The Triple Zero Roulette Wheel

Casinos have come up with all kinds of innovative ways to separate players from their bankrolls over the years.

Sure, as every gambler knows, the house will always win over time. But experienced punters tend to bet only on games that offer a respectable house edge of only 2-5%.

But for some casinos and platforms, the mountain of profits that comes from these kinds of games just isn’t enough!

That’s where the truly terrible ideas come in…

…and over the years, there have been plenty of them!

Whether it’s the rise of 6:5 blackjack, the abundance of blackjack side bets – a money pit that good blackjack strategy dictates should always be avoided – or simply Keno (which carries an astonishing house edge of 20–40%), it seems the possibilities are endless when it comes to terrible odds for gamblers. Big Six, also known as Wheel of Fortune, also belongs on this list of games that should be avoided at all cost.

But now, there’s a new addition to this hall of shame: the triple-zero roulette wheel.

Triple-zero roulette  at the Venetian in Las Vegas.

The year was 2016, and the “new game” was called Sands Roulette. The only new element of the game, however, was the addition of a 000 tile to the already present 00 and 0.

This single element changed the house advantage from 5.26% to 7.69%.

The Numbers

Let’s take a step back for bit of shop talk, though: the main difference between American and European roulette is that the former has 00 and 0 tiles, while the latter has only the single 0.

Since the presence of the zeros on the wheel provides the basis of the house advantage, players get much better odds when playing single 0 tables.

And the difference is not a small one! Double-zero (American) tables offer a house advantage of 5.26%, while single-zero (European) tables do much better for players at 2.70%.

Best of all is the French wheel, where the availability of surrender drops the house advantage to an excellent 1.35%.

No matter how you slice it, the 7.69% house edge is a massive step backwards from any previous iteration of roulette. From the European wheel, the house had tripled its edge!

Six months later after its appearance at the Venetian, “Sands Roulette” was still the only triple-zero table in town… maybe in the world!

At that time, a double-zero table was operating right next to the triple-zero one! So it didn’t take much for discerning players to steer clear of the abomination created by the casino bosses.

Alas, things couldn’t stay the same forever. By 2018, triple zero roulette tables had taken root elsewhere on the Strip, at the New York-New York and Planet Hollywood casinos. They’re now available at the Excalibur and MGM Grand as well.

These days, the Venetian no longer offers double-zero tables next to its triple-zero offerings. It seems that the guests didn’t mind giving more and more of their money away…

…so it’s triple-zero or nothing!

It seems only a matter of time until this dreadful practice finds its way into online play as well.

Thankfully, however, this has not yet come to pass – Live Dealer players don’t have to contend with this particular obstacle…. yet.

It is our sincere hope that enough players refuse to play triple-zero roulette variants, forcing casinos and providers to remove this dreadful variant from their catalogues.

In the meantime, however, this kind of wheel should go onto every serious gambler’s list of games to be avoided like the plague.

In today’s market, there are always plenty of excellent choices for savvy gamers.

Just as important as what to do, however, is what not to do.

In this spirit, we strongly urge you to steer clear of triple zero wheels.

Why give casinos more of your bankroll than you have to? After all, this innovation was made by greedy casinos trying to increase their house edge beyond a reasonable range.

There’s a quote usually attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte:

“Never do what your enemy wishes you to do, for this reason alone: he desires it.”

Seasoned gamblers will recognize that this is golden advice. If the casino wants you to increase its advantage at your expense, don’t give them what they want!

Stick to tables and titles that offer better odds. Not only will your bankroll reap the benefits, but in the long run, it will force casinos and online platforms to offer players even more competitive offerings!

Wouldn’t it be nice to see casinos compete to the lowest possible house edge for once?