Roulette Odds in Canada: Single-Zero vs Double-Zero Wheels

Roulette has exactly one strategic decision, and it happens before you bet: which wheel you sit at.

The two wheels

• Double-zero (American): 38 pockets — numbers 1–36 plus 0 and 00. House edge on almost every bet: 5.26%.
• Single-zero (European): 37 pockets — no 00. House edge: 2.70%. Same game, half the price.

Canadian floors commonly spread double-zero wheels; single-zero appears in some high-limit areas and on some regulated online platforms. Wherever both exist, the single-zero wheel is mathematically better for the player — full stop.

Why every bet costs the same (almost)

On a double-zero wheel, every standard bet — red/black, straight numbers, columns — carries the same 5.26% edge, because payouts are set as if the zeros didn't exist. The exception is the American "basket" bet (0-00-1-2-3) at 7.89% — the worst standard bet on the felt. There is no bet-selection system that changes these numbers, and no progression (Martingale included) that beats a negative-edge game; progressions only rearrange when the losses arrive.

Comparing the price of games

At 5.26%, double-zero roulette costs roughly ten times a good blackjack game (see Blackjack House Edge) and five times a baccarat banker bet (see Baccarat Rules and House Edge). If roulette is your entertainment, that is a legitimate choice — just make it knowingly, and prefer the single-zero wheel when it is offered.

Online in Canada

Regulated platforms publish each roulette variant's rules; check for "European" or "French" (single-zero, sometimes with la partage rules that halve the edge on even-money bets) before playing — see Online Casinos in Canada, Province by Province.

Verified 2026-08-07 (standard published roulette mathematics; low volatility).