Is Roulette Fixed?

The question "Is Roulette fixed?" is asked by a lot of new roulette players who can't seem to win as much as they lose at roulette. Because they are losing consistently, they assume the house is fixing the roulette game against them. There are several common roulette myths which these players may have heard about casinos fixing roulette.

The Magnet Theory - Fixing Roulette

Perhaps the most common of these is the magnet theory. The theory goes that a magnet is used to draw the steel ball to a certain location on the roulette wheel, thereby fixing the outcome of the game for the casino. So would a casino use magnets to fix roulette in order to make a little extra money on the side? The answer is no.

The magnet theory in roulette is complete bunk. If a casino were caught using magnets or some other means to rig the game, they would lose their gaming license and the casino would go out of business. The casino managers would go to prison. Fixing the roulette wheel would be the end of the game for the casino. Every croupier (roulette dealer) would have the casino at their mercy, because they could run to the Feds anytime with the truth anytime they were disgruntled about their treatment by casino management.

So you might ask, "How do casinos stay in business without fixing games?" The biggest casinos are huge and opulent, so it goes that they must be corrupt to amass that kind of money. Not really. The reason casinos rake in some much money is the "house edge".

House Edge

The house edge is the odds advantage that most casino games have. The casino weights the odds slightly (or not so slightly) in its favor. Whenever you play a casino game like roulette, the odds are against you that you're going to win. Usually, these odds are just under a 50/50 proposition, so the customer doesn't exactly notice the disadvantage. Most gamblers know the house edge exists, but are happy to play at the casino for the entertainment value and the slightly-under-fifty-percent chance of winning.

That's how a casino stays in business. The house edge doesn't assure the casino will win any given hand, but makes it highly likely that the casino will make a considerable profit over the long term. Roulette is a perfect example of the casino game house edge.

Roulette Odds - The House Edge in Roulette

In American roulette, the player has a 47.37% chance of winning any given bet. If you were playing even odds, you would have a 50% chance of winning any spin. The way the house edge works in roulette is the inclusion of the "0" and "00" slots on the roulette wheel, and the odds the casino pays you for your roulette wins.

For instance, assume you make a bet on "red" in roulette. There are 18 red numbers on a roulette wheel. There are 18 black numbers on a roulette wheel. At first glance, it would appear that you have a 50/50 chance of hitting red. That isn't the case, because there are two green numbers on the wheel, too.

The 0 and 00 slots are the green numbers. If the steel ball lands on either of these numbers, you lose. In fact, whether someone bet on red or black, the gambler loses the bet. If you bet "even" or "odd" under the same proposition, the gambler automatically loses if the roulette ball lands on the zeroes.

So instead of having an 18-in-36 chance of winning, you have an 18-in-38 chance of winning in American roulette. While you might win in the short run playing against those odds, over the months and years, the casino is almost certain to make a huge profit off of those odds. That's the house edge.

Why Not Fix Roulette?

A gambling license for a casino is an assured profit. The license allows a casino to legally set up games with a house edge. The edge can't get too high, or else the casino will break laws. Also, if the casino takes too much of a percentage from casino players, those players will go to the casino down the road. Still, a casino license is virtually a license to print money.

No casino is going to risk losing their license by rigging the game to make a few more dollars. To do so would be reckless to the point of crazy. The risk/reward factor is so high against fixing roulette, that it's just not going to happen.

So casinos set their built-in house edge and go on making huge profits. The casino payout percentage on roulette will be somewhere around 94.74%. So for every $100 you wager, you'll receive on average $94.74 back through winnings. The casino pockets the remaining $5.26 of your money. That's why casinos are so large and opulent -- not because they cheat.

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