Roulette is possibly the best-known table game and it’s considered a classic alongside blackjack and baccarat. I’ve played this game extensively at online casinos and I often see people asking the question, how does roulette pay out?
I get it – at first glance, the roulette board can look a little confusing with all the different numbers and grids, so in the below guide, I give you the lowdown and explain all the possible ways you can win. I’ll also share my thoughts on the game and give you a basic intro to the core mechanics.
How to win at roulette – a basic intro
Before we get into
online roulette tips
and how the payout in roulette works, let’s look at the basics and the core mechanics of the game.
With roulette, you have two items – the roulette wheel, and the betting area or betting table. The roulette wheel has a circular array of numbers and depending on the version, they will alternate between red and black colors, and have numbers 0, 00, and 1 to 36. In this guide I’ll look at American roulette as this is generally the most-played option – it has numbers 1 to 36, plus a green 0 and green 00, whereas the European version only has a single green 0.
The betting table contains all the different bet types you can make and in a real bricks and mortar casino, you would place your chips down on the relevant square/area to make your bet for the round.
During each roulette round, the dealer will spin the roulette wheel first and then drop a metal ball onto it. Eventually, the ball will land in one of the numbered slots and the dealer will sort the betting results and give payouts to those who won.
When looking at the payout in roulette, it’s important to understand that you can make different types of bets with different combinations based on the number, color, odd/even, etc. I also recommend when you’re familiar with the basics, to check out things like the James Bond strategy for roulette as these can help with bankroll management.
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Outside roulette bets and their payouts
Outside roulette bets are those that are located on the outer edges of the betting area. These bets are characterized by their higher chances of winning, but their lower respective payouts. On traditional American roulette there are five different outside bets:
| Bet type | Payout | Odds |
| Dozen Bet | 2:1 | 31.58% |
| Odd or Even | 1:1 | 46.37% |
| Red or Black | 1:1 | 46.37% |
| High or Low | 1:1 | 46.37% |
| Column Bet | 2:1 | 31.58% |
- Dozen bet:
Here you are betting on a specific group of 12 numbers – either 1-12, 13-24, or 25-36.
- Odd or even:
Another classic bet where you are picking whether the ball will have an odd or even number – there are 18 selections for odd or even.
- Red or black:
The most popular and easiest to understand roulette bet. Beginners mainly start with this and you’re picking the color of the number slot.
- High or low:
High or low completes the trio of the 1:1 roulette bets which all have a 46.37% chance of winning. For this bet you are either picking 1-18 or 19-36.
- Column bet:
Column bets are the other type of 2:1 payout roulette bet and here you are literally picking one of the three columns of numbers. Either 1-34, 2-35, or 3-36.
Inside roulette bets and their payouts
In contrast, inside roulette bets are those that are located on the inner portion of the betting area. These bets are either on single numbers, or smaller groups of numbers. They are characterized by their lower odds, but vastly superior payouts compared to outside bets. Classic American roulette has 6 different types of inside bets:
| Bet type | Payout | Odds |
| Single number | 35:1 | 2.63% |
| Split | 17:1 | 5.26% |
| Street | 11:1 | 7.89% |
| Corner | 8:1 | 10.53% |
| Six Line | 5:1 | 15.79% |
| Top Line | 6:1 | 13.16% |
Pretty simple – you pick one number from the roulette wheel including 0 and 00. This bet offers the single biggest possible payout of 35:1, but the odds are incredibly low at just 2.63%.
A split is where you bet on two numbers next to each other such as 2 and 5. This is the second biggest payout with 17:1, and the odds almost double.
A street bet is where you bet on three numbers in a row on the roulette table such as 13, 14, and 15.
A corner is where you bet on four adjacent numbers in a square on the roulette betting area such as 25, 26, 29, and 28.
A six line is essentially two street bets where you are picking two sets of adjacent rows such as 7, 8, 9, and 10, 11, and 12.
This is a special bet where you are selected 0, 00, 1, 2, and 3 and this has a payout of 6:1.
For any round of roulette, you can place multiple inside and outside bets. For example, you could place a $5 bet on red, but also a $1 bet on 0 and a $1 bet on the 2, 3, 5, 6 corner. This is what makes roulette so exciting as there are multiple ways to win and endless betting combinations and strategies.
Pros and cons of online roulette
As with a
no deposit casino bonus in 2025, online roulette isn’t perfect and it’s important to understand the drawbacks of this game compared to other table games like blackjack and baccarat.
Advantages
- Multiple bet variations available.
- You can make multiple different side bets each round.
- There is the potential for some huge prizes
Disadvantages
- There is never a true 50/50 chance of winning due to the house edge.
- Roulette RTP is generally lower compared to games like blackjack.
Improve your roulette gameplay by understanding the payouts and odds today
You should now have a clear idea of the payout in roulette and what different combinations give you. As a basic rule, remember that outside bets have better odds, but give you a smaller payout, whereas inside bets have lower odds, but offer a much higher payout due to their difficulty.
For each round, you can place as many inside and outside bets as you want.
Lastly, remember that the best odds are red/black, odd/even, high/low which all have a 46.37% chance of winning whereas the lowest odds are the single number bets which all have a 35:1 payout and a 2.63% chance of happening.
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Payout in roulette FAQs
🎰 What is the biggest payout you can get in roulette?
35:1 is the biggest single payout you get if you make a single number selection, such as picking number 10. The 35:1 payout applies to every number on the table including 0 and 00.
💰 What is the best bet to place on American roulette?
There is no consensus for this. In terms of the best odds of winning, the best bets are red or black, odd or even, 1-18 or 19-36 – all of these bets have a 46.37% chance of winning on any roulette wheel spin.
🎲 How do you win at roulette?
You have to make a bet from one of the available options such as red or black, single number, or odds or evens. If the ball lands on one of your selections then you win the relevant payout based on your initial bet value.
