The payout for a roulette bet in Las Vegas is not a single number set by the city. It is a fixed multiple of the amount wagered, printed on the felt layout at each table, and it follows the same structure at every roulette table in the city because the game's mathematics are identical wherever it is dealt. A straight-up bet on a single number pays 35 to 1, a split pays 17 to 1, a street pays 11 to 1, a corner pays 8 to 1, a six-line pays 5 to 1, and an even-money bet pays 1 to 1. Those multiples do not change from one Las Vegas casino to another.
What does vary between tables is the wheel itself. A table may use a wheel with a single zero or a wheel with both a zero and a double zero. The presence of the extra pocket changes the house edge on every bet placed at that table, even though the payout multiple for a winning bet remains the same. A player who wants to know what a specific table pays should look at the layout before buying in, because the layout states the payout for every bet position and the wheel type is visible at the table.
Where the payout numbers come from
Roulette payouts are not set by the Nevada Gaming Control Board, by the casino's marketing department, or by the city of Las Vegas. They are built into the structure of the game itself. The payout for any roulette bet is the ratio that would make the bet fair if the wheel had exactly the number of pockets that the bet covers, with no house pocket. Because every roulette wheel carries at least one extra pocket that pays no bet, the payout is always slightly short of the true odds, and that shortfall is the house advantage.
A player does not need to ask a dealer what a bet pays. The layout at every roulette table prints the payout for each betting area directly on the felt. The dealer also announces the payout structure if asked, but the printed layout is the authoritative reference at the table. No Las Vegas roulette table pays a different multiple for the same bet position on the same wheel type.
Single-zero versus double-zero wheels
The most important distinction a player will encounter in Las Vegas is between a wheel with one zero pocket and a wheel with two zero pockets. Both wheel types pay the same multiples for winning bets. The difference is in how many losing pockets the ball can land in. A single-zero wheel has 37 pockets; a double-zero wheel has 38. The extra pocket on the double-zero wheel means the house keeps a larger share of all money wagered over time, even though a winning straight-up bet still pays 35 to 1 on either wheel.
The table below shows how the same payout multiple produces a different house edge depending on the wheel type.
| Wheel type | Total pockets | Straight-up payout | House edge on straight-up bet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single zero | 37 | 35 to 1 | Lower |
| Double zero | 38 | 35 to 1 | Higher |
A player who wants the lower house edge should look for a single-zero wheel. In Las Vegas, single-zero wheels are more commonly found at higher-limit tables, while double-zero wheels are standard on most main casino floors. The payout multiple is identical either way; only the frequency of losing spins changes.
How the payout is calculated at the table
When a player wins a roulette bet, the dealer pays the winning wager at the printed multiple and leaves the original bet in place unless the player removes it. A winning straight-up bet of one unit returns 35 units in winnings plus the original unit, for a total of 36 units in front of the player. A winning even-money bet returns one unit in winnings plus the original unit, for a total of two units.
The calculation is mechanical and does not depend on which Las Vegas casino the player is in. The dealer counts out the winnings using the payout printed on the layout, and the player can verify the count before the next spin. Disputes are rare because the multiple is printed on the felt and the dealer follows it exactly.
Bet positions and their payouts
Every roulette layout groups bets by the number of pockets they cover. The payout for each group is fixed and printed on the layout. The table below lists the standard bet positions and the payout multiple for each, as printed on Las Vegas roulette tables.
| Bet position | Pockets covered | Payout |
|---|---|---|
| Straight-up | 1 | 35 to 1 |
| Split | 2 | 17 to 1 |
| Street | 3 | 11 to 1 |
| Corner | 4 | 8 to 1 |
| Six-line | 6 | 5 to 1 |
| Dozen or column | 12 | 2 to 1 |
| Even-money | 18 | 1 to 1 |
These multiples are the same on every roulette table in Las Vegas, on both single-zero and double-zero wheels. A player who has memorized the table above can verify any payout the dealer makes without asking for clarification.
What changes between Las Vegas casinos
What differs from one Las Vegas casino to another is not the payout multiple but the table minimum, the wheel type, and the maximum bet the table will accept. A table with a higher minimum may offer a single-zero wheel, while a table with a lower minimum is more likely to use a double-zero wheel. The payout for a winning bet is the same multiple in both cases.
A player who wants to know what a specific table pays should look at the felt before sitting down. The layout prints the payout for every bet position, and the wheel type is visible at the table. The casino's pit boss can also confirm the wheel type and the table limits, but the payout multiples themselves are never in question.
What to confirm before you go
Before sitting down at a roulette table in Las Vegas, a player should confirm three things that are not printed in any article and that change from table to table. First, the wheel type: single-zero or double-zero. Second, the table minimum and maximum. Third, whether the table uses any special rules, such as a surrender rule on even-money bets, which some Las Vegas casinos offer on double-zero wheels.
The authoritative source for all three is the table itself. The wheel type is visible at the table, the limits are printed on a sign at the table, and any special rules are printed on the layout or posted at the table. A player who wants to know before arriving can call the casino's table games department, but the table itself is the final authority.
FAQ
Does every Las Vegas casino pay the same roulette odds?
Yes. The payout multiple for each roulette bet position is fixed by the structure of the game and is printed on the layout at every table. A straight-up bet pays 35 to 1, a split pays 17 to 1, and so on. What varies between casinos is the wheel type, the table minimum, and the table maximum, not the payout multiple for a winning bet.
Is a single-zero roulette wheel better than a double-zero wheel?
A single-zero wheel has one fewer losing pocket, so the house edge on every bet is lower than on a double-zero wheel. The payout multiple for a winning bet is identical on both wheels. A player who wants the lower house edge should look for a single-zero wheel, which is more common at higher-limit tables in Las Vegas.
Where can I find the payout for a specific Las Vegas roulette table?
The payout for every bet position is printed on the felt layout at the table itself. The wheel type is visible at the table, and the table limits are posted on a sign. Before sitting down, a player can read the layout and the limit sign to confirm the payout structure and the minimum bet for that specific table.
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