The basic game of roulette involves a wheel that is spun with a ball in it. The wheel has several numbers and the players bet in order to predict the number on which the ball will land. If the prediction is correct the player wins and if not the bet is given up to the casino. In fact the word roulette also means small wheel and this is why the game is called so.

While the original game of roulette may have been designed by a famous mathematician by the name of Blaise Pascal in the 17th century or bought in from china by Dominican monks, it is a fact that today there are two version of the game as well as online roulette.

Below is a list of the differences between the American version of Roulette and the European one

* Zero – In the case of American roulette there are two sets of zeros. There is a single zero and a double zero and after this there are numbers that go up to 36. In the case of European roulette, there is only one zero and therefore the slots in this wheel are only 37 as opposed to 38 of the American wheel.

* Casino cut- In the American version of roulette, the casino gets to make a 5.26 % profit on the bets made by the player. This is mainly because of the double zero on the wheel. In the European system this profit is lowered substantially, since the casino gets to make only 2.70% on the bets that the players make.

* Betting chips – The American version of the game requires that each player have a different colored chip so as to not cause any confusion on the table. It helps the players to keep track of their betting and also restricts disputes. In the case of European roulette, all players play with the same colored chips and this does mean that the players and the dealer both have to be aware of who placed the bet where.

* Raking – European dealers will use a stick like instrument called the rake in order to collets all the bets from the table. The American players will just use their hands for this purpose. Though this does not affect the rules of the game but it is a distinctive style of the two versions.

* En Prison- The European version of roulette has the en prison option to offer to the player if the ball lands on the zero slot. Here the player chooses if he/she wants to give up a part of the outside bet or simply roll it over to the next round. There is no such option in the American version.

There is no ignoring the popularity of roulette and both versions seem to be equally loved. However, it is true that since the casino has a lower stake in the case of European roulette it does hold a lot more charm for the player. This is one of the reasons why the game is so popular in Europe.

By Bobby M. Pagan
Bobby lives in Fresno, CA.