Roulette Odds and Payouts — Complete UK 2026 Reference
Roulette payouts are standardised across European and American variants — the odds of winning differ due to the number of zero segments, but the payout multipliers for each bet type are consistent. This guide provides the complete reference for UK players: every bet type, its payout, its probability of winning, and its house edge at European (single-zero) and American (double-zero) variants. The French La Partage rule reduces house edge on specific bets; Lightning Roulette's multiplier mechanic produces variable payouts on straight-up bets. Everything else is standardised.
Inside Bets (Small Areas, Higher Payouts)
Straight Up (single number): payout 35:1. Probability European 1/37 (2.70%); American 1/38 (2.63%). House edge: European 2.70%; American 5.26%.
Split (two adjacent numbers): payout 17:1. Probability European 2/37 (5.41%); American 2/38 (5.26%). House edge: European 2.70%; American 5.26%.
Street (three numbers in a row): payout 11:1. Probability European 3/37 (8.11%); American 3/38 (7.89%). House edge: European 2.70%; American 5.26%.
Corner (four numbers in a square): payout 8:1. Probability European 4/37 (10.81%); American 4/38 (10.53%). House edge: European 2.70%; American 5.26%.
Six Line (two streets, six numbers): payout 5:1. Probability European 6/37 (16.22%); American 6/38 (15.79%). House edge: European 2.70%; American 5.26%.
Outside Bets (Large Areas, Lower Payouts)
Column (12 numbers in a column): payout 2:1. Probability European 12/37 (32.43%); American 12/38 (31.58%). House edge: European 2.70%; American 5.26%.
Dozen (1-12, 13-24, or 25-36): payout 2:1. Same odds as column. House edge: European 2.70%; American 5.26%.
Red or Black (even money): payout 1:1. Probability European 18/37 (48.65%); American 18/38 (47.37%). House edge: European 2.70%; American 5.26%.
Odd or Even (even money): payout 1:1. Same odds as red/black.
High (19-36) or Low (1-18) (even money): payout 1:1. Same odds as red/black.
French Roulette Specific Bets (Call Bets)
French roulette tables offer additional "call bets" covering specific groups of numbers based on their wheel position (not table position). These bets are effectively complex inside bets with distinctive naming:
Voisins du Zéro: covers 17 numbers adjacent to zero on the wheel (22, 18, 29, 7, 28, 12, 35, 3, 26, 0, 32, 15, 19, 4, 21, 2, 25). Uses 9 chips across multiple positions.
Tiers du Cylindre: covers 12 numbers opposite the Voisins group. Uses 6 chips.
Orphelins: covers 8 numbers not in Voisins or Tiers groups. Uses 5 chips.
These bets are payout-equivalent to the inside bets they comprise — they don't change house edge, they just provide shortcut wagering on specific wheel sections.
La Partage and En Prison — French Roulette Advantage
French roulette tables apply the La Partage rule on even-money bets (red/black, odd/even, high/low). When the ball lands on zero, even-money bets receive half the stake back rather than losing completely. This effectively halves the house edge on those specific bets.
House edge on French roulette even-money bets with La Partage: 1.35% — half of standard European 2.70%, and one of the best roulette edges available anywhere.
En Prison is a related rule variant: zero doesn't immediately resolve even-money bets — the bet is "imprisoned" for one subsequent spin, with the player's bet winning that spin returning stake. En Prison produces the same 1.35% house edge as La Partage through different mechanism.
French roulette with La Partage or En Prison is mathematically superior to European roulette for outside-bet play. For inside bets, French and European are equivalent.
Lightning Roulette Multiplier Effect
Lightning Roulette (Evolution) applies 50x-500x multipliers to straight-up bets on 1-5 randomly-selected "lucky numbers" each spin. This changes straight-up bet payouts dramatically on favourable spins.
On a standard straight-up bet, a £1 winning bet pays £35 (35:1). On a Lightning Roulette straight-up bet when the winning number has a 300x lucky multiplier, the same £1 bet pays £35 × 300 / 35 = £300 (or more precisely, the £1 bet becomes a £1 × 300x-multiplied 30:1 payout of £300). Lightning Roulette's straight-up bet RTP is 97.30% vs standard European 97.30% — equivalent long-run return with dramatically different outcome distribution.
Lightning Roulette's outside bets have marginally reduced RTP (approximately 96.00-96.50%) to fund the straight-up multiplier system. See live roulette strategies for detailed discussion.
Side Bets
Some UK roulette tables offer side bets — Lucky Number bonuses, section bets beyond the French call bets, racetrack-layout wagers. These typically have house edges above the standard 2.70% or 5.26%. Verify specific side bet terms before committing extended play.
Practical Comparison
Best UK roulette mathematics for outside bets: French Roulette with La Partage — 1.35% house edge on red/black, odd/even, high/low.
Best UK roulette mathematics for straight-up bets: Lightning Roulette — 97.30% RTP with multiplier-driven outcome distribution.
Standard baseline: European Roulette — 2.70% house edge across all bet types.
Avoid: American Roulette at any UKGC operator — 5.26% house edge on every bet type through the double-zero. American variants exist at UK operators but have no mathematical advantage over European alternatives.
UK Operator Coverage
European Roulette is universally available. French Roulette with La Partage requires specific operator selection — Ladbrokes, Coral, Casumo carry Evolution's French variants. Lightning Roulette is widely available at Evolution-carrying operators. American Roulette exists but should be avoided.
Related: online roulette guide, live roulette, live roulette strategies, Lightning Roulette review, house edge explained.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the payout on a straight-up bet?
35:1 on all standard roulette variants (European, American, French, Lightning). Lightning Roulette's lucky-number multipliers modify this to 50x-500x payouts on specific numbers.
Is French roulette better than European?
Yes, for outside bets. La Partage rule reduces house edge to 1.35% on red/black, odd/even, high/low bets. For inside bets, identical to European 2.70%.
What's the house edge on American roulette?
5.26% on every bet type due to the double-zero (00). Nearly 2x worse than European. Avoid at UK operators.
Do call bets (Voisins, Tiers, Orphelins) have different house edges?
No. They're shortcut wagering on combinations of inside bets; the underlying house edge is the same as the individual inside bets they comprise.
What's the best roulette bet mathematically?
French Roulette with La Partage on even-money bets: 1.35% house edge. Lightning Roulette straight-up bets: 97.30% RTP (equivalent to 2.70% but with multiplier-driven outcome distribution).