Two Wheels, Two Different Answers
You cannot answer the question with a single number, because the wheel you sit down at depends on where you are and which table the operator runs. One layout has 37 landing spaces. The other has 38. The difference is one extra pocket, and it changes the arithmetic on every bet you place.
A European-style wheel carries 37 pockets: the numbers 1 through 36, plus a single zero. An American-style wheel carries 38: the same 1 through 36, a single zero, and a double zero. That is the whole structural difference, but it is not a small one. The extra pocket belongs to the house, and it widens the gap between what a bet pays and what the wheel's geometry says the bet is worth.
Reading the Wheel and the Table as One System
The wheel and the betting layout are two views of the same machine. The wheel decides where the ball lands. The layout is where you commit money to a prediction. Every bet on the layout corresponds to a set of pockets on the wheel, and the payout you are offered is always slightly short of what the pocket count alone would justify. That shortfall is the house edge.
On a 37-pocket wheel, a straight-up bet on one number pays 35 to 1. If the payout matched the geometry, it would pay 36 to 1, because there are 36 losing pockets and one winning pocket. The missing unit is the operator's margin. On a 38-pocket wheel, the same bet still pays 35 to 1, but there are now 37 losing pockets. The bet pays as though one losing pocket does not exist, and the margin widens.
The same logic holds for outside bets. A bet on red covers 18 pockets on either wheel. On the European layout, red loses to 18 black pockets plus the zero, so the bet is slightly worse than an even proposition. On the American layout, red loses to 18 black pockets plus both zero pockets. The payout stays even money, but the chance of winning falls.
What the Extra Pocket Does to the Edge
House edge and return to player are complements for the same bet under the same rule set: they sum to 100%. The wheel's pocket count sets the baseline for every bet, and the extra double zero shifts that baseline against the player.
| Wheel type | Landing spaces | Zero pockets | Effect on the player |
|---|---|---|---|
| European-style | 37 | 1 | Fewer house-owned pockets; every bet loses less often than on the American layout |
| American-style | 38 | 2 | One extra house-owned pocket; identical payouts return less over time |
Volatility does not change this. A wheel with more pockets does not become more or less streaky; it simply takes a larger share of each wager on average. A player can win on any single spin on either layout, but the long-run expected loss is higher on the 38-pocket wheel for the same bet.
Bet Types and Where They Sit on the Layout
Roulette bets split into inside and outside groups. Inside bets sit on the numbered grid and cover small, specific sets of pockets. Outside bets sit around the grid and cover broad categories. Each bet type has its own payout, and the payout is always short of the true odds implied by the pocket count.
| Bet | Pockets covered | Payout | What the player is predicting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight up | 1 | 35 to 1 | The ball lands on one exact number |
| Split | 2 | 17 to 1 | The ball lands on either of two adjacent numbers |
| Street | 3 | 11 to 1 | The ball lands on one of three numbers in a row |
| Corner | 4 | 8 to 1 | The ball lands on one of four numbers meeting at a corner |
| Six line | 6 | 5 to 1 | The ball lands on one of six numbers in two adjacent rows |
| Red or black | 18 | 1 to 1 | The ball lands on a pocket of the chosen colour |
| Odd or even | 18 | 1 to 1 | The ball lands on an odd or even number |
| High or low | 18 | 1 to 1 | The ball lands on 1-18 or 19-36 |
Some tables also offer announced or call bets, which cover sections of the wheel rather than blocks on the layout. These are more common on European-style tables and are usually handled by the dealer. Their availability and names vary by venue, so the table's posted rules are the only reliable guide.
The Sequence of a Round
A round moves through a fixed sequence, and most procedural mistakes happen when a player acts outside it. The dealer opens betting, players place chips on the layout, the dealer closes betting with a clear signal, the ball is spun, and the ball settles into a pocket. The dealer marks the winning number, removes losing wagers, and pays winners. Only after the layout is cleared does the next betting window open.
The buy-in happens before any of that. At a table game, you place cash on the table rather than handing it to the dealer, and the dealer exchanges it for roulette chips. Roulette chips are often colour-coded per player so that wagers on the same number can be told apart. They have no value away from that specific table, so they must be exchanged back at the same table before you leave.
Procedural Mistakes That Cost New Players
The first mistake is betting after the dealer has closed the window. A late wager is either returned or, if it lands ambiguously, may be ruled invalid after the ball settles. The second is touching chips after the result is called. Once the ball drops, the layout is frozen; moving a wager at that point looks like an attempt to change the bet and will draw the dealer's attention immediately. The third is leaving the table with roulette chips still in hand. They cannot be cashed at the cage, only at the table that issued them.
A fourth, quieter mistake is assuming the zero is simply another number. It is a number on the wheel, but on most layouts it is not red or black, not odd or even, and not high or low. Outside bets lose when the zero lands, which is precisely why the pocket count matters more than the numbers alone suggest.
How to Confirm Which Wheel You Are At
You do not need to count pockets by eye. The wheel itself is labelled, and the layout will show either a single zero or both a single and double zero. The table's information panel, where present, states the game variant. If you are playing online, the game's rules or information screen names the wheel type, and the return to player figure published there applies to that specific configuration. If the game does not state it, the wheel graphic itself is enough: one zero pocket means 37 spaces, two means 38.
The number of landing spaces is not a detail. It is the first fact to establish before you place a chip, because every payout on the table is fixed while the pocket count changes underneath it. A player who knows the wheel type knows how steep the table is. A player who does not is betting blind on the one number that matters before the ball is even spun.
FAQ
Why does the American wheel have an extra space?
The double zero is a second house-owned pocket added to the American layout. It does not change any payout on the table, but it adds one more losing outcome to every bet, which increases the house edge across the board.
Does the number of spaces affect my odds on a single spin?
Yes. A straight-up bet on a 37-pocket wheel has one winning pocket and 36 losing pockets. On a 38-pocket wheel the same bet has one winning pocket and 37 losing pockets, while the payout remains 35 to 1 in both cases.
Are there roulette wheels with a different number of spaces?
Some novelty or variant games add extra pockets or special rules, but the two standard layouts are the 37-pocket single-zero wheel and the 38-pocket double-zero wheel. Any variant should state its pocket count and rule changes in the game's information panel or posted table rules.
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This article is general information about how these mechanics work. It is not legal advice and not a recommendation to gamble or to use any particular operator. Availability and legality differ by jurisdiction — check the rules that apply where you are.