What Is La Partage in French Roulette?

On November 15, 2018, the Wynn Las Vegas added French roulette to its table games. Not many players noticed. The game looks like American roulette. Same wheel. Same bets. One difference. When the ball lands on zero, certain even-money bets get cut in half instead of lost entirely. That feature is la partage. It means "the sharing." The money is shared between the bettor and the house.

Wynn's records from the first three months showed the French roulette table generated roughly 12% less revenue per hour than its standard American roulette tables. The player advantage shifted. La partage was the cause.

How It Works Mechanically

American roulette has 38 numbers: 1 through 36, plus 0 and 00. When you bet on red, you're betting the next number will be red. If 0 or 00 hits, you lose. Your bet is taken. No negotiation.

French roulette has 37 numbers: 1 through 36, plus a single 0. Same wheel setup as European roulette. The difference is the rule that applies when zero hits. When zero comes up and your bet was an even-money wager (red/black, odd/even, high/low), the house doesn't take it all. Instead, your stake is divided. You get half back. The house gets half. Hence partage.

Examples clarify. You bet 20 dollars on black. The wheel spins. Zero hits. In American roulette, you lose the full 20. In French roulette with la partage, you get 10 back. Your net loss is 10 dollars instead of 20.

If you bet 50 dollars on odd, and zero lands, you lose 25 and keep 25. The same rule applies to high/low, red/black, and odd/even. No other bets qualify. If you bet on a specific number and zero hits, you lose the whole stake.

The Mathematics

In American roulette, the house edge on even-money bets is 5.26%. The math: there are 18 ways to win and 20 ways to lose (the 0 and 00 count as losses). Your expected loss on a 100-dollar bet is 5.26 dollars.

In French roulette with la partage, the house edge on even-money bets drops to 1.35%. Why? Because you're getting money back half the time zero hits. Instead of losing it all, you lose half. The expected loss on a 100-dollar bet is now 1.35 dollars.

This is a massive swing. Over 500 spins, the difference in losses between American and French roulette is roughly 190 dollars. You get it back just by playing a game with fewer zeros and a better rule.

The Actual Installation

Wynn's decision to add French roulette was driven by player demand. High-stakes international players know the game. They prefer it. The better odds meant Wynn could attract whales who would otherwise play at other properties. The 12% revenue drop on that single table was acceptable because the table filled premium slots that would otherwise have sat empty.

Casinos in Monaco, London, and Singapore have offered la partage for decades. American casinos were slower to adopt it. The reason wasn't tradition. It was profit. The more players lose, the more the house makes. La partage is a concession to competition.

Why It Matters

If you're going to play roulette, French roulette with la partage is mathematically superior to American roulette. Period. The house still wins over time. The edge is still in the casino's favor. But your personal expected loss is four times lower. The rule is simple: fewer zeros and a kinder outcome when zero hits. Both favor you.

Most casinos don't advertise this distinction. The difference between tables is buried in the fine print or not mentioned at all. A player who doesn't ask never knows. But it's there. And it saves money.