Playing Roulette In Vegas
Nearly all Las Vegas casinos with table games deal roulette. It is the second most popular non-blackjack table game in the Las Vegas Table Game Survey behind baccarat. There are four types of roulette in Las Vegas. The options are European, single zero, double zero and triple zero. Learn Roulette Odds - All you need to know about the odds of roulette games. Use our trusted, expert guide so you can play better, both live and online.
Roulette is a classic table game that’s been popular for centuries. It’s available in abundance throughout Las Vegas.
The numerous Vegas roulette casinos give you plenty of variety to choose from. But what Las Vegas casinos are the best in terms of house edge and minimum bets?
This page covers the typical roulette scene in Sin City. It also discusses which casinos offer the best games.
The Standard Vegas Roulette Game
Las Vegas may boast hundreds of roulette tables. However, these tables mostly feature one game—American roulette.
The American wheel is characterized by 38 numbered pockets. The pockets break down as follows:
You’d be on equal footing with the casino if American roulette only featured numbers 1-36. However, the zero and double zero favor the house on all bets that don’t involve either pocket.
If you wager on red/black for example, 18 of the spaces will deliver a win. 20 of the spaces, meanwhile, result in a loss.
When divided by 38 total pockets, the two zero-based pockets result in a 5.26% house edge. This roulette house advantage is one of the worst among all casino games.
Unfortunately, Vegas and other gambling destinations are filled with American wheels. They like these wheels because:
- They win more money from players.
- People continue playing these games even with the high house edge.
You typically need to bet $5 or more to play Vegas roulette games. Stretched out over 50 spins per hour, you’d be wagering at least $250.
Multiplying this betting volume by the 5.26% house edge, you stand to lose $13.15 per hour. Although not a fortune, this amount is quite high when considering the low stakes and number of spins.
Which Roulette Games Do You Want?
The default American roulette game offered in Vegas isn’t ideal. Its high house advantage greatly reduces your chances of winning money.
Therefore, you should seek out alternative roulette games when possible. The following variations represent the best roulette that Sin City has to offer.
European Roulette
The European wheel features 37 numbered pockets. These pockets break down as follows:
The noticeable difference here is the absence of double zero. By dividing this lone house-friendly pocket by 37 numbers, you arrive at a 2.70% house edge.
European roulette still doesn’t give you the best chance to win among all casinos games. However, its reasonable 2.70% house advantage places it in the upper half.
French Roulette
This game looks identical to the European game. After all, French roulette plays on a European wheel.
The key difference, though, is that French roulette features the “la partage” rule. This rule works as follows:
- You place an even-money wager.
- Your bet loses, because the ball lands on zero.
- You only lose half of your wager instead of the full amount.
Remember, though, that la partage only applies to even-money bets. Therefore, you must stick with high/low, odds/even, and red/black to take advantage of the low house edge.
American Roulette /w La Partage
Certain American roulette games feature the la partage rule too. On these tables, you only lose half of your money on even-money wagers when the ball lands on zero or double zero.
Here’s the math behind the house edge in this scenario:
- American roulette features two house-friendly pockets (zero and double zero).
- 2 / 38 = 5.26%
- 26 / 2 (la partage) = 2.63% house edge
This 2.63% house advantage is actually better than what European roulette offers. Again, though, you need to place even-money bets to qualify.
Unfortunately, I don’t know of any Las Vegas casinos that offer this particular game. This American roulette variation likely exists in Sin City, but I don’t know exactly where.
Which Vegas Casinos Offer the Best Roulette Games?
You don’t gain any advantage by playing at a standard American roulette table. Instead, you must find European or French roulette tables to win more money.
An American wheel with la partage in play will also work. Of course, you also need to worry about two other considerations:
You may need to worry about the minimum wager for bankroll purposes. The number of tables is also important, because it determines how easily it’ll be for you to find an open game.
That said, the top Las Vegas casinos for each purpose—house edge, minimum bet, no. of tables—are all covered below.
