Roulette House Edge Explained
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You probably heard your friends say that the house/casino always wins in roulette, no matter how you bet. At CasinoAlpha NZ, we decided to break down this phenomenon by showing you how the concept of “house edge” is a determinant factor in your roulette session. Assuming you already know how to play roulette, we will not focus too much on the origins of the roulette game.
On the contrary, we will dive deep into the matter by showing you how the house edge will always be a negative factor for you and a positive factor for the casino you decided to play roulette. So, this guide will explain the roulette house edge, how it works, and why it’s an essential concept you should know and understand.
Additionally, our roulette specialist, Cosmin Brehoi, will show you how to change the odds by using betting methods based on math that will lower the house percentage. You will learn about Martingale, D’Alembert, James Bond, Fibonacci and more. We believe that if you start using those roulette betting systems, you will also be ahead of the house and achieve a high level of discipline that will prevent irresponsible gambling.
You will see the house edge on every live dealer casino game type: blackjack and baccarat. With this in mind, understanding the roulette house edge will give you a plus in your future sessions.
- House Advantage Roulette Value
- The Roulette House Edge Depending on Variations
- Roulette House Edge vs Other Games
- How to Find the Best House Edge Roulette in New Zealand
House Advantage Roulette Value
Roulette is a casino table game with one of the lowest house edges in the niche.
How does the house advantage work?
- Casino games’ edges are expressed as a fraction of players’ losses over time.
- Thus, the casino takes its share of all New Zealand players’ bets, ensuring consistent profits.
- The balance sheet will always be positive despite occasionally paying out significant wins.
The casino advantage for roulette is directly related to the green-coloured number 0, in place to prevent gamblers from having a 50/50 chance on even-money bets.
Note that NZ online casinos usually display it in the game’s description to boost the transparency level.
What if there was no zero?
- New Zealand players could bet on Red/Black and the other even-money bets at perfectly round 50% odds – it’s one of the reasons red and black roulette strategies work.
- That, in turn, would allow guaranteed profits from the Martingale roulette strategy.
- To profit, casinos add an element of disruption to even-money bets – the number zero.
- The casino edge increases with any added zero, as in double-zero or triple-zero.
How to Calculate the Roulette House Advantage
See the example below if you want to learn how to calculate the roulette house advantage.
Let’s say you place a $1 bet on each number on the game wheel.
You will have placed $37 worth of bets: $18 on black spots, $18 on red spots, and $1 on green zero.
Because all of them are straight-up bets, the casino gives you 35/1 odds, meaning you stand to win $35 for each wager, plus get your $1 stake back.
Increase the number of hands you play, and the difference will get more prominent.
The basic formula to calculate the casino’s edge
- You divide your initial bet of $1 by the number of spots.
- You get something equivalent to 1/37 or 0.27.
- Then you multiply the result by 100 and obtain a mean edge of 2.70%.
The Roulette House Edge Depending on Variations
The roulette house edge will vary depending on the game version you are playing. Read our exploration of the types of roulette available to New Zealand gamblers before picking a game.
European Roulette House Edge
Many new NZ players think they have a 50/50 chance to win, since you have equal numbers in Red/Black, High/Low, Even/Odd pairs.
That’s best achieved by the European variant.
The European roulette house advantage is the smallest compared to all the other variations, because it only features one green zero on the wheel.
Without the zero, you’d be facing odds of 18/36 for even-money bets. However, when the zero pocket is added, the odds shift to 18/37.
Players from New Zealand thus have 2.70% fewer chances of winning any even-money wager.
But the same goes for various other betting odds, especially straight-ups.
French Roulette Rules
The French variant is pretty similar to its European counterpart in terms of the roulette house edge. However, when played the French way, roulette exhibits some unique rules which can cut the casino advantage in half.
One of them is the La Partage rule
The rule holds for even-money wagers and states that you may get half of your stake back if the ball lands on zero.
In this case, the house advantage drops from 2.70% to 1.35%, the lowest in the game.
The other one is En Prison
En Prison literally translates to ‘in prison’. Your even-money wager is metaphorically held hostage until the next spin should the ball land on zero.
La Partage and En Prison Explained
- Suppose you bet $100 on Red.
- The spin’s result is zero.
- The dealer then asks you if you want half of your stake back (La Partage).
- Suppose you deny their proposition.
- In that case, your $100 is marked as En Prison.
- Land-based casinos and live casinos may differ in how they mark your bet.
- However, should the result of the next spin be a Red number, you get all your stake back.
American Roulette House Edge
The American roulette house edge is higher than its European counterpart. Moreover, you can see the perfect difference if you check our memorable showdown between European and American Roulette.
While most rules are the same, the number ordering is different.
Moreover, the extra double-zero pocket on the wheel raises the casino advantage for this variant to 5.26%.
Even-money bet odds
With two more numbers on the wheel, the odds for even-money bets shift.
In the European version, you stand a chance of 48.6% to win an even-money bet.
Comparatively, with American variants, your winning percentage falls to 47.4%.
Betting on Dozens
The same slight difference can be observed when you bet on dozens.
This is one of the New Zealand players’ favourites when betting on top roulette casinos, because choosing the right dozen of numbers returns a guaranteed 2/1 payout.
If you play European variations, your chances to hit the correct dozen are 32.43%.
In the American double-zero variation, your chances drop to 31.58%.
Zero House Edge Roulette
A zero-house advantage game is a pretty rare find.
In fact, it would simply be absurd for casinos to feature a no-zero-roulette, because the number zero (or double-zero in the American version) is where they get their profits from!
Triple Zero Roulette House Advantage
As explained before, more zero fields entail a greater casino advantage.
Consequently, the triple-zero-roulette house advantage is the highest among all variations.
Triple zero roulette odds
- When placing even-money bets in this variation, your chances drop because there are more numbers overall on the wheel.
- With this kind of wager, your winning numbers are always 18 out of 39. Thus, your chances also fall to 46.15%.
- Choose another variant as your main game!
- In triple-zero-roulette, the odds are stacked against you. It can go from bad to worse if you don’t understand the logic behind casino advantage and place multiple bets.
- Even the American wheel would be a better option.
- Find all the reasons you need to go for a single-zero variant from our guide on European Roulette casinos online.
Mini Roulette House Advantage
Mini-roulette is the game’s miniature version.
Instead of 36 numbers plus the zero or double-zero, this wheel consists of 12 spots plus a green zero.
Mini roulette is not what it seems
- Inexperienced New Zealand players might believe that less numbers means better odds.
- That’s not entirely true.
- The mini-roulette house advantage is 3.85%, which is lower than the American variant.
- But, again, if you want the best odds, you’re best served by the European wheel.
Roulette House Edge vs Other Games
| Casino game type | Casino advantage |
|---|---|
| European Roulette | 2.70% |
| American Roulette | 5.26% |
| Baccarat | 1.06 – 1.24% |
| Blackjack | ~0.50 – 2% |
| Sic-Bo | 2.78% |
As a general rule of thumb, with each new bet you place, you get closer to the average casino edge.
House Advantages Visualised
To make things even simpler, check out the graph below for a visual representation of the most widely-played casino game types and their associated casino edge.
How to Find the Best House Edge Roulette in New Zealand
- Avoid roulettes with double-zero and triple-zero spots.
- If you are a new player, start with a European wheel to get the hang of the game.
- Play on a top European roulette casino site for verified casino authenticity and fair odds. Find everything about roulette odds in 2024.
- Look for French variants or other games allowing French call bets.
- Applying all these steps will reduce the edge to approximately 1.5-2.7%.
- Don’t forget to apply consistent bankroll management.
- Place small bets, and never go all in. Beginners should review our betting strategies.
- Remember that you’re better off placing even-money bets rather than straight-ups.
- Learn how to use mathematical betting systems to change the house edge. For example, if you want a negative progressive betting system, check our article on Fibonacci.
- If you want to minimise your losses for good, another roulette strategy that many pro players are using is the D’Alembert Strategy. However, this method will not guarantee you a winning streak but will help your bankroll management in the long term.
F.A.Q.
Why does roulette favour the house?
In all cases, the casino gives out a 35:1 payout; however, with the addition of one, two, or three zero spots, those odds shift towards the casino. The chances of losing your bet are raised since there are 37 or 38 spots on the wheel, from which only one will bring you a win.
How does the house always win in roulette?
They have a statistical advantage over you due to the number 0. Suppose you place a chip on a specific colour, red or black. The house wins your stake when the ball lands on a different colour. However, the house also wins due to that 2.7% edge that they take from any bet.
What is the roulette house edge?
Depending on the version you play, the edge changes.
For European roulettes, the edge is 2.70%, while American versions imply a 5.26% casino advantage. Other game versions include mini-roulette, with a built-in 3.85% edge.
How do you calculate house edge in roulette?
To calculate the edge, you must divide the single bet by the number of spots on the wheel and then multiply that number by 100.
As a player, is it possible to get an edge in roulette?
There are various ways to get an edge, but none of them work in the long run. Your best bet is to play it for fun and stop thinking about beating the game.
What game has the lowest casino advantage?
Blackjack is known for its 0.5% casino edge when played with a perfectly sound strategy, and 1.5% in the rest. The European roulette wheel is not so far, clocking at 2.7%.
