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Roulette rules and payouts: how a spin is settled
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Roulette's rules are the payout table plus a handful of settlement conventions. Knowing the conventions avoids the two commonest confusions at an online table: what a win actually puts in the balance, and what happens when several bets are on the layout at once.
One bet, one spin
Place a chip, spin, result. If the winning number is in your bet's coverage, the game pays the quoted odds and returns the stake. If not, the chip is removed. Payouts are "to 1": winnings relative to stake, stake returned separately.
| £5 on | Win returns | Loss |
|---|---|---|
| Red | £10 | −£5 |
| Second dozen | £15 | −£5 |
| Corner | £45 | −£5 |
| Number 17 | £180 | −£5 |
Several bets, one spin
Each bet settles independently. Winners are paid, losers are collected, and your net is the difference. Example: £5 on red, £5 on the second dozen, £1 on 17. Ball lands on 17 (black, second dozen).
- Red: loses, −£5.
- Second dozen: wins, £10 + £5 back = £15.
- 17: wins, £35 + £1 back = £36.
Returned: £51. Staked: £11. Net: +£40. Same layout, ball lands on 3 (red, first dozen): red wins £10 back, the other two lose, net −£1. Ball lands on zero: all three lose, −£11.
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Zero
Standard table: every outside bet loses, inside bets lose unless they covered zero. French table with La Partage: even-money bets lose half; En Prison holds them for one more spin. Dozens, columns and inside bets are never covered by either rule.
Limits
Minimum per chip, minimum per spin and maximum per bet type are set per table. A table can have a 20p chip and a £1 spin minimum, and a £50 cap on a number alongside a £5,000 cap on red. Bets outside the limits are refused before the spin, not voided after it.
To 1 and for 1
"35 to 1" means £35 winnings on £1, plus the £1 back, £36 in total. "36 for 1" means £36 in total including the stake. They describe the same payout. Multiplier tables are sometimes quoted "30 for 1", which is 29 to 1; when two sites disagree by one on a payout, this is the reason.
Timing on live tables
Bets must be placed before the server timer closes. The video is a few seconds behind the studio, so a bet that looks in time on screen can be refused. Refused bets are not taken. Nothing can be added or removed once the ball is moving.
Settlement is automatic
Online, there is nothing to claim. The result is read, every seat at the table is settled in the same instant, and balances update. On a live table the dealer announces the number; the payout is triggered by the system. If a result is disputed, every spin has a round ID in your history that support can use to pull the footage.
The one rule worth repeating
Each chip is its own bet at its own odds, and the house keeps 2.70% of each on a single-zero wheel however many you place. Stacking bets changes the pattern of wins and losses on a spin, never the price.
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People also ask
Do I get my stake back when I win at roulette?
Yes. A win pays the quoted odds plus returns the stake. £1 on red that wins puts £2 in the balance; £1 on a number puts £36.
If I bet on red and a number and the number comes up on black, what happens?
The number pays 35 to 1 with its stake back; the red chip is lost. Net on the spin: +35 units minus the red stake. Each bet settles on its own.