All the glitter and glamour of Vegas wouldn’t be the same without the enchanting roulette wheel. Part of Sin City’s charm is the abundance of casinos that offer roulette wheels for patrons to try their luck. There are two different types of Roulette wheels – one American, one European. So, just how different is it to play roulette in Monaco versus playing in Vegas?
There are a number of differences between American and European ways of doing things. The manner in which people use their forks, drive their cars, and even how they play their roulette differ vastly on either sides of the Atlantic Ocean. While most of us know that Americans tend to drive on the right side of the road, while the British drive on their left, the gap between the American and the European roulette causes the most confusion. The difference boils down to the way American and European wheels are constructed.
Structural differences between the roulette wheels
When the Blanc brothers started to popularize roulette in Hamburg, Germany, the wheel only had 36 numbered pockets into which the ball could come to rest. Francois and Louis Blanc figured that the house edge increases if they added a pocket with a zero to the original 36 pockets. When Francois Blanc set up casinos in Monte Carlo, the wheel with a zero alongside 36 numbered pockets became the standard roulette apparatus. This not only helped casinos gain house edge, but it also helped them to make huge profits, which allowed them to remain in business and become successful.
As roulette made its way to the US, casino owners in Las Vegas and elsewhere felt pressurized to become more profitable. They figured, adding another green pocket with two zeroes will help increase the house edge, and decrease the player’s odds only so very slightly. Almost all casinos in America adopted the double zero wheel, eventually becoming the standard American Roulette. In other words, European Roulette wheels come with a single zero, while the American wheel has a zero and two zeroes.
How the extra zero plays out For the player
What does it matter, to have a zero or to have double zeroes? And why should you care? A lot could be at stake, depending on which wheel you are playing.
To cut a long story short, each zero decreases the likelihood that a player wins a spin. As a European wheel has 36 numbered pockets plus a single zero, the chances of you winning is 1 in 37. If you win, your payout ratio would be 35 to 1. In other words, you receive 35 in addition to your initial bet. In an American wheel, there are 38 pockets, of which two are zeros, and 36 are numbered pockets. This slightly decreases your chance of winning. Your odds of winning at the American roulette wheel are 1 in 38, and you still get paid 35 plus your initial bet.
While you may think that in both European and American roulette wheels you get paid 35 to 1, the chances of you getting paid (because you need to win) is higher when you play on the European wheel. There might be a difference of just one pocket, but it increases or decreases your chance of winning considerably.
Which wheel will you encounter at a casino?
All over the world, casinos offer European roulette wheels to their patrons. In the US, it is most common to find American roulette wheels, but some casinos do offer European roulette wheels. Every casino explicitly mentions if its roulette wheels are European or American. Though you may have a slightly lower chance of winning in the US than elsewhere in the world, it is a memorable experience to play the American roulette wheel with its extra green color slot for double zeroes. After all, this one is a true American culture icon.
American culture, especially Nevadan culture, centers on individuality and opportunity. American roulette is an example of this individual opportunity to win fairly, without making things too easy for anyone. With a fair house edge, and solid basis in US history and casino culture, American roulette remains one of the most popular casino games in North America. Las Vegas wouldn’t be the same if not for the Devil’s Wheel with its extra zero.
Ready to give roulette a spin? Come play with our live dealers at Cleebo Casino. Hop on to play roulette now.
