- Inside bets or side bets offer high payouts, but come with a high house edge.
- Outside bets are the most reliable roulette bets, including several even-money bets.
- Different roulette variants like European versus American rules may include different betting options.
Getting started with online roulette is incredibly easy. Once the roulette wheel and roulette ball come to a stop, players will receive their payouts if they got lucky and chose the right bet. While this all sounds relatively straightforward, beneath this basic gameplay sits a range of different betting options that players might find intimidating at a glance.
In this roulette betting guide, the player will learn about the different types of roulette bets, what bets fall into each category, how they work, and what they pay out. This can help players better understand roulette rules and how to bet on roulette, and could help them improve their roulette strategy.
The Basic Rules of Roulette
Before diving into the different types of bets, it’s important to have a clear understanding of the basic rules of roulette for beginners.
There are two main types of roulette games: European and American roulette. Each of these roulette games comes with a slightly different roulette wheel. European roulette wheels have 37 numbered pockets, numbered 0–36. American wheels add a 00 for 38 numbered pockets in total. This extra pocket raises the house edge from about 2.70% in European roulette to 5.26% in American roulette.
Regardless of the roulette wheel, the objective remains the same. The player must predict where the ball will land by placing chips on their preferred bet on the roulette table. This must be done before the dealer closes betting.
The dealer will then drop a roulette ball into the spinning roulette wheel. After the ball and wheel stop, the dealer pays out winning bets while losing bets are forfeited. Then the next game begins.
This simplicity is just one of the reasons why roulette is considered a classic, but there are many more reasons that make roulette such a popular casino game.
The Different Types of Roulette Bets
Now that players understand the basic rules of the game, it’s time to take a closer look at the different types of roulette bets that exist in the game and how they affect roulette payouts. The two main categories of bets in roulette are inside bets and outside bets. However, there are also less common categories of bets. These are call/announced bets and side bets.
Understanding Inside Bets
Inside bets, like the straight-up and split bets in roulette, occupy the numbered grid in the centre of the felt. Their payouts are high because each wager covers a small set of pockets. The player who favours larger potential returns and is comfortable with high risk should consider this category of bets.
Here are the different types of inside bets on the roulette table layout:
| Bet | Description | Payout |
| Straight-up | A bet on one number | 35 to 1 |
| Split | A bet on two vertically or horizontally adjacent numbers | 17 to 1 |
| Street | A bet on three numbers in a row | 11 to 1 |
| Trio | A bet on three numbers including at least 0 and/or 00 | 11 to 1 |
| Corner | Four numbers that share a common corner | 8 to 1 |
| Top Line | A bet on 0, 1, 2, and 3 (Only available in European roulette) | 8 to 1 |
| Basket | A bet on 0, 00, 1, 2, and 3 (Only available in American roulette) | 6 to 1 |
| Double Street | A bet on two adjoining streets that make up six numbers | 5 to 1 |
Understanding Outside Bets
Outside wagers sit around the numbered grid and cover broader sets of pockets, giving the player more frequent wins but lower payouts, with even-money bets making up the majority of the betting options. Outside bets in roulette help the player stretch a session, making them a common foundation for step-by-step bankroll strategies.
| Bet | Description | Payout |
| Red/Black | A bet on all red or all black pockets | 1 to 1 |
| Odd/Even | A bet on all odd or all even numbers | 1 to 1 |
| High/Low | A bet on 19–36 (high) or 1–18 (low) groups of numbers | 1 to 1 |
| Dozens | A bet on either 1–12, 13–24, or 25–36 groups of numbers | 2 to 1 |
| Columns | A bet on one of three vertical columns | 2 to 1 |
Understanding Call Bets
Call bets are a special type of bet where players call out their wager aloud, and the dealer will place the bet on their behalf. This type of bet lets the player cover multiple numbers with a single call and is typically found in European and French roulette tables. These bets combine a wide range of numbers, so payouts will vary depending on the result. Many of these bets are also known as racetrack bets.
| Bet | Description |
| Voisins du Zéro | A fixed call bet placed on 17 numbers located between 22 and 25 on the roulette wheel |
| Jeu Zéro | A fixed call bet on the numbers close to zero and between 12 and 15 on the roulette wheel |
| Tiers du Cylindre | A fixed call bet on the numbers between 27 and 33 on the roulette wheel |
| Orphelins | A fixed call bet on the numbers not covered by the other bets, including 17, 34, and 6 on one side of the roulette wheel and 1, 20, 14, 31, and 9 on the other |
| Neighbours | A variable call bet is placed on five numbers, including the called number, and the two numbers on either side of that number |
| Finals | A variable call bet is placed on all the numbers that end in the same digit. |
Understanding Side Bets
Some roulette variants add optional side bets that sit outside standard inside/outside/called bet rules. Side bets differ between software providers and may carry higher house edges, so the player should confirm the rules in the game info panel before participating.
A few examples of side bets include:
Lucky Ball
In the Wizard of Odds article “Lucky Ball Roulette”, these are described as four side bets on four extra colours. An additional bet on the colours red, yellow, green, or blue. After bets close, a random number is assigned to each colour. The side bet pays if the ball drops into the pocket matching the coloured number, with randomized payouts.
Jackpot Streets Double Six
As per the article “Jackpot Streets Double Six” by Wizard of Odds, this is twelve possible side bets, one for each row of three numbers on the table (same as street bets). With each spin, two six-sided dice are rolled to pick a winning street. The side bet pays if the winning number of the round is in the winning street, with payouts scaled to the number of sixes on the dice.
Roul 8
The Wizard of Odds article “Roul8: Roulette Side Bet” describes this wager as a combination side bet, simultaneously betting on whether the winning number of the round is an eight alongside the roll of three six-sided dice.
A Better Understanding of the Different Types of Roulette Bets
Having completed this guide, players should have a better understanding of the roulette wheel and the bets they can make, which in turn will help players make more informed roulette online betting decisions. This, combined with online roulette money management tips, can go a long way to helping players have a good understanding of this casino table game.
