Roulette is a casino game that involves a wheel, a table and a small ball. The player places his or her bets on a number, groups of numbers, the color red or black, or whether it is odd or even. The ball is spun around the wheel and eventually lands in one of the numbered slots. If the bet is a winning one, the player is paid out accordingly.

The house edge of Roulette is higher than most other casino games but still less than that of craps. This house edge is due to the fact that players cannot make a bet that covers all possible outcomes of the game. This is why players should familiarize themselves with the different bet types, their odds of winning and the payouts they are awarded for making a certain bet.

Before playing a spin of the Roulette wheel, players must decide on the amount they are willing to bet. Typically, casinos will impose minimum and maximum bet limits to prevent players from losing their place at the table or getting their account suspended. This information is usually posted on the casino website and should be taken into consideration when placing bets.

Upon settling on an amount, the player must then place his or her chips on the table in the betting area. These chips are often arranged in rows with the smallest bets at the front and the largest bets at the back. The dealer then places a rake, a flat metal object with an inscription that matches the amount of the bets, on the table to signal that it is time for play.

The croupier or dealer then throws a small ball into the spinning wheel. The wheel, which is surrounded by the betting table, has thirty-six metal compartments that are painted alternately red and black. There is also a green division marked 0 on European wheels and two green divisions labelled 00 on American ones.

When the ball lands in a number, those who made bets on that number, section or color will win according to their betting odds. In addition to these, there are other bets, such as the high-low, odd-even, red-black and first, second and third dozen bets that can also win. These bets have a higher house edge than the inside bets but offer larger payouts.