Understanding the different Roulette formats

Roulette is one of the most widely recognised casino table games, and it is available in several different formats across both land-based and online casinos. Some modern platforms also feature real-life studio gameplay, where real wheels and dealers are broadcast to players through live streaming systems.

While the core rules remain consistent, each version of Roulette has small structural differences that affect the layout of the wheel and the numbers available on the table. Understanding these formats can help you identify how each version operates before joining a table.

Below are the main Roulette formats that appear most often in modern casinos.

European Roulette

European Roulette is the most common version found in both physical and online casinos. The wheel contains 37 numbered pockets, which run from zero to 36.

The presence of a single zero pocket is the defining feature of this format. The rest of the numbers alternate between red and black colours, with green used only for the zero. The wheel layout is designed so that high and low numbers, as well as odd and even numbers, are spread evenly across the wheel.

European Roulette is widely used in digital roulette games powered by Random Number Generator systems and in live dealer tables where a physical wheel is filmed through high-definition streaming.

American Roulette

American Roulette follows the same general structure as the European version but introduces an additional pocket on the wheel. Instead of one zero, the wheel includes both a single zero and a double zero.

This means the wheel contains 38 pockets in total, numbered one to 36, along with the two green zero spaces. The addition of the double zero changes the layout of the wheel and slightly alters the mathematical balance of the game.

American Roulette tables are commonly found in casinos located in the United States, although the format also appears in some online platforms.

French Roulette

French Roulette is closely related to European Roulette because it also uses a wheel with 37 pockets and a single zero. The main difference lies in the terminology and table layout.

French Roulette tables use French language betting terms such as "Voisins du Zero", "Tiers du Cylindre", and "Orphelins". These are group bets that cover specific sections of the wheel.

Some French Roulette tables also include traditional table rules known as La Partage or En Prison, which apply when the ball lands on zero during certain even money bets.

Multi-Wheel Roulette

Modern online casinos have introduced variations such as Multi-Wheel Roulette, which uses several roulette wheels at the same time. In this format, one set of bets is placed on the table, but the ball is spun across multiple wheels simultaneously.

Each wheel produces its own result, which is then applied to the same bet layout. This structure allows multiple outcomes to be generated within a single round.

Multi-Wheel formats are typically available in digital roulette games that rely on RNG technology to simulate the spinning wheels.

Live Roulette

Live Roulette combines traditional casino equipment with broadcast technology. The wheel used in these games is a real physical roulette wheel operated by a dealer in a studio environment.

High-definition cameras stream the table to players, while Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology reads the final number where the ball lands. The OCR system converts the visual result into digital data that appears instantly on the player interface.

Players interact with the game through an on-screen betting panel while watching the live wheel spin in real time.