How Does European Roulette Differ from French Roulette?

As online casino games go, roulette is a classic.  It is a game that attracts high rollers and rank amateurs alike.  If you want to join the throngs of gamblers betting on the outcome of the spinning wheel, understanding the differences between variants is the first step.

Find the Best Online Casino Games

From its origins in the plush gaming halls of Europe to the ease and accessibility of the mobile casino, roulette remains a popular players’ pick.  The challenge is to find the best online roulette variant in terms of the rules, the bet types and the average payout rate.

Disparities are Far and Few Between

One of the recurring questions asked by new players is ‘what differentiates European Roulette from the French version of the game?’  In the context of the online casino games, the answer is ‘not all that much’.  It is at the land-based casinos in Monaco, Paris and London that the two classic types of roulette diverge.

Similarities Between the Variants

The easiest way to get to the bottom of the European versus French online roulette conundrum is to highlight the similarities first.  In both variants, the roulette wheel is divided into 37 individual slots numbered 1 to 36.  There is also a green pocket containing a single zero.

The Bet Types in European vs French Roulette

Now, one element that may seem way out of synch are the online roulette bet types.  On closer inspection, however, they are exactly the same.  The one obvious discrepancy is the bets on the layout in the European and French versions are quoted in English and French, respectively.

Key Areas on the Layout in English and French

Here is an example of what the bets are called in the two versions of the game:

Besides the language, the actual bets you can place on the layout are an identical match.  As you are probably aware, wagers vary from the outside bets, displayed above, to the inside bets like corners, streets, splits and straight up numbers bets.

Are the Odds the Same in Both Versions of the Game?

As the bet types are matched, you can expect to be paid out at exactly the same odds regardless of variant.

That of course means you get even money for the outside bets and 2 to 1 for the column and dozen bets. Thereafter, payouts range from 5 to 1 to 35 to 1 for winning six-line to straight up numbers bets, respectively.

Additional Bets and Unique Layout No Longer Exclusive to French Roulette

An area where the online casino games do occasionally differ is in respect of the French bets – more commonly known as the call or combination bets.  These are additional wagers placed on an oval racetrack-type layout located either above or below the standard layout – on the online gaming interface and on the roulette tables.

In the era prior to the advent of online casino games, call bets were strictly limited to French Roulette – hence the term French bets.  These days, however, the best online casinos offer roulette, which a convenient hybrid between the two.

RTG European Roulette is an Exciting Combo

At Springbok Casino, the Real Time Gaming (RTG) developed European Roulette really is the best of both worlds.  There is a standard layout for the conventional inside and outside bets and a racetrack layout for the French bets.  What that of course means is there is double the betting action available on every spin of the wheel!

What Are the French Bets in Online Roulette?

The French bets are potentially lucrative combination bets covering comparatively large segments of the roulette wheel.  You will find them on the oval layout in designated areas.  They are:

• Voisins du Zero – a wager which pays at odds of up to 17 to 1 and covers close to half of the wheel
• Tiers du Cylindre – a twelve-number bet with a 17 to 1 payout
• Orphans – an eight-number bet with payouts ranging from 17 to 1 to 35 to 1.

Rules Pertaining to French Roulette at B&M Casinos

There is one other discrepancy between French and European Roulette and it has to do with the rules.  Before we get into the details, it is important to point out that online casino games featuring the La Partage and En Prison rules are exceedingly hard to find… if not impossible.

It is at the premier brick and mortar casinos that the En Prison rule, in particular, is enforced – and usually for a limited time only or as part of a casino comp or promotion.  Right, without further ado, here is a quick explanation of the rules exclusive to French Roulette.

What is the La Partage Rule?

When a casino offers French Roulette with the La Partage rule, it is advantageous to players.  Why?  All outside even money bets are effectively split between the player and the house when the ball lands in the green zero pocket.  Under normal circumstances, the whole wager is forfeited to the casino.

What is the En Prison Rule?

The En Prison rule can be as generous.  When the ball lands on zero with the En Prison rule in play, even money bets remain imprisoned on the layout for the next spin of the wheel.  If the bet wins, the player gets his entire wager back.  If not, the casino takes its due reward.

The Information is Purely FYI

With this information, you are now essentially an expert on how European and French Roulette differ, one from the other.  Having said that, the entire debate is purely academic and really for information purposes only.  The reason?

The European Roulette you can play right now at Springbok Casino is the perfect combination of both the variants.  In fact, it has incorporated all the best elements of French Roulette into the action and has precisely the same theoretical payout rate.

That is exactly why the online casino games featured under the Speciality tab are the American and European versions of roulette.  The French Roulette variant is effectively redundant – for players at Springbok Casino in any event!