4 Differences Between American Roulette & European Roulette

The gambling experience is not complete when there is no Roulette game present. Roulette is a game from France and was introduced by Blaise Pascal. Since then, it became one of the most popular games in gambling and in the whole world. Roulette has a lot of variances, but when it comes to betting and gambling, two variants are the most popular: American Roulette and European Roulette.

What Are the Obvious Differences?

At first glance, the two Roulette games have no relevant difference. The two usually have the same size and use the same base colours. These two different games have the exact mechanism: players who get the bet right will win a sum based on their bets and their payout equivalent. However, these games have four main differences.

1. Order of numbers

The order of the numbers is different, with the “0” surrounded by 32 and 26 in the European and 2 and 28 in American. Although the two games don't have the same order of numbers, it doesn't really bring a significant impact on the live casino game. A thing that impacts the similarities and differences of both games lies in what's in Roulette's pockets.

2. Number of pockets

European wheels have a total of 37 pockets, giving it a winning odds of 1 in 37. Meanwhile, the American wheels have 38 pockets. Because of this, the odds of winning in the American wheels is 1 in 28. The difference in the pocket is brought by an additional Green 00 in the American Roulette. This difference seems subtle, but it is one of the primary reasons why the two variants are very different.

3. The Green 00

In the European Roulette and American Roulette, the payout is the same, 35 to 1. This is because the number of “numbered” pockets is the same. However, in the American Roulette, there is an additional Green 00, which is not present in the European Roulette. Both the 0 and the 00 in the American Roulette have the odds of 35/1, which is the same thing in the European Roulette. The vast difference is in the Home Edge.

 

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4. House Edge

One additional pocket in the American Roulette makes it a deadlier one for betting. Because of the additional Green 00, the House Edge for American Roulette is 5.26%, while European Roulette has a House Edge of 2.7%. The lower the House Edge is, the better it is for the player.

House Edge is the advantage of the live casino over the players, and generally, the lower it is, the favourable it would be for the players. Basically, it is like the fee that players have to pay when they use the service of a payment platform provider. For example, if the player bets $1 with the house edge of 2.7%, he or she must expect to lose $0.27 for every complete set of spins (37 spins in European Roulette).

 

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Having a higher House Edge could also be dangerous if the player is new or tend to bet more frequently. When a player spends $10,000 an hour worth of play in a European Roulette, the player can spend that much in half the time spent playing the American Roulette. Overall, playing the European Roulette is more favourable to play if the player's purpose in playing is to have the most significant possibility to win.

Although the European Roulette has a lower house edge, it doesn't mean that the American Roulette cannot give winnings. With the right strategy, playing American Roulette can be a good choice too. In competitive plays, if the player is using physics, the house edge is not a relevant factor.

In addition, there are other kinds of Roulettes out there that the player can choose from. French Roulette is a good starting point. Enjoy the game and keep on improving your betting skills.