Online roulette in Canada: wheels, odds and house edge
Roulette is the easiest casino game to calculate. The wheel you choose sets the house edge, and no betting system changes it.
Short answer
Pick the wheel before the bet. European roulette has one zero and a 2.70% house edge (1 ÷ 37). American roulette adds a double zero and costs 5.26% (2 ÷ 38), almost twice as much. French tables with la partage return half of an even-money bet when the ball lands on zero, which cuts the edge on those bets to 1.35%. Every bet on a given wheel has the same edge (except the five-number bet on American wheels, at 7.89%), and no betting system changes it. Our session notes:.
Roulette rounds are quick online. Decide your session budget first: responsible gambling.
The three wheels and what they cost
| Wheel | Pockets | House edge | Average cost of C$100 in bets |
|---|---|---|---|
| European or French (single zero) | 37: 1 to 36 plus 0 | 1 ÷ 37 = 2.70% | C$2.70 |
| French with la partage, even-money bets | 37 | 1.35% | C$1.35 |
| American (double zero) | 38: 1 to 36 plus 0 and 00 | 2 ÷ 38 = 5.26% | C$5.26 |
| Triple zero | 39: 1 to 36 plus 0, 00 and 000 | 3 ÷ 39 = 7.69% | C$7.69 |
The edge comes from the payouts. A straight-up number pays 35:1, which would be fair on a wheel with 36 pockets. The zero (or zeros) are the extra pockets that pay nothing.
How the 2.70% is calculated
Take a C$1 bet on a single number at a European wheel. You win C$35 with probability 1 in 37, and lose C$1 with probability 36 in 37.
Average result = (35 × 1 − 1 × 36) ÷ 37 = −1 ÷ 37 = −C$0.027 per C$1 bet, a 2.70% edge.
The same holds for a C$1 bet on red: you win C$1 on 18 pockets and lose C$1 on 19 (the 18 blacks plus zero). Average result = (18 − 19) ÷ 37 = −1 ÷ 37, again 2.70%. Every standard bet works out the same way:
| Bet | Numbers covered | Payout | European edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight up | 1 | 35:1 | 2.70% |
| Split | 2 | 17:1 | 2.70% |
| Street | 3 | 11:1 | 2.70% |
| Corner | 4 | 8:1 | 2.70% |
| Six line | 6 | 5:1 | 2.70% |
| Dozen or column | 12 | 2:1 | 2.70% |
| Red/black, odd/even, 1–18/19–36 | 18 | 1:1 | 2.70% (1.35% with la partage) |
On an American wheel, every bet in this table costs 5.26%. The one exception is the five-number bet on 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3, which costs 7.89%. Avoid it.
La partage and en prison
Some French-rules tables add a rule for even-money bets when the ball lands on zero.
La partage: you get half your stake back. On a C$1 bet on red, you win C$1 on 18 pockets, lose C$1 on 18, and lose C$0.50 on zero. Average result = (18 − 18 − 0.5) ÷ 37 = −0.5 ÷ 37 = −1.35%.
En prison: your bet stays on the table for the next spin. If it wins then, you get your stake back; if it loses, you lose it. Wizard of Odds puts single imprisonment at about 1.39%, close to la partage but slightly higher.
Both rules apply only to even-money bets. A straight-up number at the same table still costs 2.70%. Look for “French roulette” and check the rules screen for la partage or en prison.
Why betting systems don’t work
Systems change the size and order of your bets. They can’t change the edge on each bet, so the average loss is always total bets × house edge.
Take the Martingale: bet C$1 on red, double after each loss, return to C$1 after a win. Each completed series wins C$1. The risk is a losing run. The chance of losing 7 spins in a row on red at a European wheel is (19 ÷ 37)^7, about 0.94%, roughly once in 106 series. By then you have lost 1 + 2 + 4 + 8 + 16 + 32 + 64 = C$127 to chase a C$1 profit, and the next bet would be C$128, which may be over the table maximum. Over many series, the rare large losses cancel the frequent C$1 wins and the 2.70% edge remains.
The same applies to Fibonacci, d’Alembert and “hot number” tracking. Each spin is independent, so past results don’t predict the next one.
Online variants
- RNG roulette: a software wheel. Rounds are fast, so the hourly cost is higher at the same stake.
- Live roulette: a real wheel on video, with slower rounds.
- Lightning Roulette and other multiplier tables: straight-up numbers pay 29:1 normally, plus random multipliers of 50x to 500x on one to five numbers per round, according to Evolution.
Check the table’s info screen for the number of zeros before you bet. Free roulette demos:.
Our play notes
Casinos with roulette
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Questions
Which roulette has the best odds?
French roulette with la partage, at 1.35% on even-money bets. Standard European roulette is 2.70%. American is 5.26%.
Is online roulette random?
RNG roulette uses a random number generator that licensed casinos have tested by independent labs. Live roulette uses a physical wheel on camera. In both, each spin is independent.
Can I beat roulette with a system?
No. A system changes bet sizes; the edge on each bet stays the same. The average loss stays at total bets times the house edge.
Does roulette count towards bonus wagering?
Often only partly, or it is excluded. Check the bonus terms before you play roulette with bonus money: see casino bonuses.
Sources
- Wizard of Odds: Roulette basics (checked November 3, 2026)
- Evolution: Lightning Roulette (checked November 3, 2026, via an archived copy of October 16, 2026)