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What is the difference between European, French and American Roulette?

Updated: September 27, 2024 at 3:52 pm GMT+1

What is the difference between European, French and American Roulette?

To outsiders, the fact that there are so many roulette formats may seem excessive. It is easy to understand this perspective, as themed and live variations add diversity to typical online casino brands and clutter and extremely popular niche in the gambling sector.

At the heart of this range are three core roulette formats, however, each of which is subsequently adapted to create new and innovative variations. These are the European, French and American formats of the game and these variations have subtle differences that need to be understood by players before they make a selection.

So what exactly are the central differences surrounding these three roulette variations. The American format of the game is perhaps the most unique, given that it is played on an entirely different wheel than the other two. More specifically, the American wheel has an additional, double zero slot, which has a pivotal impact in terms of gameplay and the typical players’ chances of winning.  While the house edge associated with European and French roulette is 2.7%, for example, this rises to 5.2% during American gameplay.

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To secure a lower and more competitive house edge, the French and European roulette wheels have a single zero slot. These two formats are more uniform as they are more directly linked in terms of geography and heritage, with the European variation having evolved from the original French game in the 18th century. There is a core difference between these two scarcely distinguishable formats, however, with the French version more likely to include one or both of ‘la partage’ and ‘en prison’ rules.

These are essentially variations of the same rule, which enables players to recover their stake after a wheel spin where the ball lands in the zero groove (provided that the initial wager was placed on evens or odds, high or low, red or black). These rules dictate that the French format of the game is the most popular, as it helps players to minimise risk and optimise their returns over time.

At brands such as Coral Casino, you can access all three of these formats from a single platform. This makes it even more important that you choose the discipline that most suits your philosophy, playing style and level of experience, as the temptation to select a random format can damage your chances of enjoying success over time.

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Craig Jones

Craig Jones

Content Manager on Freebets. Experienced punter, from back street, smoke filled betting shops in the 2000s, to state of the art, dedicated betting apps of the 2020s. Covering the gambling industry with expert opinion and looking at the latest innovations.

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