “bigger”; the extra pocket is pure price, which is why this is the rare casino comparison with a clean answer instead of a trade-off.
And the US wheel hides one extra trap: the five-number basket at 7.89%. French rules go the other way — la partage halves even-money cost to 1.35%.