French Roulette — Free Demo
French roulette uses the same wheel as European but returns half of every even-money stake when zero lands. That rule — la partage — cuts the house edge on red/black, odd/even and high/low to 1.35%, the best bet available on any roulette table anywhere.
GETRAKEBACK. 18+.
Click a number for a straight-up bet. The small circles on the edges of each number place splits, streets, corners and six lines exactly as they sit on a real table — hover a cell to reveal them. Right-click any spot to clear it. Everything on the board is virtual credit with no cash value.
La partage: the best rule in the casino
French roulette runs on the same 37-pocket single-zero wheel as European. The difference is what happens when zero lands. Instead of taking your entire even-money stake, the house takes half and returns the rest. That is la partage — "the sharing".
The arithmetic: a red bet wins 18 times in 37 and loses fully 18 times in 37, and once in 37 it loses half. Expected return is (18 × 2 + 1 × 0.5) ÷ 37 = 98.65%, so the house edge is 1.35% — exactly half of European.
It applies only to even-money bets: red/black, odd/even and high/low. Inside bets and dozens still carry the standard 2.70%.
En prison is the variant you will also see. Instead of returning half immediately, the table locks your stake for one more spin; win it back and you recover the stake with no profit. Over a long run this produces the same 1.35% edge. La partage is simpler and settles instantly.
French roulette payouts and odds
| Bet | Numbers | Pays | Win chance | Returns per $100 | House edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Straight up | 1 | 35:1 | 2.70% | $97.30 | 2.70% |
| Split | 2 | 17:1 | 5.41% | $97.30 | 2.70% |
| Street | 3 | 11:1 | 8.11% | $97.30 | 2.70% |
| Corner | 4 | 8:1 | 10.81% | $97.30 | 2.70% |
| Six line | 6 | 5:1 | 16.22% | $97.30 | 2.70% |
| Column | 12 | 2:1 | 32.43% | $97.30 | 2.70% |
| Dozen | 12 | 2:1 | 32.43% | $97.30 | 2.70% |
| Red / Black (la partage) | 18 | 1:1 | 48.65% | $98.65 | 1.35% |
| Odd / Even (la partage) | 18 | 1:1 | 48.65% | $98.65 | 1.35% |
| High / Low (la partage) | 18 | 1:1 | 48.65% | $98.65 | 1.35% |
The last three rows include the half-stake return on zero, which is why they show 1.35% rather than 2.70%.
Call bets and the racetrack
French tables add an oval betting area — the racetrack — laid out in wheel order rather than numeric order. It exists so you can bet on a physical region of the wheel in one action. Four sectors are standard, and the demo above places all four for you.
| Call bet | Chips | Pockets | Numbers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Voisins du Zéro The seventeen pockets either side of zero. |
9 | 17 | 22, 18, 29, 7, 28, 12, 35, 3, 26, 0, 32, 15, 19, 4, 21, 2, 25 |
| Tiers du Cylindre The twelve pockets opposite zero, covered by six splits. |
6 | 12 | 27, 13, 36, 11, 30, 8, 23, 10, 5, 24, 16, 33 |
| Orphelins The two arcs left over between the other sectors. |
5 | 8 | 17, 34, 6, 1, 20, 14, 31, 9 |
| Jeu Zéro A tighter version of voisins, hugging zero. |
4 | 7 | 12, 35, 3, 26, 0, 32, 15 |
Call bets are combinations of ordinary splits, streets and straight-ups, so they carry the same 2.70% edge. They are a convenience, not an advantage.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the house edge on French roulette?
1.35% on even-money bets thanks to la partage, and 2.70% on everything else. That makes red/black on a French table the cheapest bet in mainstream casino gambling outside of optimally played blackjack.
What is the difference between French and European roulette?
The wheel is identical — 37 pockets, single zero. French adds la partage or en prison on even-money bets, plus the racetrack for call bets. Without those rules, a "French" table is simply a European one.
Does la partage apply to dozens and columns?
No. It covers only the six even-money bets: red, black, odd, even, 1–18 and 19–36. Dozens, columns and all inside bets lose in full when zero lands.
Is en prison better than la partage?
Over the long run they produce the same 1.35% edge. La partage settles immediately, which is simpler and locks in nothing; en prison gives one chance to recover the full stake with no profit.
More roulette variants
- European Roulette — 2.70% house edge
- American Roulette — 5.26% house edge
- Lightning Roulette — 2.90% house edge
- Double Ball Roulette — 2.78% house edge
- Mini Roulette — 7.69% house edge
18+. Roulette has a fixed house edge, so over enough spins the maths favours the operator — always. If you play for real, treat it as money spent on entertainment, set a limit before you start and stop when you reach it. Our responsible gambling page covers the warning signs and where to get free, confidential help.