Double-zero roulette uses 38 pockets: the numbers 1 through 36, a green 0, and a separate green 00. Standard roulette payouts do not expand to compensate for the extra pocket. That is why most ordinary wagers carry a 5.26% house edge instead of the 2.70% edge found on a standard single-zero wheel.
This page focuses on what the double-zero format changes at the table. The separate Q&A page Why does American roulette have 0 and 00? covers the broader historical and design question.
The 00 is a separate winning outcome
Zero and double zero are not the same pocket written two ways. They occupy separate positions on the wheel and separate spaces on the betting layout.
A straight-up wager on 0 wins only when the ball lands in 0. A straight-up wager on 00 wins only on 00. A player can cover both with two straight-up chips or, on layouts that offer it, a split wager covering 0 and 00.
The wheel contains:
- 18 red numbered pockets;
- 18 black numbered pockets;
- one green 0;
- one green 00.
The two green pockets are why red, black, odd, even, 1–18, and 19–36 each cover only 18 of the 38 possible results.
Standard payouts stay based on the older 36-number structure
A fair payout would exactly compensate for the chance of losing. Roulette instead uses traditional payouts that create a margin for the house.
For a straight-up number on a 38-pocket wheel:
- probability of winning: (1/38);
- net payout when winning: 35 units;
- probability of losing: (37/38);
- loss when losing: 1 unit.
The expected value of a one-unit wager is:
[ EV=\left(\frac{1}{38}\times35\right)+\left(\frac{37}{38}\times-1\right) ]
[ EV=\frac{35-37}{38}=-\frac{2}{38}=-0.052631\ldots ]
The player’s expected loss is about 5.26 cents per unit wagered, so the house edge is 5.26%.
The calculation does not predict the next spin. A player can win 35 units immediately or miss many times in a row. Expected value prices the wager across a very large number of repeated spins.
The same 5.26% edge applies to most ordinary bets
Roulette payouts are scaled so that standard inside and outside bets usually produce the same edge on a double-zero wheel.
| Bet | Numbers covered | Net payout | Probability of winning | Standard edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Straight up | 1 | 35 to 1 | 1/38 | 5.26% |
| Split | 2 | 17 to 1 | 2/38 | 5.26% |
| Street | 3 | 11 to 1 | 3/38 | 5.26% |
| Corner | 4 | 8 to 1 | 4/38 | 5.26% |
| Six line | 6 | 5 to 1 | 6/38 | 5.26% |
| Dozen or column | 12 | 2 to 1 | 12/38 | 5.26% |
| Red/black or other even-money bet | 18 | 1 to 1 | 18/38 | 5.26% |
The bets feel different because their hit frequencies and payouts differ. Their average price is normally the same.
A red wager, for example, wins on 18 pockets and loses on the other 20:
[ EV=\left(\frac{18}{38}\times1\right)+\left(\frac{20}{38}\times-1\right) =-\frac{2}{38} ]
Again, the result is a 5.26% house edge.
The five-number bet is worse
The American layout can offer a five-number wager covering 0, 00, 1, 2, and 3. It is sometimes called the basket, first five, or top-line bet. The standard net payout is 6 to 1.
That payout creates a larger disadvantage:
[ EV=\left(\frac{5}{38}\times6\right)+\left(\frac{33}{38}\times-1\right) ]
[ EV=\frac{30-33}{38}=-\frac{3}{38}=-0.078947\ldots ]
The house edge is about 7.89%.
This is an important exception to the “all roulette bets have the same edge” shortcut. Most standard double-zero bets have a 5.26% edge; the five-number bet is normally worse.
A separate 0–00 split, where offered at 17 to 1, does not have that extra penalty. It covers two pockets and follows the normal split-bet mathematics:
[ EV=\left(\frac{2}{38}\times17\right)+\left(\frac{36}{38}\times-1\right) =-\frac{2}{38} ]
Its house edge is therefore the standard 5.26%.
