Roulette Payout Calculator
Enter your stake, choose your bet type, and select your wheel variant to see your exact payout, your probability of winning, and the expected value of the bet. Results update instantly as you type. Covers all inside and outside bets for European, American, and French roulette.
How roulette payouts are calculated
Every roulette payout follows a single formula. The casino notionally treats the wheel as if it has 36 slots and pays you as though the ball has the same chance as a fair 36-slot wheel, but the real wheel has either 37 slots (European and French) or 38 slots (American) because of the zero pockets. The extra pockets that are not paid for are the source of the house edge. The payout for any bet covering S numbers is (36 / S) - 1. A straight-up bet covers 1 number, so its payout is 36 / 1 - 1 = 35, meaning 35:1. A split covers 2 numbers: 36 / 2 - 1 = 17, so 17:1. A column or dozen covers 12 numbers: 36 / 12 - 1 = 2, so 2:1. Your actual return on a winning bet is your stake plus the payout: bet $10 on a straight-up number and win $360 total ($10 returned plus $350 profit).
Inside bets vs outside bets
Inside bets are placed on the numbered grid inside the main layout. They cover one to six numbers and offer higher payouts but lower win probability. A straight-up bet on a single number pays 35:1 but wins only 2.70% of the time on a European wheel. Outside bets are placed on the groups outside the main grid (red/black, even/odd, high/low, dozens, columns). They cover 12 or 18 numbers and pay 1:1 or 2:1, but win on roughly one-third or one-half of spins. Despite covering very different numbers, all standard bets on a European wheel carry exactly the same house edge of 2.70%, because the payout formula is designed that way. The only exception on the American wheel is the basket (five-number) bet, which covers 0, 00, 1, 2, and 3 and pays 6:1, producing a worse house edge of 7.89% and making it the single worst bet on the table.
European, American, and French roulette compared
The wheel variant is the biggest single factor in your long-run expected loss. European roulette has one zero, giving 37 slots and a house edge of 2.70% on all bets. American roulette adds a double zero (00), making 38 slots and a house edge of 5.26% on all bets except the basket. French roulette uses a 37-slot wheel identical to the European one, but adds the La Partage rule: when zero lands, even-money bets (red/black, even/odd, high/low) receive half the stake back instead of losing in full. This halves the effective house edge on those bets to 1.35%. Some French tables instead offer En Prison: the bet is held for one spin rather than returned, and it is lost or returned in full on the next spin, producing the same 1.35% expected cost. For any given stake and number of spins, choosing European over American is equivalent to saving half the house edge. French with La Partage is even better for even-money bets.
Expected value, house edge, and projected loss
Expected value (EV) is the average profit or loss per spin. For a $10 bet on a European straight-up number: EV = (1/37) x $350 - (36/37) x $10 = $9.459 - $9.730 = -$0.270. The house edge of 2.70% means you lose an average of 27 cents for each dollar wagered. Over many spins this average converges toward the expected figure, so knowing it helps you set a realistic loss budget. The projected loss shown by this calculator is simply EV multiplied by the number of spins, giving you a statistical expectation - individual sessions will vary widely around that number. Variance is highest on inside bets and lowest on even-money outside bets, so the same expected loss can feel very different in practice depending on which bet type you choose.
Roulette bet types: payout, probability, and house edge
| Bet Type | Numbers Covered | Payout | Win Probability (EU) | Win Probability (US) | House Edge (EU) | House Edge (US) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Straight (single) | 1 | 35:1 | 2.70% | 2.63% | 2.70% | 5.26% |
| Split | 2 | 17:1 | 5.41% | 5.26% | 2.70% | 5.26% |
| Street | 3 | 11:1 | 8.11% | 7.89% | 2.70% | 5.26% |
| Corner | 4 | 8:1 | 10.81% | 10.53% | 2.70% | 5.26% |
| Basket (US only) | 5 | 6:1 | N/A | 13.16% | N/A | 7.89% |
| Six-line | 6 | 5:1 | 16.22% | 15.79% | 2.70% | 5.26% |
| Column | 12 | 2:1 | 32.43% | 31.58% | 2.70% | 5.26% |
| Dozen | 12 | 2:1 | 32.43% | 31.58% | 2.70% | 5.26% |
| Even / Odd | 18 | 1:1 | 48.65% | 47.37% | 2.70% | 5.26% |
| Red / Black | 18 | 1:1 | 48.65% | 47.37% | 2.70% | 5.26% |
| High / Low | 18 | 1:1 | 48.65% | 47.37% | 2.70% | 5.26% |
Probability and house edge values are for European roulette (37 slots). American wheel figures shown in parentheses where different.
Frequently asked questions
What does 35:1 mean in roulette?
A 35:1 payout means you win 35 times your stake when the bet wins, and your original stake is returned on top. A $10 straight-up bet returns $360 total: your $10 stake plus $350 profit. The notation X:1 always means X units profit per 1 unit staked.
Why does the house always have an edge in roulette?
The payout formula treats the wheel as if it has 36 slots, but a European wheel actually has 37 (adding the zero) and an American wheel has 38 (adding 0 and 00). The casino keeps the difference. On a European wheel a straight-up bet has a true probability of 1/37 but is paid as if it were 1/36, creating a 2.70% house advantage on every spin over time.
Is the basket bet a good bet in American roulette?
No. The basket bet covers 0, 00, 1, 2, and 3 and pays 6:1. The fair payout for 5 numbers on a 38-slot wheel would be 36/5 - 1 = 6.2:1, but the casino rounds it down to 6:1, creating a house edge of 7.89% - nearly double the standard 5.26% edge on every other American roulette bet. It is the worst bet on the standard roulette layout.
What is the La Partage rule and how does it change the house edge?
La Partage is a French roulette rule that applies to even-money bets (red/black, even/odd, high/low). When zero lands, instead of losing the full stake the player receives half back. This halves the effective house edge from 2.70% to 1.35% on those bets, making French roulette the best standard variant for even-money wagers. Some tables offer En Prison instead: the bet is imprisoned for one more spin and returned in full if it wins, producing the same 1.35% expected cost.
Do all bets in roulette have the same house edge?
On a European wheel, yes: the 2.70% house edge applies uniformly to every standard bet. On an American wheel, all bets carry a 5.26% edge except the basket bet, which has a 7.89% edge and should generally be avoided. The inside/outside distinction changes variance and payout size but not the house edge.
What is expected value and why does it matter?
Expected value (EV) is the average amount you win or lose per spin over a large number of trials. Because the house edge is built in, roulette has a negative EV for the player on every bet. The EV does not predict what happens in any single spin - it describes the long-run average. If you play 100 spins at $10 per spin on a European wheel, the expected loss is 100 x $10 x 2.70% = $27, but your actual session result will vary above and below that figure.
How many numbers does a corner bet cover, and what does it pay?
A corner bet (also called a square bet or four-number bet) covers four adjacent numbers that share a corner on the betting layout. It pays 8:1. For example, a chip placed at the intersection of 1, 2, 4, and 5 wins if any of those four numbers hit. The probability of winning is 4/37 (10.81%) on a European wheel and 4/38 (10.53%) on an American wheel.