Roulette pays as if the wheel had only 36 numbers. A straight-up bet on one number pays 35 to 1, a red or black bet 1 to 1, a dozen 2 to 1 – each payout is 36 divided by the number of numbers covered, minus the stake. The zero (and, on American wheels, the double zero) are extra pockets that are not counted, and that gap is the casino’s profit.
On a European wheel with 37 pockets every standard bet returns 36/37 of the money staked in the long run, a house edge of 2.70%. On an American wheel with 38 pockets the edge is 2/38 = 5.26%, and the five-number “top line” (0, 00, 1, 2, 3) is even worse at 7.89%. No betting system changes these figures, because every spin is independent.
Choose the wheel, the bet and your stake. The calculator gives the probability and odds of winning, the payout and amount returned, the expected loss per bet and the house edge, and – for a number of spins you choose – the chance of winning at least once, the expected number of wins and the expected total result.
How to use the Roulette Payout Calculator
- Wheel
- Bet
- Stake — Any currency.
- Number of spins (for the long-run figures)
Everything is calculated in your browser, so results appear instantly and nothing you type is sent to a server.
How it works
The number of pockets a bet covers determines everything: probability S/N, payout (36/S − 1) to 1 (8 to 1 for the European first-four bet and 6 to 1 for the American top line), and expected value. Results over many spins treat spins as independent.
Worked example
A $10 straight-up bet on a European wheel wins with probability 1/37 ≈ 2.703% and pays 35 to 1, so a win returns $360. Expected value = (1/37) × $350 − (36/37) × $10 = −$0.27 per bet, a house edge of 2.70%. Over 10 spins the chance of at least one win is 1 − (36/37)¹⁰ ≈ 23.97% and the expected result is −$2.70. A $10 bet on red wins 18/37 ≈ 48.65% of the time, pays 1 to 1 and has the same expected loss of $0.27.
Bets, odds and payouts
| Bet | Numbers | Payout | Win chance (European) | Win chance (American) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Straight up | 1 | 35 to 1 | 2.70% | 2.63% |
| Split | 2 | 17 to 1 | 5.41% | 5.26% |
| Street | 3 | 11 to 1 | 8.11% | 7.89% |
| Corner | 4 | 8 to 1 | 10.81% | 10.53% |
| Six line | 6 | 5 to 1 | 16.22% | 15.79% |
| Dozen / column | 12 | 2 to 1 | 32.43% | 31.58% |
| Red, black, even, odd, low, high | 18 | 1 to 1 | 48.65% | 47.37% |
Formula
P(win) = S/N (S = numbers covered, N = 37 or 38 pockets) · payout = 36/S − 1 to 1 · expected value = P(win) × payout × stake − P(lose) × stake · house edge = 1/37 (European) or 2/38 (American)
Worked example
Inputs — Wheel: European – single zero (37 pockets); Bet: Straight up – 1 number; Stake: 10; Number of spins (for the long-run figures): 10.
Results — Chance of winning = 2.703 %; Probability as a fraction = 1/37; Odds against winning = 36 to 1; Payout = 35 to 1; Profit if you win = 350; Total returned if you win (stake + profit) = 360.
Key terms
- Payout (x to 1)
- The profit paid per unit staked on a winning bet.
- Odds against
- The ratio of losing to winning outcomes, e.g. 36 to 1 for a single number on a European wheel.
- House edge
- The casino's average profit as a percentage of the stake.
- Expected value
- The average result per bet if it were repeated many times.
Frequently asked questions
What does a straight-up bet pay?
35 to 1. A $10 bet that wins returns $360: your $10 back plus $350 profit.
What are the odds of hitting a single number?
1/37 ≈ 2.70% on a European wheel and 1/38 ≈ 2.63% on an American wheel.
What is the chance of red?
18/37 ≈ 48.65% (European) or 18/38 ≈ 47.37% (American) – zero and double zero are green.
What is the house edge in roulette?
2.70% on a single-zero wheel for every bet, and 5.26% on a double-zero wheel (7.89% for the five-number bet).
Which roulette bet is best?
On a given wheel all standard bets have the same expected loss; only the variance differs. Choosing a European wheel halves the edge.
Can a betting system like the Martingale beat roulette?
No. Changing stakes cannot change the expected value of independent bets; it only reshapes the risk, with occasional large losses.
What is the payout formula?
Payout = 36/S − 1 to 1, where S is the number of numbers covered: 17 to 1 for a split, 11 to 1 for a street, 8 to 1 for a corner, 5 to 1 for a six line.