French roulette is the cheapest wheel you can play, and most people who search for it end up on a European table with French words painted on it. The difference is one rule. La Partage hands back half your even-money stake when zero hits, which cuts the house edge on red, black, odd, even, high and low from 2.70% to 1.35%. No other standard roulette variant gets close. Below: the UK sites that carry a proper French table, the versions that quietly skip the rule, and what it all costs you in pounds.
Some links on this page are affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you sign up through them. This doesn’t change our ratings or the facts we publish. 18+. Play at UKGC-licensed sites only.
Best French roulette sites in the UK
Every site below carries at least one French table where La Partage is confirmed in the game help, not just in the title. Ratings are ours. For the wider picture, see our list of UK casinos for real-money roulette.
Before you deposit anywhere, open the table, hit the info button and look for “La Partage” or “half back on zero”. If it isn’t written down, you’re not getting it. Watch out: the word “French” on the lobby tile proves nothing.
What makes it French
Same 37-pocket wheel as European. Same 35:1 on a straight-up. The layout uses French labels (Manque, Passe, Pair, Impair), the racetrack is usually there, and the one thing that matters is what happens on zero.
La Partage. You’ve got £10 on red, the ball drops in zero. On a European table that tenner is gone. On a French table you get £5 back. Half your stake, every time zero shows on an even-money bet. That’s the whole rule, and it halves the edge.
En Prison. The older version: instead of half back, your stake stays on the table for one more spin and is returned in full if it then wins. Mathematically the same 1.35%. Playtech’s RNG French tables don’t implement it, and I’ve not seen an online version that does. La Partage is what you’ll find.
| Bet | Payout | European edge | French edge (La Partage) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red/Black, Odd/Even, High/Low | 1:1 | 2.70% | 1.35% |
| Column / Dozen | 2:1 | 2.70% | 2.70% |
| Six line | 5:1 | 2.70% | 2.70% |
| Corner | 8:1 | 2.70% | 2.70% |
| Street | 11:1 | 2.70% | 2.70% |
| Split | 17:1 | 2.70% | 2.70% |
| Straight-up | 35:1 | 2.70% | 2.70% |
Read that table twice. The rule touches six bets and no others. Put £10 a spin on red for 100 spins and you’d expect to lose about £13.50 on a French table against £27 on a European one. Put the same money on a straight-up and both tables cost you £27. French roulette is only cheaper if you play it the French way.
Excellent, by our scale. 1.35% is the best standing deal in roulette, RNG or live.
Which versions actually apply La Partage
This is where most guides let you down, so here’s the honest state of play.
Playtech French Roulette and Premium French Roulette
The reference version for the UK. La Partage applies on even-money bets, 98.65% return there and 97.30% on everything else. Full racetrack with Voisins, Tiers and Orphelins, neighbours bets from 3 to 11 numbers, favourite-bet saving and a stats panel. Premium French Roulette (around 2016) is the polished sibling and the one you’ll see at the big bookmaker brands. Not bad at all. One niggle from other reviewers: screenshots don’t visibly show the rule, so confirm in the help text.
NetEnt French Roulette
Released January 2014, listed at 97.30% across the board with no La Partage mentioned anywhere we can find. Not verified. That number is a European table’s return, not a French one. Until someone confirms the rule in the in-game help, treat NetEnt’s version as European roulette in a French outfit. If you want a single-zero RNG game from NetEnt, the tiered limits on Roulette Professional Series for real money are a better reason to pick it than a French label.
Switch Studios French Roulette (Games Global)
La Partage applies, 98.65% on even-money, 97.30% elsewhere. Clean portrait-and-landscape mobile build with a racetrack. Less common in UK lobbies than Playtech’s, but a fair alternative where it turns up.
Live French roulette
Our database covers the RNG versions; live French tables we haven’t verified table by table yet, so no RTP or limit figures here. Not verified. What I can tell you is the test is identical: a live dealer calling “la partage” on zero and pushing half your chips back is the rule in action, and a live table that doesn’t do it is a European wheel with a French-speaking croupier.
Our guide to live roulette sites in the UK covers the studios worth your time; check each table’s help panel for the rule before you treat it as French.
