Some casino games are just meant to be avoided due to their high house edges. Such games give the casino a much larger advantage than they deserve.

Big Six, Bonus Six, and keno are all good examples of games that aren’t worth playing if you hope to win. I personally think keno is especially bad, considering that it has up to a 30% house edge in some cases.

Unfortunately, some games with low odds of winning can be deceiving. You may have heard that roulette is a good game with regards to beating the casino.

The House edge and the zero ensure this is the case. In addition, if you like to play American roulette, there is going to be even more of a House edge. This is so because in American roulette, there are two zeros on the wheel. There is the zero and double zero. This means that there is an even stronger House edge to consider.

But you might also fall for the triple zero version. I’m going to discuss more on triple zero roulette and why it’s so bad.

1. Roulette and slots cost the player more - house advantages of 5.3% for double-zero roulette and 5% to 10% for slots - while the wheel of fortune feeds the casino near 20% of the wagers, and keno is a veritable casino cash cow with average house advantage close to 30%.
2. The normal house advantage from playing the numbers in Roulette is 2.78%. A single chip placed on a winning number should return 37 chips to break even but it returns 36 instead. A single chip placed on a winning number should return 37 chips to break even but it returns 36 instead.

What Is Triple Zero Roulette?

The vast majority of roulette wheels are either of the European or American variety. A European roulette wheel features 37 pockets, while an American wheel has 38 pockets.

I’ll discuss more on these games later and why they’re both better than the triple zero version. But the key point is that these are the most common types of roulette.

The rare triple zero wheel features 39 pockets. The pockets include numbers 1-36, zero, double zero, and triple zero.

The latter is what truly defines this game. Triple zero roulette is the only variation that offers a pocket with three zeros.

Why Is Triple Zero So Bad?

At first glance, the triple zero wheel might just seem like an opportunity to enjoy a new style of roulette. The reality, though, is that it’s designed to give the casino a larger edge.

The first thing to understand here is that each zero pocket, or those colored green, gives the house an advantage on most bets.

If you take “black” on a red/black wager, for example, then you have 18 chances of winning. This is because the 1-36 pockets feature 18 black spaces.

The triple zero wheel has 21 pockets that can cause you to lose. Pockets 1-36 contain 18 red spaces. Additionally, pockets 0, 00, and 000 can result in a loss.

You may not immediately notice how bad of a deal this is. But you’ll fully understand when you calculate your chances of winning and the house advantage.

Here’s the math:

• 18 / 39 = 46.15 chance of winning
• 3 / 39 = 7.69% house edge

Again, you have 18 chances of both winning and losing within numbers 1-36. But the kicker is that three special spaces give casinos an extra advantage.

Triple zero roulette’s 7.69% house edge is one of the worst in all of gambling. Its sole purpose is to trick unknowledgeable gamblers so that casinos win more money.

How Can You Avoid Triple Zero Wheels?

The great thing about triple zero roulette is that it’s not available in abundance. In fact, the vast majority of gambling venues don’t carry this game.

One reason why is because of gamblers are knowledgeable enough about roulette to avoid the triple zero wheel. They’d rather choose a more favorable European or American wheel.

Even those who don’t understand the roulette house edge may notice that their money vanishes much faster with a triple zero version. Eventually, they’ll just go back to playing the variation(s) they enjoyed before.

Triple zero roulette is most commonly found at charity gambling events. Therefore, you’re unlikely to see it in your local casino.

If you do spot it, then you won’t have much trouble figuring out how to avoid it. You simply need to look at the wheel and notice that there are three green pockets.

Green typically means “go” in most situations. In this case, though, it should mean “stop” or stay away.

Is There Any Advantage to Triple Zero Roulette?

I want to reiterate that you should avoid triple zero wheels at all costs. They’ll drain your casino gaming bankroll much faster than a common wheel.

But one small benefit that triple zero roulette offers is more comps. A pit boss that sees you playing this game will think you’re losing more money with it.

Casinos have already worked out the math on all games to ensure that they still make hefty profits when rewards are included. Even when you’re receiving more comps through triple zero roulette, you still aren’t getting a better deal.

What Are Some Better Roulette Options?

You can see why triple zero roulette is such a terrible game to play. But what can you play in its place if you still want to enjoy roulette action? You can try any of the following games, which are explained in detail.

American Roulette

An American roulette wheel has 38 pockets, including 1-36, zero, and double zero. The two zero pockets give the casino a 5.26% house advantage (2/38).

This house edge is still high in the grand scheme of gambling. However, it’s better than what the triple zero wheel offers.

European Roulette

A European wheel has 37 pockets, including 1-36 and zero. The lone zero pocket only gives the house a 2.70% edge (1/37).

This game is certainly preferable to both triple zero and American roulette. It also offers one of the friendlier house advantages in the gambling world.

French Roulette

French roulette is also played on a European wheel. However, it differs from European roulette in one major way.

The French version features a special rule called “la partage.” This rule pays half back on any losing even-money bet when the ball lands on zero.

As explained earlier, the European wheel normally leads to a 2.70% house edge. But la partage cuts this figure down to 1.35% as long as you stick with even-money wagers.

Mini Roulette (With La Partage)

Mini roulette is played on a small wheel with just 13 pockets. The pockets include 1-12 and zero.

