Learn why you should avoid playing triple zero roulette tables!

One of the latest roulette wheels to hit land-based casinos is the Triple Zero Roulette layout. It has not yet made it to online casinos, and probably won’t, but some casinos in the USA are already using this style of roulette. The question is why is it unlikely to become an online casino phenomenon and is it worth playing?

Much like the introduction of blackjack tables that pay 6-5 for a natural blackjack, the triple zero roulette table is now finding its way into casinos that are exchanging tradition for higher profits. The 6-5 blackjack variant increases the house edge by as much as 2% so it is easy to see why this variant is in favour of casino managers.

Meanwhile, it seems roulette is the next casino table game due for a revamp, but it is not a change that favours the casino player! Before we begin, this version of roulette has not made it to the Malaysian or Singaporean casinos as of yet!

Triple Zero Roulette Increases the House Edge!

Roulette’s house edge generally only changes when the number of zeros on the wheel increase. For 100s of years, there have been two traditional roulette wheels. The ‘single zero’ variant also known as European or French Roulette and the ‘double zero’ variant is called US or American Roulette.

European Roulette Wheel: As there is only a single zero and numbers 1 to 36 on a European Roulette table, there is a total of 37 numbers. Your probability of a successful straight-up bet is 37-1 giving you a 2.7% chance. Coincidentally enough the house edge for European Roulette is also 2.7% thus you have an RTP of 97.3%. These are the best odds offered by traditional roulette tables!

American Roulette Wheel: With two zeros on the table this variant of roulette has a house edge of 5.26% which is a theoretical RTP of 94.74%! The reason for this increase is because the extra ‘00’ on the table brings the number count from 37 to 38. As a result, your odds of hitting a straight-up bet are now 38-1 instead of 37-1 while the payout is still 35-1 giving you a 2.63% chance of this bet being successful.

Triple Zero Roulette Wheel: Adding a third zero to the roulette wheel means there are not three zeros plus number 1 to 36. That is 39 numbers on the wheel giving you a 39-1 chance of hitting a straight-up bet, which is now as low as 2.56%. As such the house edge goes up to 7.69% and reduces your RTP to 92.31%.

RTP & House Edge for the 3 Roulette Variants

How Does the Triple Zero Roulette Wheel Layout Affect Outside Bets?

Outside bets are the red-black, odd-even, and high-low bets that pay even odds on your bet, while there are also dozen and column bets that pay 2-1.

When you add more zeros onto a roulette table, these bets have a lower chance of winning. The simple reason for this is because none of the outside bets includes the zero. The zero is not black or red; it is not part of the high-low numbers, and the zero is not counted as an even-odd number. Meanwhile, neither the column nor dozens line or boxes include the zero. As a result, adding a zero on the roulette wheel increases the chances of players losing their outside bets.

Column & Dozen Bets: When we look at the single zero, double zero, and triple zero roulette wheels, we have 37, 38, and 39 numbers. As a column or dozen bet has 12 numbers in each, the probability of winning goes up as you add more zeros. 37-12, 38-12, and 39-12. The mathematically correct way to describe this would be 3.08-1, 3.17-1, and 3.25-1, while the payout is 2-1 making the triple zero version unfavourable for players but a profitable variant for casinos.

Even Odds Bets: The red-black, odd-even, and high-low bets all have 18 numbers within their scopes. Simply put, the probability of winning on a single zero, a double zero, or a triple zero roulette table are 37-18, 38-18, and 39-18 or better put 2.05-1, 2.11-1, and 2.17-1 while if you win, your receive a mere even odds payout.

Outside Bet: Winning Chances on 3 Roulette Variants Explained Using Percentages

How does the roulette triple zero wheel affect inside bets?

We have already seen how adding a third zero onto the roulette wheel affects the RTP and house edge, straight up bets, and outside bets. Now we can look at how this three zero variant reduces your chances of winning when placing outside bets.

Straight Up Bets: this bet is when you place a chip on a single number. It is the highest paying bet on the roulette table, but it also has the lowest probability of winning. On all variants of roulette, you win 35:1 when this bet is successful. On a European roulette wheel, you have a 2.7% winning chance, a 2.63% on an American roulette wheel, and on a wheel with three zeros a dreadfully low 2.56% chance of winning!

Split Bets are when you bet on 2 number by placing the chip on the line that divides them. If you win, the payout is 17:1 which is the second-highest on the roulette table. You have a 5.41% of successfully landing this bet on a European roulette table, a 5.26% on the American variant, and with three zeros, the chance of winning is as low as 5.13%!

Street Bets: A street bet covers 3 numbers on the inside of the board and pays 11:1. To activate this bet, you will need to place your chip on the line at the beginning of a 3-number row that runs vertically across the width of the roulette board. As for your winning chance, playing European Roulette, you have an 8.11% chance, while American roulette gives you a 7.89% chance. But when it comes to a roulette wheel with three zeros, the percentage plummets to 7.69%.

Corner Bets: The corner bet is quite popular because you can cover 4 number on the wheel by placing your chip on the cross in the middle of the numbers. If you win, you get an 8:1 return. Playing European roulette offers the best chance of winning, which is 10.81% and American Roulette is slightly less at 10.53%, while tripe zero roulette gives you a lowly 10.25% chance to spin this bet in.

Double Street Bets: This bet covers 6 numbers. As with the street bet you need to place the chip on the line at the beginning of the row, but to include 6 instead of 3 numbers, you need to place the chip on the ‘T’. If you win, you get 5:1 paid out on all variants of roulette, while the winning chances are 16.22%, 15.79%, and 15.38% for European, American, and roulette with three zeros, respectively.

Inside Bets: Winning Chances on 3 Roulette Variants Explained Using Percentages

Why Is It Unlikely We Will See Roulette Triple Zero Online?

With the online casino scene already incredibly competitive, the introduction of a roulette title that increases the house edge or decreases players’ RTP is simply something that will not work.

There is no unique selling point to adding a third zero to online variants because even those that do not play roulette will ask how does the third zero help me? As per the information presented above, the answer is simple. The third zero helps the house make more money.

However, it is likely that you may come across the roulette triple zero variants more often in land-based casinos. In particular, cruise liners and hotel-casino in the Caribbean are likely going to introduce this variant because those casinos are all about giving player tight rules that favour the house. The target market for these establishments is generally tourists that rarely have a flutter in the casinos and don’t know any different when the casino adds a zero or changes the payout for natural blackjack to 6-5.

If you do happen to come across this variant, seek out another roulette table with fewer zeros if available, or simply don’t play unless you really have the urge for a few spins! From here, the next popular casino table game that is due for a reduction in RTP is baccarat, which has not yet happened, but we’ll keep our eyes peeled just in case so you will be the first to know if this does happen!