What Roulette Is
Roulette is a wheel game. The wheel has numbered pockets, and a ball is spun around it until it settles in one. Before the spin you place chips on a betting layout to predict where it lands. Online arcade games versions use a random number generator in place of a physical wheel, but the roulette rules stay the same.
Wheel types
- European roulette: 37 pockets, numbers 1 to 36 plus a single green 0.
- American roulette: 38 pockets, with a 0 and a 00. The extra pocket makes it worse for the player.
Numbers 1 to 36 alternate between red and black. The zero pockets are green and lose most outside bets.
Roulette Rules and Bet Types
- Place bets. Put chips on the layout while betting is open.
- No more bets. Betting closes and the wheel spins.
- Result. The ball lands in one pocket. That number, its colour and its group decide every bet.
- Settle. Winning bets are paid at their odds and keep their stake. Losing bets are collected.
Inside bets (specific numbers)
| Bet | Covers | Standard payout |
|---|---|---|
| Straight up | 1 number | 35 to 1 |
| Split | 2 next to each other | 17 to 1 |
| Street | A row of 3 | 11 to 1 |
| Corner | A square of 4 | 8 to 1 |
| Six line | 2 rows, 6 numbers | 5 to 1 |
Outside bets (groups)
| Bet | Covers | Standard payout |
|---|---|---|
| Red or black | 18 numbers | 1 to 1 |
| Odd or even | 18 numbers | 1 to 1 |
| Low (1 to 18) or high (19 to 36) | 18 numbers | 1 to 1 |
| Dozen | 12 numbers | 2 to 1 |
| Column | 12 numbers | 2 to 1 |
These are the standard ratios on traditional tables. Online versions can add side bets or change the rules for 0, so the exact payout table is the one shown inside the game.
A Worked Roulette Round
On a European wheel you place three bets, each of 5 points:
- Straight up on 17.
- Red.
- The second dozen (13 to 24).
Total staked: 15 points. The ball lands on 19, which is red and in the second dozen.
- 17 straight up loses: minus 5.
- Red wins at 1 to 1: you get 5 back plus 5.
- Second dozen wins at 2 to 1: you get 5 back plus 10.
You receive 25 points back on 15 staked. If the ball had landed on 0, all three bets would have lost. That green pocket is the whole reason the house wins over time.
Is Roulette Skill or Chance?
Roulette is pure chance. Every spin is independent, so the wheel has no memory of the last result. Betting systems such as doubling after each loss (the Martingale) do not change the odds. They only change how fast a balance moves, and they can empty it quickly during a losing run. The zero gives the house its edge on every bet on the table.
Common Roulette Mistakes
- Believing red is "due" after a run of black. It is not.
- Doubling stakes after each loss.
- Choosing a double zero wheel when a single zero one is available.
- Spreading chips over so many numbers that a win still returns less than you staked.
- Playing quick fire rounds without tracking the total spent.
Roulette Glossary
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| A numbered slot on the wheel | |
| Inside bet | A bet on specific numbers |
| Outside bet | A bet on a group such as colour or dozen |
| Straight up | A bet on a single number |
| Layout | The table where bets are placed |
| House edge | The built in advantage the game keeps over time |
Roulette in Jaiho Arcade
These rules are general editorial guidance. Our Jaiho Arcade game list includes Roulette among the instant games. Lobbies change, so confirm it in the app, and check which wheel and payout table it uses on the game screen. Browse all games, see How we review apps for our approach, and use Jaiho Arcade support in the app for any settlement question.
Roulette for money is for adults 18 and over only. Every spin can lose your stake. Our responsible gaming guide has tools to stay in control.
