Inside bets cover individual roulette numbers or small groups; outside bets cover larger groups such as red, black, dozens and columns. The choice in roulette inside vs outside bets is mainly between larger, less frequent wins and smaller, more frequent wins. Under standard single-zero rules, neither category has a lower house edge. Our roulette rules guide explains the full betting sequence.
How do roulette inside vs outside bets compare?
Inside bets sit on the numbered grid or its boundaries. Outside bets use the labelled boxes surrounding that grid. “Outside” describes the chip’s position on the layout, not a location on the wheel.
| Feature | Inside bets | Outside bets |
|---|---|---|
| Selection | One number or a small group | A dozen, column, colour, odd/even or low/high |
| Standard coverage per bet | Usually 1–6 numbers | 12 or 18 numbers |
| Profit payout | Usually 5:1 to 35:1 | 1:1 or 2:1 |
| Typical experience at equal stakes | Less frequent wins, larger payouts | More frequent wins, smaller payouts |
| Standard single-zero house edge | 2.70% | 2.70% |
OddsGuru calculations below assume equally likely pockets and the standard payouts shown. Special roulette variants can use different rules.
Outside bets can suit someone who prefers more frequent winning spins. Inside bets suit someone willing to lose more individual bets for a larger potential payout. Both can lose the full stake on a spin.
The comparison depends on equal total stakes. Placing several inside chips is not equivalent to placing one outside chip of the same denomination: the amount at risk has increased.
What do inside and outside roulette bets pay?
Standard roulette payouts describe profit, with the winning stake returned separately. A 35:1 payout therefore means $35 profit plus the original $1 stake.
| Bet | Category | Numbers covered | Profit payout | Single-zero win chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Straight-up | Inside | 1 | 35:1 | 2.70% |
| Split | Inside | 2 | 17:1 | 5.41% |
| Street | Inside | 3 | 11:1 | 8.11% |
| Corner | Inside | 4 | 8:1 | 10.81% |
| Six-line | Inside | 6 | 5:1 | 16.22% |
| Dozen or column | Outside | 12 | 2:1 | 32.43% |
| Red/black, odd/even, low/high | Outside | 18 | 1:1 | 48.65% |
OddsGuru win-chance calculations: numbers covered ÷ 37 pockets × 100, rounded to two decimal places. Payouts exclude the returned stake.
For example, a $5 straight-up winner earns $175 profit and returns $180 in total. A $5 winning colour bet earns $5 profit and returns $10. Either losing bet costs $5.
A dozen covers 1–12, 13–24 or 25–36. A column covers one vertical column of the numbered layout. Neither includes zero. The roulette payout chart provides a separate reference for payouts and probabilities.
Which roulette bets have a higher house edge?
The American five-number bet is an important exception to the usual shared house edge. It covers 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3 and pays 6:1.
On a wheel with 38 equally likely pockets, its expected net result per $1 is:
`(5 × $6 − 33 × $1) ÷ 38 = −$3/38`
That produces a 7.89% house edge, compared with 5.26% for standard double-zero bets. House edge means the expected loss as a percentage of money wagered over repeated play, not a guaranteed session loss.
Before choosing a bet, check:
- Whether the wheel has one zero or two.
- Whether the displayed payout matches the standard payout.
- Whether special zero rules apply to your selection.
Why do standard roulette bets share the same house edge?
The standard payouts return the same expected proportion of your stake, despite different winning frequencies.
For a $1 straight-up bet on a single-zero wheel, one pocket wins $35 and 36 pockets lose $1:
`Expected net result = (35 − 36) ÷ 37 = −$1/37`
For a $1 red bet, 18 pockets win $1 and 19 pockets lose $1:
`Expected net result = (18 − 19) ÷ 37 = −$1/37`
Both calculations give an expected loss of 2.70%. The larger payout compensates for the lower win frequency, but does not remove the casino’s advantage.
That is about $2.70 in expected losses per $100 wagered in total. It does not mean a $100 deposit will lose exactly $2.70: repeatedly betting the same funds increases total wagering, and actual results vary.
Zero is neither red nor black and does not count toward odd/even or low/high bets. Ordinary outside bets lose when it lands.
What is an inside bet in roulette?
An inside bet selects numbers through chip placement on the numbered grid. The exact position determines which numbers the bet covers.
- Place a straight-up chip within a single number’s box.
- Place a split chip on the shared boundary between two adjacent numbers.
- Place a street chip at the outside edge of a three-number row.
- Place a corner chip where four number boxes meet.
- Place a six-line chip at the outside junction of two adjacent rows.
Adjacency refers to the betting layout, not neighbouring pockets on the wheel. Betting zero directly is also an inside bet.
What is statistically the best bet for roulette?
Among ordinary single-zero bets, there is no house-edge winner. Red/black, odd/even and low/high have the highest individual win probability in the table above, but that is still 48.65%, below half.
An eligible even-money bet with la partage has a lower expected cost. Under this rule, zero returns half the stake instead of losing it all. Our calculation is:
`Expected loss per $1 = (18 − 18 + 0.5) ÷ 37 = $0.5/37`
That gives a 1.35% house edge. Dozens and columns do not qualify. Table rules, rather than the outside label alone, create this difference; our European vs American roulette comparison explains the variants.
Table minimums also affect affordability. An inside minimum may apply to the combined inside stake, while outside minimums may apply separately to each selection. Check the displayed limits before spreading chips across several bets.
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