Roulette
American roulette odds
A double-zero wheel has 38 pockets, including 0 and 00. Standard bets usually have a 5.26% house edge; the first-five basket is an important exception.
5.26%
Standard house edge
38 pockets • First-five edge 7.89%
Double zero adds a losing pocket
A straight-up bet wins on 1/38 outcomes and red or black wins on 18/38. The usual payouts remain 35:1 and 1:1. The extra pocket changes the chance of winning without raising those payouts.
House edge and theoretical return
For ordinary standard bets, expected return is 36/38 of the amount wagered. House edge is 2/38, or 5.26%, and theoretical RTP is 94.74%. These figures assume full loss on zero outcomes.
First five is different
The 0, 00, 1, 2, 3 basket wins on five pockets and pays 6:1. Its total-return multiplier is 7, making return 35/38 and house edge 3/38, or 7.89%.
Read the wheel, not the location
A table in Las Vegas can use different wheel variants and house rules. “American roulette” here means the double-zero mathematical model, not every roulette table in the United States.