A variety of gaming options is one of the great things about online casinos. For a game of roulette, you could choose between European, American, French, Speed, Lightning and even double ball roulette. But one variation of the famous casino table game that you won’t find is No Zero roulette, which actually isn’t a hypothetical version of the classic game, but one that actually existed for a short while.
Zero Lounge Roulette was offered by some casinos in the UK as a promotional gimmick, as the game offered a 0% house edge. Naturally, the game was never designed to stick around for the long term. The format was highly unfavourable to the casino, because by removing the zeros, it eliminated the house’s mathematical edge. Let’s take a look at the short-lived No Zero Roulette and why you can’t find it today.
A Fundamental Failure
No Zero Roulette would be damaging for a casino’s operating margin on that game. To explain, think of an even money bet, like red or black on a European casino table with one zero pocket. The inclusion of that zero means that the player doesn’t have a 50/50 chance of getting red, for example. If there were not a zero pocket on the wheel, a player would have a genuine 50% chance of picking the right colour, opposed to only a mathematical chance of around 47.4% of winning the even money bet on a standard game. That would mean the casino is missing out on a profit margin for every spin of the wheel, making it unsustainable.
This highlights how important understanding the mathematical side of gambling is. Without knowing the value of your bets and how they relate to any house edge, you could be missing out on value. Simply playing American Roulette, for example, means that the odds are less favourable than on a standard European game.
The following is a quick look at how it all stacks up:
● No Zero Roulette – 36 pockets (no zero), house edge 0.00%
● European Standard Roulette – 37 pockets (single zero), house edge 2.70%
● American Roulette – 38 pockets (single zero, double zero), house edge 5.26%
● French Roulette – 37 pockets (single zero), house edge 2.70% (La Partage rules reduce the edge to 1.35% when a zero lands, as only half the stake of an even money bet is lost)
No Zero, No Gain
It’s pretty clear that No Zero Roulette is something an online casino might roll out only as part of a short-term promotion to attract players. Operators use all sorts of tactics to bring people in. They might offer welcome bonuses or low deposit limits, such as those featured at https://legalbet.mx/casinos/sets/deposito-minimo-20-peso/, where gambling experts review casinos that let you deposit 20 pesos or less.
In the same way, special events such as tournaments or exclusive titles like No Zero Roulette help increase player engagement, though these are usually limited-time offers. Of course, modern online casinos feature plenty of roulette variations in their game collections, each with its own style, features, and house edge.
Platforms like Legalbet.mx, which analyse online operators and their games, show just how diverse these options can be. Players have the freedom to choose roulette games that suit them best. Still, the house edge is always there in standard formats, and titles like No Zero Roulette — where it’s completely removed — are rare and not part of the regular catalog.
Systems and Strategies
An expanded reason as to why No Zero Roulette wouldn’t take off is due to its exposure to betting strategies such as the Martingale System, which doubles the unit of bet after a loss. On a No Zero Roulette table, a player, due to their increased odds, would have a better chance of earning from a strategy before any table limits came into play.
That would all be because of not being mathematically hindered by the presence of a zero. With a zero pocket in place, the casino will always overcome any kind of progressive betting system in the long term.
Why Is There an Edge?
A casino sets the rules and margins on games, and the house edge is essential for covering the operational costs of running a casino. Without it, there would be no casino to play at because there would be no sustainable turnover.
That’s the casino’s benefit, and for players, they should think about getting the best roulette odds they can to benefit themselves. Out of all the versions, it’s French Roulette with La Partage rules that gets players the most favourable odds.
