What Is European Roulette?

European roulette is the original and most widely played version of roulette worldwide. The wheel has 37 pockets: numbers 1 through 36 in alternating red and black, plus a single green zero. That single zero is what gives European roulette its relatively low house edge of 2.70%, making it the best standard roulette variant for players.

The game dates back to 18th-century France, and the basic format hasn't changed much since. A ball is released onto a spinning wheel, drops into a numbered pocket, and anyone who bet on that number (or a group containing it) gets paid. It's straightforward to learn but offers enough depth to keep experienced players engaged.

This free European roulette simulator replicates the exact experience you'd get at a casino table. Same wheel layout, same bet types, same payout ratios. The only difference is you're playing with virtual coins instead of real money, which makes it perfect for learning, practising strategies, or just having fun without any financial risk.

How to Play European Roulette

Playing European roulette is simple. Before each spin, place your chips on the betting grid. You can bet on individual numbers, groups of numbers, colours (red or black), odd or even, high or low, dozens, or columns. There's no limit to how many different positions you cover on a single spin, as long as each bet meets the table minimum.

Once you've placed your bets, hit the Spin button. The wheel spins, the ball drops, and when it settles into a pocket, winning bets are paid and losing bets are cleared. Then a new round begins.

The betting grid is divided into two main areas. Inside bets are placed on the numbered grid itself and cover specific numbers or small groups. They pay more but win less often. Outside bets are placed in the labelled sections around the grid (red/black, odd/even, dozens, columns) and cover larger groups. They win more frequently but pay less.

European Roulette Bet Types

Here's a quick reference for every bet available on a European roulette table:

Inside Bets: Straight Up (single number, 35:1), Split (two numbers, 17:1), Street (three numbers, 11:1), Corner (four numbers, 8:1), Six Line (six numbers, 5:1). These are the high-risk, high-reward bets.

Outside Bets: Red/Black (1:1), Odd/Even (1:1), High/Low (1:1), Dozens (2:1), Columns (2:1). These hit roughly a third to nearly half the time and are great for steadier play.

The European Roulette Wheel Layout

The numbers on a European roulette wheel aren't in sequential order. They're carefully arranged so that high and low numbers, odd and even numbers, and red and black pockets alternate as evenly as possible. This prevents any section of the wheel from being biased toward a particular bet type.

The full sequence clockwise from zero is: 0, 32, 15, 19, 4, 21, 2, 25, 17, 34, 6, 27, 13, 36, 11, 30, 8, 23, 10, 5, 24, 16, 33, 1, 20, 14, 31, 9, 22, 18, 29, 7, 28, 12, 35, 3, 26. If you play enough, you'll start to recognise neighbourhoods of numbers on the wheel, which is useful for sector-based betting strategies.

European Roulette Payouts and House Edge

The house edge in European roulette is 2.70% on every bet. This comes from the zero pocket. Payouts are calculated as if there were only 36 numbers on the wheel, but there are actually 37. That gap between the true odds and the payout odds is where the casino makes its money.

In practical terms, the 2.70% house edge means that for every 100 coins you wager over time, you can expect to get back about 97.30. This is a long-run average though. In any given session, your results will vary significantly from this number, which is what makes the game exciting.

Some European tables also offer the La Partage rule, where even-money bets lose only half when zero hits. This reduces the effective house edge on those bets to just 1.35%, making it the best odds you can find at any roulette table.

European vs American Roulette: Which Is Better?

The short answer: European. Always European, if you have the choice.

The only difference between the two versions is the number of zero pockets. European has one zero (37 pockets total), while American adds a double-zero 00 (38 pockets total). The payouts are identical, which means American roulette simply gives you worse odds on every single bet.

European roulette has a house edge of 2.70%. American roulette has a house edge of 5.26%. Over 1,000 spins at 100 coins per bet, that difference costs you an extra 2,560 coins on the American wheel. There's no strategic reason to choose American over European. If you want to see the difference for yourself, try our American roulette simulator.

Strategies for European Roulette

No betting strategy can change the house edge, but strategies can change how your bankroll moves during a session. Popular systems for European roulette include:

• Martingale: Double your bet after every loss. Recovers losses quickly but requires a large bankroll for losing streaks.
• D'Alembert: Increase by one unit after a loss, decrease by one after a win. Gentler progression, longer sessions.
• Fibonacci: Follow the Fibonacci sequence for bet sizes. Slower escalation than Martingale.
• James Bond: Spread bets to cover over two-thirds of the table on every spin.

This simulator is the perfect place to test any system risk-free. Play hundreds of spins and see exactly how each strategy performs. Read our full roulette strategy guide for detailed breakdowns.

Why Play on Our Simulator?

Our European roulette simulator uses a cryptographically secure random number generator (CSPRNG) for every spin, the same type of RNG used in regulated online casinos. Results are generated server-side and cannot be predicted or manipulated. Every spin is completely fair.

You get 1,000,000 free coins every day just for having an account. No deposit required, no credit card, no catch. Beyond solo play, you can join multiplayer tables with other players in real time, or enter tournaments and compete for the leaderboard.

The simulator works on any device with a web browser. Desktop, laptop, tablet, smartphone. No download, no app. Just open the page and play.

Play Responsibly

This simulator uses virtual coins only. No real money is involved and no real money can be won. If you decide to play roulette for real money in the future, always set a budget before you start and never bet more than you can afford to lose.

Frequently Asked Questions