Best for House Edge
European and French roulette games aren’t available in abundance. However, the following casinos do feature a limited number of such tables:
- Aria – French roulette
- Bellagio – French
- Encore – French
- Mandalay Bay – French
- MGM Grand – French
- Mirage – French
- Wynn – French
- Cromwell – European roulette
- Palazzo – European
- Venetian – European
Best Quantity of Tables
A low house edge is only good if you can take advantage of it. Below, you’ll find the number of quality roulette tables available in the above-mentioned casinos:
- Aria – 1 table (French)
- Bellagio – 2 tables (French)
- Encore – 1 table (French)
- Mandalay Bay – 2 tables (French)
- MGM Grand – 2 tables (French)
- Mirage – 2 tables (French)
- Wynn – 1 table (French)
- Cromwell – 1 table (European)
- Palazzo – 1 table (European)
- Venetian – 1 table (European)
Best for Low Minimum Bets
The toughest part about playing Vegas European or French roulette is that you must bet a lot. Here are the minimum wagers required at each casino.
- Aria – $50 minimum bet
- Bellagio – $50
- Encore – $100
- Mandalay Bay – $50
- MGM Grand – $25
- Mirage – $100
- Wynn – $100
- Cromwell – No listed minimum
- Palazzo – $100
- Venetian – $100
Is It Worth Hunting for European & French Roulette in Vegas?
Assuming you wager a fair amount on roulette, then you’ll gain value by looking for the top games in Sin City. You’ll enjoy a much better house edge with European (2.70%) or French (1.35%) roulette than you will with the American (5.26%) version.
Here’s a comparison to explain:
- You play American roulette for 50 spins.
- You bet $5 per round.
- 50 x 5 = $250 wagered
- 250 x 0.0526 = $13.15 lost through American roulette
- You play French roulette for 50 spins.
- You bet $50 per round.
- 50 x 50 = $2,500 wagered
- 2,500 x 0.0526 = $33.75 lost through French roulette
Despite facing a low 1.35% house edge with the French game, you lose almost three times as much in this example. The higher minimum wager exposes you more to the house advantage.
Another issue involves finding open tables. Casinos that offer the best roulette variations only do so on 1-2 tables.
High-rollers who want the best chance to win will seek out these limited tables. Therefore, you must be willing to put in more work to join the few existing games.
Where Else Can You Find the Top Roulette Games?
Las Vegas represents your best chance of playing European and French roulette in America. But you can find these games in other settings too, including the following options.
Europe
European roulette draws its name from the continent where it was born. The Blanc brothers introduced this game to German casinos in the mid-1800s.
The European wheel is heavily prevalent throughout the continent today. Unlike with American and Canadian casinos, which are filled with American wheels, Europe boasts many European roulette games.
You can do even better by traveling to France, Germany, or Monte Carlo specifically. These countries boast a fair number of French roulette tables.
Online Casinos
If you can’t make it to Europe, then online casinos offer a more-convenient way to play roulette for real money.
Almost every internet casinos features the European wheel. This means you can enjoy a 2.70% house edge whenever you log on.
Some casinos also offer American roulette with the la partage rule and the French variation. The latter is available at Microgaming and Realtime Gaming (RTG) casinos.
Aside from offering the top variations in a convenient manner, online roulette also boasts extremely low minimum bets. You can play for as little as $1 per spin in most cases.
Conclusion
Like other US gambling destinations, Las Vegas is known for American roulette first. However, you can still find French and European roulette too.
$1 Roulette Tables In Vegas
These games both give you a stronger chance to win than the American version. The catch, though, is that you must usually bet $50 or more to play these variants in Sin City.
Unless you’re already a high roller, you should consider playing European and French roulette elsewhere.
Playing Roulette In Las Vegas
Both Europe and online casinos offer the best variations. Internet roulette is especially attractive thanks to its convenience and $1 stakes.