Roulette in Las Vegas

Rules, odds and table etiquette

Double-zero wheel: 38 pockets (1-36, 0, 00); 5.26% house edge on most bets
Single-zero wheel: 37 pockets (1-36, 0); 2.70% house edge
Triple-zero wheel: 39 pockets; 7.69% house edge
Five-number bet: 0-00-1-2-3; 7.89% house edge
Straight-up number: Pays 35 to 1
Even-money bets: Red/black, odd/even, high/low pay 1 to 1
La partage rule: Half of an even-money bet returned on zero; about 1.35% house edge
Minimum age: 21 to play, and under-21s may not loiter in gaming areas (NRS 463.350)
Regulated by: Nevada Gaming Control Board and Nevada Gaming Commission
Tables in Nevada (2025): 424 roulette tables at non-restricted locations statewide

About

Roulette is a wheel game. Players bet on where a ball will come to rest on a spinning wheel of numbered pockets, and the dealer spins the ball in the opposite direction to the wheel. The numbers are not arranged in order around the wheel; according to the Wizard of Odds they were laid out so that the sum of the numbers in any section is roughly equal to any other section of the same size.

Three wheels are in use. A double-zero wheel has 38 pockets, 1 to 36 plus 0 and 00. A single-zero wheel has 37 pockets. A triple-zero wheel has 39, the extra green space usually carrying the casino's logo. The zeros are what give the house its edge: payouts are calculated as if they were not there.

Bets go on the layout. Inside bets are on the numbered part of the board: a single number (straight up, 35 to 1), two numbers (a split, 17 to 1), a row of three (a street, 11 to 1), four numbers (a corner, 8 to 1) or six numbers (a line, 5 to 1). Outside bets cover larger groups: a dozen or a column pays 2 to 1, and red or black, odd or even, and high or low pay even money.

A round runs the same way every time. Players place their chips, the dealer spins the wheel and the ball, and shortly before the ball drops the dealer calls 'no more bets', after which chips cannot be placed or moved. The dealer then marks the winning number on the layout, clears the losing bets and pays the winners.

What to expect

At the table, roulette uses its own chips. When you buy in, the dealer gives each player a different color, so the dealer can tell whose bet is whose. These chips have no value printed on them; the dealer sets the value of your color when you buy in and marks it on the stack in the wheel area. They have no value except at the game where they were issued, so redeem them with the dealer before you leave the table.

You can place several bets at once and the dealer allows a few seconds after the spin for everyone to finish betting. After the 'no more bets' call, chips cannot be moved until the dealer has marked the winning number and paid the winners.

As at other table games, phone use is generally not allowed while you are seated, and tipping the dealer (a toke) is customary rather than required.

Other casino games

Before you play

Good to know

The wheel matters more than any betting choice. On a double-zero wheel almost every bet carries a 5.26% house edge; on a single-zero wheel it is 2.70%, about half as much. Triple-zero wheels, which some casinos have added, carry 7.69%. Before you buy in, look at the wheel and count the zeros.
Avoid the five-number bet on a double-zero wheel. It covers 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3, and the Wizard of Odds puts its house edge at 7.89%, the worst bet on the American layout.
Some single-zero games use a French rule. Under la partage, an even-money bet loses only half when the ball lands on zero, which brings the house edge on those bets to about 1.35%. Under en prison, the bet is held for the next spin instead. Where either rule is offered, it is the best roulette bet available.
Betting systems do not change the math. The Wizard of Odds states that whatever system is used, in the long run it cannot overcome the house's advantage. Each spin is independent of the last, so a run of reds does not make black more likely.
Nevada law gives players a route if a payout is disputed. Under NRS 463.362, a casino must immediately notify the Nevada Gaming Control Board of a dispute with a patron involving $500 or more; for smaller disputes it must tell the patron of the right to ask the Board to investigate.
If gambling stops being fun, the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling lists 1-800-GAMBLER and 1-800-522-4700 as its helpline numbers; the line is answered 24 hours a day, calls are confidential, and it connects callers to treatment and support resources in Nevada. Setting a spending limit before you sit down, and not raising bets to win back losses, is advice Caesars gives its own players.

Questions about Roulette

What is the difference between American and European roulette?

The wheel. An American, or double-zero, wheel has 38 pockets: 1 to 36 plus 0 and 00, and a house edge of 5.26% on most bets. A European, or single-zero, wheel has 37 pockets and a house edge of 2.70%. Payouts are the same on both, so the single-zero wheel costs the player about half as much.

What is triple-zero roulette?

A wheel with three zero pockets, 39 in all, where the extra green space usually carries the casino's logo. Because the payouts stay the same as on other wheels, the extra pocket raises the house edge. The Wizard of Odds puts it at 7.69% on all wagers, compared with 5.26% on a double-zero wheel.

What do roulette bets pay?

A single number pays 35 to 1, a split 17 to 1, a street 11 to 1, a corner 8 to 1 and a six-number line 5 to 1. Dozens and columns pay 2 to 1, and red or black, odd or even, and high or low pay 1 to 1.

Why are roulette chips different colors?

Each player at a roulette table gets chips in a color of their own so the dealer can keep track of every player's bets on a crowded layout. The chips carry no printed value; the dealer records what your color is worth when you buy in. They are good only at that table, so cash them in with the dealer before you leave.

Is there a strategy that beats roulette?

No. Every bet on a given wheel has the same house edge apart from the five-number bet, and the Wizard of Odds states that regardless of what betting system is used, in the long run it cannot overcome the house's advantage. The choices that actually lower the cost are playing a single-zero wheel and avoiding the five-number bet.

What does 'no more bets' mean?

It is the dealer's call that betting is closed for the current spin. Players can usually keep placing chips while the ball circles the wheel, but once the dealer announces 'no more bets', chips cannot be placed or moved until the result is marked and the winners are paid.

How old do you have to be to gamble in Las Vegas?

You must be 21. Nevada law (NRS 463.350) says a person under 21 may not play, place wagers at, or collect winnings from any gambling game or slot machine, whether personally or through an agent, and may not loiter in or about a room where licensed gaming is conducted. Casinos can ask for ID, so carry it if you plan to play.