Roulette is an easy online casino game to pick up and play. Players place a wager and the dealer will spin the roulette wheel. After the dealer has spun the wheel, they drop a roulette ball (also known as a roulette pill) into the spinning wheel. Once the roulette wheel and roulette ball come to a stop, players will receive their payouts if they got lucky and chose the right bet.
While this all sounds relatively straightforward, beneath this basic gameplay sits a range of different betting options that players might find intimidating at a glance.
In this guide, the player will learn about the different types of roulette bets, what bets fall into each category, how they work, and what they pay out, which can help players better understand how to bet on roulette and could help them improve their roulette strategy.
The Basic Rules of Roulette
Before diving into the different types of bets, here’s a quick explanation of the basic rules of roulette for beginners.
There are two main types of roulette games: European and American roulette. Each of these roulette games comes with a slightly different roulette wheel. European roulette wheels have 37 numbered pockets, numbered 0–36. American wheels add a 00 for 38 numbered pockets in total. This extra pocket raises the house edge from about 2.70% in European roulette to 5.26% in American roulette.
Regardless of the roulette wheel, the objective remains the same. The player must predict where the ball will land by placing chips on their preferred bet on the roulette table. This must be done before the dealer closes betting.
The dealer will then drop a roulette ball into the spinning roulette wheel. After the ball and wheel stop, the dealer pays out winning bets while losing bets are forfeit. Then the next game begins.
This simplicity is just one of the reasons why roulette is considered a classic, but there are many more reasons that make roulette such a popular casino game.
The Different Types of Roulette Bets
Now that players understand the basic rules of the game, it’s time to take a closer look at the different types of roulette bets that exist in the game. The two main categories of bets in roulette are inside bets and outside bets. However, there are also less common categories of bets. These are call/announced bets and side bets.
Understanding Inside Bets
Inside bets occupy the numbered grid in the centre of the felt. Their payouts are high because each wager covers a small set of pockets. The player who favours larger potential returns and is comfortable with high risk should consider this category of bets.
Here are the different types of inside bets on the roulette table layout:
| Bet | Description | Payout |
| Straight-up | A bet on one number | 35 to 1 |
| Split | A bet on two vertically or horizontally adjacent numbers | 17 to 1 |
| Street | A bet on three numbers in a row | 11 to 1 |
| Corner (Square) | Four numbers that share a common corner | 8 to 1 |
| Six line | A bet on two adjoining streets that make up six numbers | 5 to 1 |
| Top line | A bet on 0, 00, 1, 2, and 3 (Only available in American roulette due to the 00 requirement) | 6 to 1 |
Understanding Outside Bets
Outside wagers sit around the numbered grid and cover broader sets of pockets, giving the player more frequent wins but lower payouts. Outside bets help the player stretch a session, making them a common foundation for step-by-step bankroll strategies.
| Bet | Description | Payout |
| Red or black | A bet on all red or all black pockets | 1 to 1 |
| Odd or even | A bet on all odd or all even numbers | 1 to 1 |
| High or low | A bet on 19–36 (high) or 1–18 (low) groups of numbers | 1 to 1 |
| Dozens | A bet on either 1–12, 13–24, or 25–36 groups of numbers | 2 to 1 |
| Columns | A bet on one of three vertical columns | 2 to 1 |
Understanding Call Bets
Call bets are a special type of bet where you call out your wager and the dealer will place the bet on your behalf. This type of bet lets the player cover multiple numbers with a single call and is typically found in European and French roulette tables. These bets combine a wide range of numbers, so payouts will vary depending on the result.
| Bet | Description |
| Voisins du Zéro or Neighbours of Zero | A fixed call bet placed on 17 numbers located between 22 and 25 on the roulette wheel |
| Jeu Zéro or Zero Game | A fixed call bet on the numbers close to zero and between 12 and 15 on the roulette wheel |
| Tiers du Cylindre | A fixed call bet on the numbers between 27 and 33 on the roulette wheel |
| Orphelins | A fixed call bet on the numbers not covered by the other bets, including 17, 34, and 6 on one side of the roulette wheel and 1, 20, 14, 31, and 9 on the other |
| Neighbours | A variable call bet is placed on five numbers, including the called number, and the two numbers on either side of that number |
| Finals | A variable call bet is placed on all the numbers that end in the same digit |
Understanding Side Bets
Some roulette variants add optional side bets that sit outside standard inside/outside/called bet rules. Side bets differ between software providers and may carry higher house edges, so the player should confirm the rules in the game info panel before participating.
A few examples of side bets include:
- Lucky Ball: Wizard of Odds describes the Lucky Ball side bet as a bet on red, yellow, green, and blue Lucky Ball bets in their article Lucky Ball Roulette.
- Jackpot Streets Double Six: Wizard of Odds describes the Jackpot Streets Double Six side bet as a set of side bets that use two regular dice and the result of the roulette spin in their article, Jackpot Streets Double Six.
- Roul 8: Wizard of Odds describes the Roul 8 bet in their article Roul 8: Roulette Side bet. This is a wager involving three dice and whether the ball lands on eight on the roulette wheel.
A Better Understanding of the Different Types of Roulette Bets
Having completed this guide, players should have a better understanding of the roulette wheel and the bets they can make, which in turn will help players make more informed roulette online betting decisions. This, combined with online roulette money management tips, can go a long way to helping players have a good understanding of this casino table game.