Three Wheels, One Big Difference
Search for roulette and you will meet three names: European, American and French. They look similar on screen, but they are not the same game. The difference that matters most is the number of zeros on the wheel, because the zeros are the source of the house edge. This guide explains each version so you can pick a wheel on purpose.
European Roulette
A European wheel has 37 pockets: the numbers 1 to 36 and a single green zero. Every bet is priced as if there were 36 numbers, so the zero is what gives the casino its mathematical edge. With one zero in 37 pockets, the house edge is 2.70%. That is the standard figure for any single-zero wheel, and it is a fact of the maths, not a claim about any one operator.
European tables are the default in most live lobbies and are a sensible starting point for a new player. The layout is simple: a grid of numbers with outside bets such as red or black, odd or even, and dozens along the edge.
American Roulette
An American wheel has 38 pockets, because it adds a double zero next to the single zero. The payouts do not change, so a straight-up bet still pays 35 to 1, but there are now 38 ways to lose a number bet instead of 37. That lifts the house edge to 5.26%, almost double the European figure.
In practice this means the same stake tends to run out sooner on the American wheel over a long session. Nothing about the table looks more generous to make up for it. If a lobby offers both and the limits are similar, the European wheel is the better value, and our roulette wheels page lays the two side by side.
French Roulette
French roulette uses the same 37-pocket single-zero wheel as the European game, so the base house edge is the same 2.70%. The differences are in the layout and the rules. The table is labelled in French, the wheel sits at one end, and the dealer may use French terms for bets.
The more interesting feature is how even-money bets are treated when the ball lands on zero. Under a rule called La Partage, an even-money bet such as red or black loses only half its stake on zero. Under En Prison, the bet is held for the next spin, and if it wins it is returned without profit. Either rule cuts the house edge on even-money bets to roughly 1.35%.
These are general rules of French roulette. Not every French table uses them, and we cannot tell you which rule applies to a specific Rexbet table. Read the game rules or help panel before you place a chip.
Which Wheel Should You Choose
- Choose European if you want a simple layout and the lower single-zero house edge.
- Choose French if the table states La Partage or En Prison and you mostly bet even-money outcomes.
- Choose American only if you prefer its pace or its table, and accept the higher 5.26% edge.
Whatever you pick, the house edge is an average over many spins. In a short session luck swamps it, and in a long one it works steadily against you. No betting system changes that. If you want to see what each bet pays, read roulette bets and odds, and for how streamed tables run, see live dealer roulette.
Check the Table Before You Bet
The wheel type is usually shown in the table name or the info panel. Look for the number of zeros, the minimum and maximum bet, and any rule about zero. Our post on roulette table limits explains how to read the last of those. Players must be 19 or older, or 18 or older in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec, and Rexbet is an offshore operator, so set a deposit limit before you start.
If roulette stops being fun, the responsible gambling page lists Canadian help lines.
Ava Carter writes about casino games — slots, live dealer tables and game shows — for Canadian players. She focuses on the mechanics that decide how a session actually goes: RTP and volatility, bet sizing, table limits, and the gap between demo play and real money. Her guides aim to make the maths legible before anyone stakes anything, and treat deposit and time limits as part of playing well, not an afterthought.