House edge in roulette refers to the mathematical advantage that the casino has over players in the long run. This built-in advantage ensures that casinos make a profit regardless of individual player outcomes. 
In American roulette, the house edge is 5.26% due to the presence of both 0 and 00 pockets. European roulette has a lower house edge of 2.70% because it only has a single 0 pocket. French roulette offers the best odds with a house edge of just 1.35% on even-money bets.
The house edge is calculated based on the difference between true odds and casino odds. For example, a straight-up bet in American roulette has true odds of 37 to 1, but pays only 35 to 1, creating the house advantage. |
