| Updated: September 25, 2025Roulette is a staple game offered at virtually every land-based and online casino. The game has been around for more than two centuries and is widely believed to have originated in France. Its popularity has spread like wildfire because roulette features straightforward rules and plenty of excitement. Over the years, numerous roulette variations have been developed to satisfy every type of player.
Nowadays, players can choose from dozens of roulette titles, but three main variations dominate the market – European, French, and American. European Roulette is the most sought-after variant, and we will examine it in detail in this article.
- High Stakes Roulette
- Low Limit Roulette
- Fibonacci Roulette System
- Parlay Roulette System
- Martingale Roulette System
- Inside Bets
- Outside Bets
- Roulette Rules
- Roulette Strategies
- American Roulette
- French Roulette
- American and European Wheel Sequences
- Roulette – From a Perpetual Motion Machine to a Casino Landmark
- Roulette Basics and Rules of Table Conduct
- Roulette's Bet Types
- The French Roulette Layout
- Independent Trials, Odds, and Casino Edge in Roulette
- En Prison and La Partage
- Taking Your Roulette Game to the Next Level with Call Bets
- The Many Faces of Roulette – Interesting Variations to Try
- Progressive Roulette Systems
- Reading Biased Wheels and Other Predictive Methods
- The Master of the Wheel Gonzalo Garcia Pelayo
- Improving Your Roulette Game
- Dispelling Roulette Myths
- How to Protect a Roulette Bankroll
- Software Providers of Online Roulette
- Roulette Games with Progressive Jackpots
- Live Dealer Roulette
- Roulette Goes Mobile
- Roulette in Literature, Film, and Television
The “En Prison” and “La Partage” Rules
As their names suggest, the “En Prison” and “La Partage” rules originate in French Roulette. However, many European roulette variations also employ these special rules, which reduce the house edge to an impressive 1.35%. These rules take effect only when you place an even-money bet and the ball lands on zero.
La Partage
En PrisonLa Partage
The “La Partage” rule allows roulette players to retain 50% of their even-money bets when the ball comes to rest in the zero pocket. The remaining 50% goes to the house, and the game continues as usual.
En Prison
The “En Prison” rule gives players a chance to recover their entire stake instead of only half. In short, if you place an even-money bet and the spin lands on zero, your wager is “imprisoned” for the next spin. If the bet wins, you recover your stake; if it loses, the casino keeps it.
Types of Bets
As mentioned earlier, roulette’s rules are easy to grasp. What often confuses new players, however, is the variety of available wagers. Broadly speaking, there are two main categories of roulette bets – inside and outside. Inside bets are placed on the inner section of the betting layout; they offer higher payouts but come with a lower probability of winning.
Outside bets cover broader groups of numbers, giving you a better chance of winning, yet at lower payouts. In the sections below, we discuss each type of inside and outside bet along with their respective payouts.
Outside Bets Inside BetsOutside Bets
- Column Bet – This bet covers 12 numbers, which is roughly ⅓ of the wheel. The probability of success is 12/37 = 0.3243 x 100 = 32.43%, and the payout is 2:1.
- Dozen Bet – The betting layout is divided into three boxes, each containing 12 numbers. The first box covers numbers 1 to 12, the second includes 13 to 24, and the third covers 25 to 36. The probability of success remains 32.43%, and the payout is 2:1.
- Red/Black Bet – Players can wager on all red or all black numbers. The European roulette wheel has 18 red and 18 black numbers, meaning the probability of success is 18/37 = 0.4864 x 100 = 48.64%. The payout is 1:1.
- Odd/Even Bet – Roulette fans can bet on all odd or all even numbers. Because the European wheel features 18 odd and 18 even numbers, the probability of winning is 48.64%, and the payout is 1:1.
- Low/High Bet – This bet covers 18 numbers. Low numbers range from 1 to 18, while high numbers span from 19 to 36. The probability of success is 48.64%, and the payout is 1:1.
Inside Bets
- Straight-Up Bet – This is the riskiest roulette wager because it is placed on a single number. Consequently, the probability of winning is 1/37 = 0.0270 x 100 = 2.70%. The payout is 35:1.
- Split Bet – This wager is placed on two adjacent numbers. The probability of success is 2/37 = 0.0540 x 100 = 5.41%, and the payout is 17:1.
- Street Bet – This bet covers three numbers in a single row. If you place a street bet, the probability of winning is 3/37 = 0.081 x 100 = 8.1%. Winning street bets pay 11:1.
- Corner Bet – It covers four numbers that meet at one corner (for example, 5, 6, 8, and 9). To place a corner bet, put your chips on the shared corner of the four numbers. The probability of winning is 4/37 = 0.1081 x 100 = 10.81%. The payout for a winning bet is 8:1.
- Line Bet – This wager lets you bet on two rows of three numbers each. To do so, place your chips at the end of the two selected rows. The probability of winning is 6/37 = 0.1622 x 100 = 16.22%, and the payout is 5:1.