Understand the roulette house edge, compare European vs American wheels, and learn how zero rules like La Partage boost your odds.
Last updated:The house edge in online roulette is the built-in mathematical advantage the casino holds on every spin. Knowing how wheel types, green zero pockets, and specific table rules impact this margin helps you pick games with better long-term payouts. Here is how house edges and Return to Player (RTP) work, along with tips for picking the best tables in an online lobby.
If you want to review basic bets before getting into the math, see our roulette bets and payouts guide. To see how a standard round plays out on a digital layout, check our guide on how to play online roulette.
Key Takeaways: Roulette House Edge in Canada
- Wheel Selection Impacts Cost: European single-zero wheels carry a 2.70% house edge (97.30% RTP), whereas American double-zero wheels nearly double that margin to 5.26% (94.74% RTP), making wheel choice the primary factor in long-term return.
- The Costly Five-Number Bet: Found exclusively on American tables covering 0, 00, 1, 2, and 3, this bet pays 6:1 against true odds of 6.6:1, driving the house edge to 7.89% and making it the least favourable standard wager on the board.
- Favourable French Rules: Single-zero tables featuring La Partage or En Prison cut the house edge on even-money outside bets down to roughly 1.35% by returning or preserving half the stake when the ball lands on zero.
- Avoid Novelty Multi-Zero Wheels: Triple-zero (7.69% edge) and quadruple-zero (10.00% edge) variants significantly widen the casino’s advantage without offering higher payouts to offset the increased risk.
What House Edge Is
The house edge is the percentage of every dollar bet that the casino expects to keep as profit over millions of spins.
For example, on a table with a 2.70% house edge, you can expect to lose an average of C$2.70 for every C$100 you bet over a large number of spins. In a short session, your results will swing up and down due to natural variance. Over time, though, your actual results will drift toward that theoretical percentage.
Why Zero Creates the House Advantage
The casino gets its edge because payouts are calculated as if the wheel had fewer pockets than it actually does. If a wheel paid true odds without a house advantage, a winning single-number bet on an N-pocket wheel would pay N-1 to 1. Because online tables only pay 35:1 no matter how many pockets are on the wheel, the green zero pockets create the house margin.
On a European wheel with 37 pockets (numbers 1 to 36 plus a single 0), the fair statistical payout for a single number would be 36:1. By paying only 35:1, the casino keeps 1 pocket out of 37 as its edge. Dividing 1 by 37 gives a house edge of 2.70%.
On an American wheel with 38 pockets (numbers 1 to 36 plus 0 and 00), the fair payout would be 37:1. The casino still pays 35:1 on a win, keeping 2 pockets out of 38. That gives the house an edge of 2/38, or 5.26%.
European Wheel vs American Wheel
When picking a game, choosing the right wheel format is the easiest way to improve your odds. The extra double-zero pocket on an American table nearly doubles the house edge compared to a European single-zero wheel.
| Feature | European Wheel | American Wheel |
| Total Pockets | 37 (0, 1-36) | 38 (0, 00, 1-36) |
| Green Zero Pockets | 1 single zero (0) | 2 zeros (0, 00) |
| Standard House Edge | 2.70% | 5.26% |
| Standard RTP | 97.30% | 94.74% |
Standard inside and outside bets on a single-zero European wheel carry a 2.70% edge. Moving to an American wheel pushes that edge to 5.26% on almost every bet. If you wager a total of C$1,000, you can expect to lose about C$27 on a European wheel, compared with about C$53 on an American wheel.
The Five-Number Bet on American Wheels
The five-number bet (often called the basket or top line bet) only exists on American double-zero wheels. It covers 0, 00, 1, 2, and 3 with a single chip placed on the outer line where the zero row meets numbers 1, 2, and 3.
A winning five-number bet pays 6:1. Covering 5 pockets out of 38 gives you a 13.16% chance of winning (5/38). For that payout to match true mathematical odds, the casino would need to pay 6.6:1.
Because the payout is lower than the true odds, the house edge jumps to 7.89% (calculated as 3/38). That makes it mathematically the worst standard bet on any roulette table.
For example, if you place C$10 on the five-number bet over many spins, your expected loss is C$0.79 per spin. Betting that same C$10 on any other American roulette wager carries an expected loss of C$0.53. To see other betting traps and common misconceptions, check our roulette betting systems and myths guide.
Zero Rules: La Partage and En Prison
Some single-zero tables include special French rules called La Partage or En Prison. These rules only apply to even-money outside bets, like red/black, odd/even, and low/high (1-18 or 19-36), when the ball lands on zero.
Under La Partage, if the ball lands on single zero, you do not lose your entire bet. The software splits your wager, returning half your stake to your balance and keeping the other half.
Under En Prison, a zero locks your even-money bet on the table for the next spin. If your bet wins on the following spin, you get your full stake back without profit. If it loses, the house takes it.
Both rules cut the casino’s advantage on even-money bets on single-zero tables. La Partage drops the house edge from 2.70% to 1.35%. En Prison lowers it to between 1.35% and 1.39%, depending on how the software handles a second zero.
Triple and Quadruple Zero Wheels
Some casinos offer novelty games with three green pockets (0, 00, 000) or four green pockets. Triple-zero wheels carry a house edge of 7.69%, while quadruple-zero wheels push the edge to 10.00%.
These extra zeros give the casino a huge advantage without offering better payouts to make up for it. They are less common than standard European and American tables, so check the wheel layout before you play and choose a single-zero wheel whenever one is available.
Return to Player (RTP) Explained
Return to Player (RTP) is simply the flip side of the house edge. It shows the percentage of total wagered money a game returns to players over time.
You can find RTP by subtracting the house edge from 100%. A European roulette table with a 2.70% house edge has an RTP of 97.30%. An American roulette table with a 5.26% house edge has an RTP of 94.74%.
RTP is a theoretical average calculated over millions of spins, not a guarantee for a single session. In a short session, you could easily walk away up or down due to normal variance.
How to Choose the Best Wheel and Table
When looking through an online lobby, pick a single-zero European or French roulette wheel over an American double-zero wheel whenever possible. Going with a single-zero table cuts the casino’s mathematical edge roughly in half.
You can spot the wheel type right away on the betting grid. American tables have both “0” and “00” green boxes at the top of the layout, while European tables only have a single “0” box.
Before placing your chips, open the in-game info menu or paytable tab. This confirms the wheel variant, the stated RTP, and whether rules like La Partage are active.
Next Steps in Your Roulette Learning
To see how RNG games compare to live dealer video streams, check our online roulette formats guide.
For provincial gaming rules and legal casino options across Canada, visit our roulette hub. Always treat roulette as paid entertainment with a real cost, set strict personal limits before you start, and play responsibly with our responsible gambling resources.
❓ Roulette House Edge in Canada: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the house edge on a European roulette wheel?
Is American roulette really twice as costly as European roulette?
How much does La Partage actually save me?
How much will I lose per hour at a roulette table?
Author:
Lucas Portela
Owner, BoldGambler • Avanhandava/SP
Oddsmaker, affiliate and content creator in the iGaming industry.