American and European Roulette Wheels

American Roulette Wheel

The game of American Roulette is played on a wheel which consists of thirty-eight slots, each with its own number. The numbers on a Roulette wheel are 1-36, 0, and 00. The numbers alternate pairs of odd numbers with pairs of even numbers. The numbers also alternate between black and red. Both the 0 and 00 slots are green. A dealer, or croupier spins the wheel in one direction and then rolls a small ball in the other direction. The ball then drops into one of the slots as it begins to slow down.

Below is a picture of an American roulette wheel.

Below is a diagram of an American roulette wheel.

European Roulette Wheel

The European or as some prefer to call it the French roulette wheel has 36 numbers and only the single 0 (unlike the American version which has two zeroes - 0 and 00). The European roulette wheel is found mostly in European and South American casinos and is seldom seen anywhere in the USA. The single zero wheels gives far better odds to the player on the European Roulette wheel, in fact , cutting the house edge of American roulette by 1/2.

Below is a picture of a European roulette wheel.

Below is a diagram of a European roulette wheel.