Gambling terms, explained straight

Odds, Probability & Bankroll

Casino roulette payouts

The fixed amounts a casino pays on winning roulette bets, expressed as odds such as 35 to 1 for a straight-up bet.

Straight-up payout
35 to 1 on a single-number bet in both American and European roulette1
House edge (American)
5.26% on standard double-zero bets; 7.89% on the 0-00-1-2-3 bet23
House edge (European)
2.70% on standard single-zero bets23

Key points

  • Payouts are set below true odds, giving the casino a built-in advantage.12
  • The general payout formula is 36/p, where p is the number of winning numbers covered by the bet.1
  • Expected value of a $1 straight-up bet is about −$0.053 in American roulette and −$0.027 in European roulette.1

Where this term is used

Sources

  1. Roulette en.wikipedia.org Provides the standard payout figures, probability, expected value, and the general payout rule.
  2. Roulette Basics – Rules, Bets, and Game Variations ... wizardofodds.com Supplies the house edge percentages for American and European roulette.
  3. Microgaming Casinos for 2026 (Software & Best 9 Reviewed) wizardofodds.com Confirms the house edge on the 0-00-1-2-3 bet and standard European roulette.

Sources are drawn from regulators, universities and published research, and each one is labelled with what it actually is — a preprint is not called a paper. Bookmaker and affiliate pages are never cited here, because a page that sells betting is not a neutral authority on it.