Single zero and double zero compared
The second green pocket nearly doubles the expected cost of ordinary wagers.
| Wheel | Total pockets | Green pockets | Straight-up win chance | Ordinary house edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single zero | 37 | 0 | 1/37 | 2.70% |
| Double zero | 38 | 0 and 00 | 1/38 | 5.26% |
For $1,000 of total roulette action:
- single-zero theoretical loss at 2.70%: (1{,}000\times0.0270=$27.00);
- double-zero theoretical loss at 5.26%: (1{,}000\times0.0526=$52.60).
The difference is about $25.60 per $1,000 wagered.
Actual results can vary widely because roulette has substantial short-term variance, especially on inside bets. The comparison is still meaningful because the edge is applied to every new unit of action over time.
European versus American roulette gives the wider game-format comparison.
The wheel and layout should match
A roulette table is a physical system, not just a printed betting grid. The wheel, layout, electronic display, and game rules must correspond.
On a double-zero game:
- 00 must be a distinct possible result;
- the layout must provide the permitted 00-related wagers;
- winning bets must be settled using the posted payout schedule;
- electronic history displays do not change the probabilities;
- side features or multipliers must follow their separately approved rules.
A player should identify the wheel before buying in. Some modern casinos offer single-zero, double-zero, and triple-zero formats in the same property, sometimes with different table minimums. The most prominent or lowest-minimum table is not necessarily the lowest-edge option.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board’s official roulette rules of play describe a wheel with 1–36 plus 0 and/or 00 and list the standard payout schedule, including 35 to 1 for a straight-up bet and 6 to 1 for the five-number wager. Local rules and approved variants can differ, so the actual table layout and posted rules control play.
Why the casino offers the format
Double-zero roulette is commercially attractive because it preserves the familiar game while increasing the casino’s expected return per dollar wagered. Players still receive the same recognizable wheel, chip placement, and headline payouts.
The format can also support lower table minimums or a different customer segment, although a lower minimum does not automatically make the game cheaper. Session cost depends on both the wager amount and the edge:
[ \text{Theoretical loss}=\text{total action}\times\text{house edge} ]
A player wagering $10 for 50 spins creates $500 in action.
- At 2.70%, theoretical loss is $13.50.
- At 5.26%, theoretical loss is $26.30.
A $5 double-zero table could still produce less theoretical loss than a $25 single-zero table if the player makes the same number of spins. The correct comparison uses total action, not edge alone.
Common misunderstandings about 00
“Double zero is less likely than an ordinary number”
No. On a balanced 38-pocket wheel, 00 is one pocket, just like 17 or 32. Each individual pocket has probability (1/38) before the spin.
“Betting 0 and 00 avoids the house edge”
No. Covering both green pockets increases hit probability to (2/38), but the payout is scaled so the standard house edge remains.
“Red must be safer because there are 18 red numbers”
Red wins on 18 outcomes and loses on 20 outcomes: 18 black numbers plus 0 and 00. The two-pocket difference creates the 5.26% edge.
“A run of 0 or 00 changes the next spin”
No. Previous outcomes do not make another pocket due. The wheel history display is a record, not a forecasting tool.
“All bets are equally bad”
Most standard wagers share the same edge, but the five-number bet is worse. Variance and hit frequency also differ even when expected value is equal.
Choosing a roulette table
A player who has a choice should check, in this order:
- number of green pockets;
- special even-money rules such as la partage or en prison, where offered;
- table minimum and maximum;
- speed of play;
- any nonstandard multipliers or side bets;
- whether the game is live, electronic, or automated.
Single zero usually offers the better standard price. Double zero does not prevent short-term wins, but it charges more for the same amount of ordinary roulette action.
Use the roulette odds guide for bet probabilities, roulette house edge for the mathematical comparison, and the roulette odds calculator to test specific wager coverage. For a still more expensive wheel format, continue with triple-zero roulette.