The European Roulette Wheel

The European wheel is also known as the French wheel. It has all the numbers from 1 to 36 on it, and a 0 slot. This is the main difference between a European and an American wheel. The American wheel has an extra slot, the 00 slot.

As the name suggests this type of roulette wheel is mainly used in casinos all over Europe. It is also found in South American casinos. You will have a hard time trying to find a European wheel in North America, but it is not a waste of time as it offers better odds than the American wheel. This is because of the missing 00 slot on European wheels. The house advantage of 5.26% that you will be facing when playing an American wheel is reduced by half on a European wheel. A lower house advantage means better odds for the player.

The American Roulette wheel

The American roulette wheel has all the numbers from 1 to 36 on it, plus a 0 and a 00 slot. American wheels are mainly used in casinos in the United States and in the Caribbean islands.

The main difference between American and European or French wheels is the extra 00 slot. But because of this extra slot the house advantage on American wheels is double than the house advantage of European wheels. When playing an American wheel the house advantage is a high 5.26%. The house advantage can increase to as much as 7% when making a "Five number bet".