French Roulette Rules and House Edge
French Roulette is a single-zero roulette variant played on a 37-pocket wheel numbered 0 to 36, with French bet names and optional La Partage or En Prison protection on even-money wagers. For Canada players, the term matters because those rules can reduce the house edge on red/black, odd/even, and low/high bets from 2.70% to 1.35%. This glossary page explains how the wheel works, which bets carry standard roulette payouts, and why regulated online tables should be checked for certified game fairness, clear limits in CAD, and responsible gambling controls.
Wheel Layout and Core French Roulette Rules
French Roulette uses one green zero and 36 red or black numbered pockets, so every spin has 37 possible outcomes. The croupier spins the wheel in one direction and releases the ball in the other, then the winning pocket decides all inside and outside bets. Straight-up wagers pay 35:1, while even-money bets such as red/black, odd/even, and 1-18/19-36 pay 1:1 when they win.
The defining rules are La Partage and En Prison, and they apply only to even-money bets when zero lands. La Partage returns half the stake immediately. En Prison holds the stake for the next spin; a winning result returns the original stake without profit, while a losing result or another zero forfeits it. These protections cut the even-money house edge from 2.70% on standard single-zero roulette to 1.35%.
French Roulette Bet Types, Odds and Payouts
French Roulette bet types split into inside bets, outside bets, and announced call bets. Inside bets cover exact numbers or small groups: straight-up pays 35:1, split pays 17:1, street pays 11:1, corner pays 8:1, and line pays 5:1. Dozens and columns cover 12 numbers and pay 2:1. These wagers keep the standard 2.70% single-zero house edge because the zero still favours the house.
Even-money bets cover 18 numbers, giving an 18-in-37 hit chance, or about 48.65%, before La Partage or En Prison changes the zero result. Live casino tables from providers such as Evolution, Pragmatic Play Live, Ezugi, and Authentic Gaming may also display French call bets, including Voisins du Zero, Tiers du Cylindre, and Orphelins. Canada-facing lobbies should show CAD limits clearly; low-stakes tables may start around $1 CAD, but limits vary by operator and provider feed.
French Roulette in Regulated Canadian Markets
In Canada, French Roulette appears through provincial gambling frameworks rather than one national online casino licence. Ontario’s open iGaming market operates under the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario and iGaming Ontario, while other provinces use their own lottery or gaming authorities. Licensed online casinos should present game rules, payout tables, RNG or live-dealer fairness information, and responsible gambling tools before play begins.
The practical advantage of French Roulette is mathematical, not promotional. A single-zero wheel already offers better odds than a double-zero American wheel, and La Partage or En Prison improves only the even-money portion of the table. Our analysis treats the variant as a lower-volatility roulette option for players who understand that every spin remains random, independent, and negative-expectation over long play.
| Bet Type | Numbers Covered | Payout | House Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight Up | 1 number | 35:1 | 2.70% |
| Split | 2 numbers | 17:1 | 2.70% |
| Street | 3 numbers | 11:1 | 2.70% |
| Corner | 4 numbers | 8:1 | 2.70% |
| Dozen/Column | 12 numbers | 2:1 | 2.70% |
| Even Money (La Partage/En Prison) | 18 numbers | 1:1 | 1.35% with rule active |
