What is the difference between inside bets and outside bets in roulette?

The roulette table is physically divided into two betting zones, and that geography tells you everything about the trade-off you're making.

Inside Bets — Higher Risk, Higher Payout

The inside area is where you place bets on specific numbers. Inside bets have lower odds of winning but offer bigger payouts. Here's the full range, per PlaySmart:

• Straight up (1 number): 35:1 payout
• Split (2 numbers): 17:1 payout
• Street (3 numbers): 11:1 payout
• Corner (4 numbers): 8:1 payout
• Top Line (5 numbers — 00, 0, 1, 2, 3): 6:1 payout

The straight-up bet is the most dramatic example of the inside-bet trade-off. On an American wheel with 38 pockets, the true odds of hitting a single number are 37 to 1 — but the bet only pays 35 to 1. That gap, created by the 0 and 00, is where the house gets its edge.

The Top Line is the worst inside bet you can make. Its house edge sits at 7.29% — significantly higher than the American roulette average of 5.26%. Avoid it.

Outside Bets — Better Odds, Smaller Payouts

Outside bets let you wager on whether the winning number is high or low, odd or even, red or black, or part of a dozen grouping. They carry better odds but lower payouts — 1:1 (even-money) or 2:1.

• Red/Black, Even/Odd, High/Low (1–18 or 19–36): 1:1 payout
• Column (12 numbers): 2:1 payout
• Dozen (1st, 2nd, or 3rd): 2:1 payout

The Practical Trade-Off

The core difference is risk versus frequency of winning. Inside bets win rarely but pay big; outside bets win more often but return less per spin. Neither changes the house edge on most bets — it's the same wheel, the same zeros eating into your returns.

One thing that does matter: which wheel you're on. European roulette's single-zero wheel drops the house edge to 2.7%, compared to American roulette's 5.26% — and that applies across both inside and outside bets.

There's also a table-minimum rule worth knowing. You must place the full minimum bet on either the inside or the outside — you can't split it between the two. On outside bets, the table minimum applies to each individual wager. On the inside, you can spread smaller bets across multiple numbers.

Every spin is independent and random — no bet type, pattern, or system changes that. If you're playing for fun and want your session to last, sticking to outside even-money bets at tables with lower minimums can help make your budget last longer. If gambling ever stops feeling like entertainment, ConnexOntario is available 24/7 at 1-866-531-2600.