How to Play Roulette: Rules, Bets & Payouts Explained

May 30, 2025

roulette wheel, chips and betting layout

Glamorous, glitzy, stunning – all words that describe the great game of roulette. But how do you know how roulette works?

Despite its elite reputation as an incredibly popular casino game, it is easy to play. If you’re a beginner, read on to learn the basics of how roulette is played.

The Roulette Table & Wheel Layout

For those who need a refresher on how to play roulette, I’ll quickly cover the basics.

Roulette is a game of chance played with a numbered wheel, a single ball, and plenty of exciting ways to bet on the outcome.

The dealer spins the ball, and it will eventually land in a numbered pocket. That number is the winning number, and all bets covering that number are winners.

How does roulette betting work? The game table features all the possible outcomes, including the numbers and all bet types.

Half of the numbers are colored red; the other half are colored black. So, besides betting on a single number, you can also place more general wagers, such as the color of the winning number.

This fast-paced game is easy to play, and waiting for the ball to drop is utterly thrilling.

How a Game Round Works

Let’s break down how roulette works. Game rounds are blisteringly quick, but your participation is very simple.

Remember, when playing at a land-based casino, you’ll need to physically move the chips yourself, but you can ask the dealer to help you place them correctly.

When playing online, you’ll place bets by using touchscreen controls or a mouse to move virtual chips into position.

The dealer will alert players that betting is open
Move your chips to the positions you wish to bet
The dealer spins the wheel and makes the spin
Partway through the spin, the dealer closes the betting window
The ball lands in a numbered pocket on the wheel
Finally, the dealer will call the winning number, and the casino pays the winning bets

Types of Roulette Bets

How roulette betting works is fairly simple. There are numerous bets you can place to cover numbers in exciting and strategic ways. In fact, you don’t even need to bet on any one specific number.

Roulette betting features two bet types: Inside and outside bets. Inside bets refer to any wager placed directly on the numbered table. For example, betting on the number 12.

However, outside bets are wagers with stronger odds covering more numbers at once. For example, betting on all the red numbers in a single even wager.

Inside Bets:

Straight up: This is a bet on a single number, plain and simple, and offers the highest payout. For example, a bet on 10 or 25 is a Straight Up bet.
Split: A split is a bet on two vertically or horizontally adjacent numbers. For example, 3 and 6, or 2 and 3.
Street: This bet covers three vertical numbers. For example, 1, 2, 3 or 34, 35, 36.
Corner: Sometimes called a “Square Bet” because you need a square of four numbers, this is a bet that covers an intersected four numbers. For example,
Line: This is an extension of the street bet. Instead of three numbers, you cover two adjacent vertical rows, totalling six numbers. For example, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33.

Outside Bets:

Red or black: This is an even money bet, meaning you have an even chance of winning or losing. “Red” wins if the ball lands of any red colored number and “Black” wins if the ball lands on any black colored number.
Odd or even: Another even money bet. “Odd” wins if the ball lands on any odd number, and “Even” wins if the ball lands on any even number.
High/low (1–18 / 19–36): These two bets cover one side of the roulette table. A high bet covers all the high numbers, and a low bet covers all the low numbers. For example, if you bet high and the number is 25, you’d win the bet.
Columns: The roulette table lines the numbers into three columns of 12 numbers each. You can bet on these columns and win if the winning number is within your chosen column.
Dozens: Look carefully and you’ll notice the roulette table contains three sets of a dozen numbers. You can bet on each of these sets of a dozen, and you’ll win if the number falls into your chosen dozen.

Racetrack bets:

This is a rarely mentioned way to play roulette. You can place bets on what is affectionately called “the racetrack”.

It is a bet using the order of numbers on the roulette wheel rather than the table.

Without getting into too much detail, you cover a series of numbers found within “sectors”, or you can cover one number plus a specific number of numbers beside it.

For example, you could bet “8 numbers” on 15. That would mean betting on 15 plus eight numbers as they appear on either side of 15 on the wheel.

“Orphelins” is an example of a racetrack sector you can bet on. It covers a series of numbers at either end of the wheel.

Roulette Payouts & Odds

You’ve likely noticed a slight difference in the odds between European and American roulette.

That’s because American roulette utilizes the extra zero, which nudges the house edge in favor of the casino. 2.7% for European roulette and 5.26% for American roulette.

While the payout ratios remain the same, the odds of hitting that outcome are slightly less likely playing European roulette than American.

Roulette Strategies & Tips

Now, roulette is still a game of chance. No matter how roulette is played, there is no guaranteed method to success.

Roulette is played for fun, and the sheer randomness of the wheel spin is a major part of the excitement.

However, a few popular roulette strategies may increase your chances of success.

Martingale: Basically, double your bet every time you lose and reset after a win. For example, bet $10 and win, so you bet $10 on the next round. But if you lose, then double the bet to $20. If you win, reset to $10, but if you lose, the $20 would double again to $40.
Reverse Martingale: This strategy asks you to increase your bets when you lose instead of when you win. Typically, you double your winning bet and then halve your bet when you lose. For example, after you win $10, your next bet would be $20. If the $20 bet loses, then your next bet is $10.
Betting Evens: If you bet a single number, there is every chance you could go round after round without ever seeing it hit. However, Red/Black or Odd/Even is far less volatile.

Variations of the Game

You can play more than one type of roulette game. There are three distinct fundamental variations of roulette.

Online variants, such as those offering multipliers or unique rules, are still based on these variations.

European Roulette: The most common and popular form of roulette played around the world. European roulette features a single zero and has better odds than American roulette.
American Roulette: Essentially identical to European roulette in every way except it features a “double zero” – so two zero numbers – and the order of numbers on the wheel differs from the European wheel.
French Roulette: French roulette is almost identical to European roulette except for the La Partage and En Prison rules. La Partage sees half of your even bet returned if the ball lands on zero. En Prison sees your even bet retained in an “all or nothing” fashion when the ball lands on zero. Players may get to choose their option, or the casino might play only one of these rules.

Do you want to try all three variations of roulette? You can play free roulette games at Gamesville, which includes American, French, and European tables.

Where to Play Roulette for Free or Real Prizes

You don’t need to sign up, drop any deposits, or download anything to play free roulette at Gamesville.

Playing for free is incredible fun, and you don’t need to risk any real money. You’ll still feel the thrill of the randomness, and many top sweepstakes casinos still provide ways to win real prizes.