As many casino savvy players already know, there are two main forms of online roulette. I plan to discuss some of the differences between these two versions of the popular casino game and in doing so, help you, the player, decide which game is the best fit for you.

The first version of online roulette that we want to discuss is American Roulette . The American roulette wheel has numbers 0.00, and numbers from 1 to 36. Due to the extra amount present in American roulette, amateurs may be better advised to stick with European roulette as the odds are slightly better.

Second, we have European roulette (also known as French roulette). Unlike its American counterpart, it has all the same numbers except for the “00” which the American version adds. This, as said above, gives European roulette slightly better odds than American roulette.

One of the more subtle differences between the two roulette games is that in American roulette, players receive chips of different colors for easier wage differentiation, while in Europe, players generally receive chips of the same color, requiring each player to be wary! Also, European bookmakers collect chips with good looking rakes, whereas American bookmakers tend to be more inclined to use their hands.

There is a rule in European roulette called “En Prison”. This allows the gambler, if a zero appears, to either give up half of their outside bet or leave them for the next game. This rule drops the house limit even lower, bringing it to 1.352 compared to the 5.26 available in the American game, thus making the European game a bit more interesting.

At the end of the day, it is up to the player to decide if he wants to bet safer with European Roulette or if he prefers the riskier thrill of American Roulette…