Call bets on the French layout
The racetrack is where French tables earn their keep for Segment A players. These are the standard announced bets:
| Bet | Chips | Covers |
|---|---|---|
| Voisins du Zéro | 9 | 17 numbers around zero (22 to 25) |
| Tiers du Cylindre | 6 | 12 numbers opposite zero (27 to 33) |
| Orphelins | 5 | 8 numbers in the two remaining sectors |
| Jeu Zéro | 4 | 7 numbers closest to zero |
| Neighbours | 5 | Your number plus two each side |
None of these get La Partage. They’re built from splits, streets and straight-ups, so the edge is 2.70% on every chip. Lovely for covering a sector of the wheel; irrelevant to the French discount.
Limits
Third-party figures, operator-dependent. Playtech French Roulette has been seen at 10p chips with a £1 minimum on even-money bets, £50 maximum on a straight-up and £300 on even-money. NetEnt’s version goes as low as 10p and as high as £5,000 at some operators. Your casino may differ in either direction, so check the table panel.
The £300 even-money cap on the Playtech RNG table is worth knowing if you’re a bigger stake player. For higher limits you’re looking at live tables or a Premium Roulette Pro variant.
Common mistakes
- Playing inside bets and expecting 1.35%. You’re paying the full 2.70%. La Partage is an even-money rule, full stop.
- Trusting the tile. “French Roulette” in the name with 97.30% in the help screen is a European game. The NetEnt version is the usual culprit.
- Assuming La Partage makes a system work. A Martingale on a French table still doubles into the table max; the edge is smaller, the bust is the same.
- Switching to American for the “bigger” layout. Mug’s game. Double zero takes you from 1.35% to 5.26%, nearly four times the cost, for the same 1:1 payout. Our American roulette review explains why nobody should play it online.
Who it’s for
Anyone who plays even-money bets. Full stop. If red and black is your game, a French table with La Partage is the only sensible choice, and switching from European saves you half your expected loss for no effort.
If you live on the racetrack or chase straight-ups, the French label buys you nothing but a nicer layout. A plain European roulette table online at a casino with better limits will serve you the same.
Pros and cons
Pros
- 1.35% on even-money bets, the lowest edge in any standard roulette
- Honest 35:1, no multiplier catches
- Full racetrack and announced bets on the Playtech and Switch Studios versions
- Playtech’s Premium French Roulette is widely carried by UK operators
Cons
- La Partage applies to six bets; everything else stays at 2.70%
- NetEnt’s “French Roulette” may not apply the rule at all
- Playtech RNG even-money cap of £300 is low for bigger players
- Live French tables are thin on the ground in UK lobbies
Verdict
Sorted, if you’re an outside-bet player and you check the rule before you play. A genuine French table is the best deal in roulette and it isn’t close; the only skill involved is making sure you’ve actually got one.
For everyone else it’s European roulette with nicer vocabulary. Fine, but don’t pay for the name.
Rating: 4.5/5 (Playtech / Switch Studios with La Partage confirmed) · 3/5 (any version where the rule isn’t in the help)
FAQ
Where can I play French roulette online in the UK?
At UKGC-licensed casinos carrying Playtech’s French or Premium French Roulette, or Switch Studios’ version via Games Global. The sites at the top of this page have the rule confirmed. Bookmaker-owned casinos are the most reliable place to find the Playtech table.
Is French roulette better than European?
On even-money bets, yes: 1.35% edge against 2.70%, so half the expected loss. On every other bet the two are identical. The difference is La Partage, which returns half your even-money stake when zero hits.
Does NetEnt French Roulette have La Partage?
We can’t confirm it. NetEnt’s version is listed at 97.30% on all bets, which is the European figure, with no mention of the rule. Open the in-game help; if La Partage isn’t named, you’re playing a European table.
Can I play French roulette for real money on mobile?
Yes. Playtech, NetEnt and Switch Studios all have mobile builds, and UK operators offer them at real-money stakes from 10p chips. The La Partage check is the same on a phone: find the info button, read the rule.
Gambling can be addictive. Please play responsibly and only with money you can afford to lose. Roulette is a game of chance — no strategy changes the house edge. Set deposit and time limits. If you feel you’re losing control, seek help: BeGambleAware.org (0808 8020 133), GamCare.org.uk, or GamblingTherapy.org. 18+.
