The Zeros and the Bank Edge in the Roulette Wheel

Published on 30 January 2026

The “double zero” wheel is said to be invented in America. But they say that it is not true because the original roulette wheel of the new generation played in France in the 19th century has both zeros and the Americans simply used that wheel. Frenchmen François and Louis Blanc created a new-style wheel putting single zero into it and the game has quickly became popular in France and Europe until the 20th century.

French roulette at the end of the Victorian era has both zero and the “double zero”, the zero was coloured red and also counted as “Pair” and “Manque”; the double zero was black and also counted as “Impair” and “Passe”.

The bank takes all the lost stakes when the ball land in one of these numbers but if the bet was matched on a Pair, Impair, Rouge, Noir, Passe or Manque, the stake will stay until the next spin. Then, the stake is either lost or if the ball lands on it the bet is returned to the gambler without any profit.

These two extra numbers are the primary factor that give the bank a much better edge over an extended period of time. However, as the ball can land into one of the zeros twice every 38 balls, the bank will get a profit of 1/38 (around over 2.5%). A single number bet pays odds of 35 to 1, but because there are 38 pockets that the ball can fall into, the correct odds are 37 to 1. This gives the bank edge of 2/37 or over 5% of all money wagered on specific numbers or groups of numbers.