The Difference Between Inside Bets and Outside Bets in Roulette

Roulette wagers in offline and online roulette games are placed on a table covered in numbered or labelled boxes. This allows all the players and the dealer to see which wagers are active. These bets are divided into two main subcategories: inside bets and outside bets. The bets appear alongside each other, which makes it hard to tell the difference at a glance. Learning the advantages and risks associated with each can help a player elevate their roulette game and open up advanced roulette strategies.

The Difference Between Inside and Outside Bets

The squares on a roulette table list all the numbers on the wheel, along with their colour. Surrounding these squares are rectangles representing larger sets of numbers, split up by column, dozens, evens/odds, red/black, or low/high (18 or lower and 19 or higher).

This inner group of individually numbered squares are “inside bets,” where the player bets on one or more specific numbers. The outer group of rectangles are “outside bets,” where the player bets on categories of numbers. Inside bets offer more control over which numbers a bettor wants to back, whereas outside bets offer a lower house edge with less risk. Understanding the differences between these two types of bets is important when creating a roulette betting strategy​.

Types of Inside Bets

At their most basic, inside roulette bets are built around straight-up bets. To make a straight-up bet, place a wager directly on one number, centred in the middle of the square. The odds aren’t high, but the payout might be.

Thanks to the design of the gridded bet table, a stack of chips can overlap several numbers. This leads to many other inside bets where players choose a couple of neighbouring numbers to bet on:

• Split bet: Wagering on two adjacent numbers.
• Street bet: Wagering on a row of three adjacent numbers.
• Corner bet: Wagering on four numbers all touching a shared corner.
• Line bet: Wagering on two adjacent rows for a total of six numbers.

Keep in mind the roulette wheel doesn’t place consecutive numbers next to each other, so many inside bets will be scattered across the wheel’s rim.

Types of Outside Bets

Outside roulette bets care more about categories of numbers than individual numbers themselves. Certain outside bets offer the best odds in roulette and are recommended for new players trying online roulette in Ontario for the first time. 

There are two subcategories of outside bets. The first covers bets that pay out 2:1 odds:

• Column bet: Wagering on either the leftmost, centre, or rightmost column of twelve adjacent numbers.
• Dozens bet: Wagering on the first dozen, second dozen, or third dozen numbers on the table.

The second type of outside bets is called “even bets” because they offer even 1:1 odds. As the roulette wheel includes one or more zeros depending on the ruleset, the true odds are always slightly in the casino’s favour. That said, even bets are still the least risky wagers in roulette. The even bets are:

• Red/black: Wagering that the winning number will be either red or black.
• Odds/evens: Wagering that the winning number will be either an even or an odd number.
• Low/high: Wagering that the winning number will be either 18 and lower or 19 and higher.

Be aware that outside bets always exclude zeros, making zero an instant loss.

The Odds of Inside and Outside Bets

With a better understanding of inside and outside bets, it should be clear that although inside bets are riskier, they can be more thrilling when the player snags an unlikely win, while outside bets are safer and best for longer play sessions. For easy reference, here’s a brief summary of the different types of roulette bets and their odds so you can be prepared the next time you play roulette during an online casino games session: