The scope of online roulette at BetMGM Casino is grand in terms of both the quality of the experience and the variety of game options. Roulette veterans are most familiar with two prominent versions of the classic casino game: American and European.
These variants are not limited to specific geographic areas, as casinos on both continents offer both versions. Instead, these names are a kind of “shorthand” for the standard rule changes in these types of roulette.
The difference between American and European roulette might seem subtle at first, but it actually translates to significant separation in the roulette wheel odds. For that reason, your preference in American vs. European roulette comes down to how you like to play the game.
The Primary Difference Between American and European Roulette
The easiest way to understand European vs. American roulette is that the wheel in American roulette has an extra slot compared to the European wheel. There are many consequences of that change.
Wheel Layouts
Through the history of roulette, these versions of the game have produced different wheel configurations. It’s possible to see this difference most easily in the colors of the slots.
The roulette wheel and table layout for both versions includes 36 alternating black and red slots. The European roulette wheel adds one green slot.
However, the American roulette wheel features two green slots. These are two of the most basic roulette variants, but the weight of this change is more visible when you consider the numbers.
Numbering
If you read BetMGM’s ultimate roulette guide, you’ll notice that the European roulette table has numbers going from 0 to 36. Meanwhile, an American roulette table adds a 00 slot to that collection of numbers.
The 00 slot corresponds to the extra (in comparison with European roulette) green slot on the wheel. An easy way to begin to understand why this makes such a difference is to consider one of the most popular roulette bet types, the Neighbors bet.
Whether or not a wheel features the 00 changes, which numbers are neighbors, if you’re considering the neighbors bet strategy, you need to note that while 32 and 19 are the most immediate neighbors for 15 on a European roulette wheel, the immediate neighbors for 15 on an American roulette wheel are 34 and 3.
Odds
The simplest way to grasp the impact of the extra slot in American roulette on roulette odds is highlighted in BetMGM’s roulette betting guide. Still, it is also easy to demonstrate with the game’s least-complicated wager: the straight bet.
When you play American roulette at BetMGM, a straight bet on any number has a 1 in 38 probability of hitting on any given play. Meanwhile, the likelihood of a straight bet winning in European roulette is 1 in 37.
Casinos are free to determine their own payouts for these bets, so it’s wise to check out the odds so you can use roulette bankroll management to your advantage. The probabilities are almost always not identical to the payout you’ll receive if you win.
House Edge
Players who prefer American or European roulette often employ different roulette strategies. These betting plans all account for the house edge in roulette, but do so in various ways.
The standard house edge in American roulette games with traditional rules is 5.26%. If you play European Roulette Pro at BetMGM or any other regular European roulette games, though, the standard house edge is nearly half of that at 2.7%.
If you’re asking yourself why anyone would ever play American roulette, that’s understandable. The American roulette payouts are a significant factor.
The Higher Stakes of American Roulette
A basic rule of thumb in gambling is that in normal circumstances, the higher the house edge on a bet, the more valuable the payout tends to be for winning plays. Three American roulette games at BetMGM demonstrate this concept.
In Live American Roulette, for example, you have the option of placing the Five Bet. This is a wager that is exclusive to American roulette games, and it covers the first five numbers in numerical order (00,0,1,2,3).
The house edge on this bet rises to 7.89%. At the same time, you get a generous 6:1 payout if any of those numbers hit. This is just one example of the tremendous opportunities you can find to get bigger payouts in live roulette games at BetMGM.
American Roulette vs. European Roulette: The Verdict
The bottom line is that the question of whether you should play American or European roulette comes down to what you prize in your gambling experiences. Are you aiming to build a sustainable gambling bankroll, or do you want to take bigger risks for a chance at larger payouts?
That answer might change over time. As long as you understand the odds and the rules plus make responsible gambling your first priority, there’s no wrong answer.
Playing either version of roulette is a revelation of the roles of luck vs. skill in gambling. At BetMGM, you can take the most conservative approach in European roulette and still have a bad run or you can go for broke in one play on American roulette and leave the table ahead.
May the Wheel Turn in Your Favor at BetMGM
When you’re ready to try both or either of these roulette games, BetMGM has an exclusive casino welcome bonus to help you get started. It’s the best way to acquaint yourself with all the nuances of every title in BetMGM’s vast library of roulette games.
That bonus and many more await you when you register for BetMGM. Whether American or European roulette earns your devotion or you switch between the games, BetMGM rewards you the same.