As is, this wheel gives the casino a 7.69% house edge (1/13). You might be thinking, “How is this any better than the triple-zero version?”

Many mini roulette games feature the la partage rule just like the French game. Therefore, this variation has a 3.85% house edge on even-money bets.

The mini version still doesn’t give you a great chance to win in comparison to French or European roulette. But it’s better than both American and triple zero roulette.

Conclusion

Casinos aren’t able to build lavish resorts because they lose to gamblers on a regular basis. Instead, they have a built-in casino edge in almost every scenario.

Most of the time, gambling venues are fairly reasonable with their edges. They actually give you a decent shot to win in the case of French and European Roulette.

American and mini roulette aren’t the greatest games. But at least the casino isn’t trying to rob you with them.

The same can’t be said of triple zero roulette. Due to three house-friendly pockets, it features an atrocious 7.69% house edge.

Few casino games are worse in this regard. I’ve mentioned most of them at the outset, including Big Six, Bonus Six, and keno.

You might as well add triple zero to the list of difficult games. It’s presented as a harmless and fun variation of roulette.

But the truth is that it’s only harmless and fun for the casino. You, on the other hand, will take the matter much more seriously when you lose money quicker on a triple zero roulette wheel than you would with any other version.

Triple zero roulette has been introduced at two casinos in Las Vegas, Planet Hollywood and New York-New York.

Venetian got the first triple zero roulette table (two, actually) on The Strip back in Oct. 2016, and it seemed inevitable the much-reviled game would proliferate.

That it has.

Here’s a look at the triple zero roulette table at Planet Hollywood.

On the bright side, one of the “fun facts” about roulette stays the same: The numbers on a roulette table add up to 666.

“What is triple zero roulette?” you ask.

Well, a typical roulette table in U.S. casinos has two zeros.

On a table with two zeros, the house edge is 5.26%. That’s one of the highest house advantages in the casino.

On a triple zero roulette table, the house edge jumps up to 7.69%.

See, that’s what makes a much-reviled game so reviled.

Given the odds are worse on a triple zero table, why would people play it? You ask great questions!

Typically, the minimum bet on a triple zero roulette table is lower than on a double zero table.

Yes, there are some single zero tables in Las Vegas casinos, but they tend to be reserved for big spenders. An exception is the single zero table at Cromwell. There’s a premium to be paid for the better odds, of course. The minimum bet at Cromwell is $25.

The house edge in a single zero roulette game is 2.7%. You go, Cromwell.

How did we know more triple zero games would make their way to Las Vegas casinos? Another excellent question!

We knew because players at Venetian’s triple zero roulette table (see below) didn’t care at all about the less favorable odds.

Triple zero roulette tables are often packed when double zero tables are empty.

It was the same at Planet Hollywood during our visit.

Planet Hollywood has eight roulette tables. Seven have a $15 minimum, one has a $10 minimum. The lower table minimum is more than enough to entice recreational gamblers, and casinos couldn’t be happier about it.

Before you start calling triple zero roulette players stupid, consider this: They’re not gambling to make money. They’re playing to have fun.

And here’s a confession: We had fun playing triple zero roulette at Planet Hollywood, too. And we won money to boot.

We even made money on one of the bets you’ll only find at a triple zero roulette table. It’s a bet on any of the zeros, and it pays 11-to-1.

Big thanks to Planet Hollywood for not asking security to Taser us for taking photos.

Oh, and while we’re at it, here’s another counter-intuitive fact about triple zero roulette: It can actually make your money last longer.

It’s true!

Despite disadvantageous odds, the lower table minimum at triple zero roulette means a typical player (assuming they make the minimum bet) will lose less over time than someone betting more at a double zero roulette table.

That’ll teach you to be less judgy.

So, no, not everything is ruined. But that doesn’t mean we have to like triple zero roulette.

Triple zero roulette is a symbol of an evolution taking place in Las Vegas casinos. As gambling revenue declines, casinos have to find new and clever ways of bolstering their bottom lines.

If guests play games with a higher house edge, casinos will continue to find ways to raise them even higher.

The irony, of course, is gambling revenue is declining because the perceived value of gambling has declined. Casinos tighten their slots, so players play slots less. Casinos change 3-to-2 blackjack games to 6-to-5, so fewer play the game. It’s a vicious cycle.

Our strategy is to play the games where we have the most fun. That way, we can spend our time being entertained rather than doing math.

We’d love to hear your thoughts. Do you care about the number of zeros on your roulette table?

Thanks to our friends at the You Can Bet on That podcast for alerting us to the triple zero roulette table at Planet Hollywood.

Updated (4/26/18): Park MGM has also introduced triple zero roulette.

Updated (4/13/19): Since this story, a number of Las Vegas casinos have introduced triple zero roulette. Las Vegas casinos with triple zero roulette:

House Advantage Blackjack Calculator

• Venetian and Palazzo
• Planet Hollywood
• Circus Circus
• Golden Nugget
• Park MGM
• New York-New York
• Harrah’s Las Vegas
• Luxor
• Wynn Las Vegas
• Linq
• Binion’s
• Four Queens
• Aria Las Vegas
• Caesars Palace
• Green Valley Ranch
• Palms