Differing Roulette Wheels
by Colin T. Fagras

The game of roulette is an extremely exciting casino game where gambling newcomers often flock. Like online bingo this game involves lots of luck and practically no skill, making it a popular choice for recreational gamblers. Roulette is a very social and interactive game that's easily attractive for new casino visitors. The excitement of large 35-to-1 payouts, the spinning of the wheel, the landing of the ball and the cheers of the players all make roulette an easy target for entertainment.

However, before you begin playing roulette, you should learn the differences between single zero roulette and double zero roulette. This article isn't a guide to playing roulette. It is simply designed to explain the differences between the two types of roulette wheels and how the odds of each wheel can drastically change the game.

If you're new to the game of roulette, you'll quickly realize that the green 0 and 00 slots found on roulette wheels are where casinos gain their advantage. When placing any of the different types of roulette bets, the ball landing on 0 or 00 usually means trouble for the player and victory for the casino.

The first type of roulette wheel is the single zero roulette wheel, which is generally found in the game of European roulette, featured in most European casinos and some online casinos. Single zero roulette wheels feature the standard mix of red and black slots numbered 1-36, in addition to one green zero (0) slot. The total number of slots on this type of wheel is 37.

The house advantage for casinos in a single zero roulette game is 1/37, 2.70%. This number is found by dividing the number of 0's on the wheel (1) into the total amount of numbers on the wheel (37).

The second type of roulette wheel is the double zero roulette wheel. This is the type of wheel seen in American roulette and certain online casinos. The double zero roulette wheel features the standard roulette slots numbered 1-36, in addition to both a zero (0) green slot and a double zero (00) green slot. The total number of slots for this type of wheel is 38.

The house advantage for casinos in a double zero roulette game is 2/38 (1/19), 5.26%. This number is found by dividing the number of 0's on the wheel (2) into the total amount of numbers on the wheel (38).

As seen above, the house has a much higher advantage in a game of roulette featuring a double zero wheel, which greatly hurts the player. The house advantage compared to a single wheel game almost doubles. It is extremely beneficial if you can find a game that only uses a single zero wheel. While most American casinos use a double zero wheel, you can generally still find single zero roulette games with a bit of searching. If you're an online casino player, you can usually find roulette games that feature a single zero wheel with ease.

An important part of becoming a winning roulette player is to be informed, so always scout around for single zero wheels when playing roulette.