The European roulette wheel, or sometimes called the French roulette wheel, is a wheel that contains 37 colored slots. 18 red slots, 18 black slots and the 0 square. The European Wheel was the first ever roulette wheel. It was created in France (Thats why its sometimes called French Roulette) way back in the 18th century. The game started spreading worldwide and became more and more popular. So why was the American roulette wheel invented?

The American roulette wheel was created by American casino owners because they didn’t like the odds that the European wheel offered. In short, the American casino owners were greedy and wanted to invent a game that had a larger house edge that favored the casino.

The American roulette wheel contains 38 square, one more than the European version. These 38 squares are seperated again in to 18 red, 18 black, but this time there is a 0 and a double 0.

In case you did not know, by increasing the number of 0′s on the roulette wheel, you increase the house edge. In this case doubling it.  A European roulette wheel gives the house a tiny edge of 2.7%, whereas the American version gives the house a gigantic 5.26%.

After the new version of the roulette wheel was introduced in the USA, punters began to complain about their hard luck. Gambling patrons alike warned each other that the odds are much worse on the US version of the game.

Nowadays you will find more European versions of roulette in casinos around the world. Gamblers have become more educated and have demanded better odds. You will however still find American versions of roulette in some casinos. Our obvious recommendation is that you avoid the U.S version of roulette.

When playing online, most online casinos will offer both versions of the game. Always remember to select the European roulette version as it will give you the best chance of winning and beating the casino.