The American table is not the American wheel
Germany does not have double-zero roulette. What German casinos call American roulette is the fast standing table with a racetrack for neighbour bets, and the wheel in it carries 37 pockets: 1 to 36 and a single zero. The distinction against the French table is the furniture and the pace, not the mathematics of the wheel.
What does differ is the rule applied when the zero lands. The American tables apply partage, which returns half of an even-money bet. The French tables apply en prison, which locks the bet for one more spin instead. Those are not the same price, and the difference runs the opposite way to what the names suggest:
| Table | Wheel | Zero rule | Exact edge | Even-money bets cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berlin, American | Single zero | Partage | 1/74 | 1.3514% |
| Berlin, French | Single zero | En prison | 19/1369 | 1.3879% |
| Anywhere, single zero, no rule | Single zero | None | 1/37 | 2.7027% |
| A genuine American wheel | Double zero | None | 1/19 | 5.2632% |
So the table with the American name is the cheapest even-money roulette in the building, at half the price of an ordinary single-zero wheel and a quarter of the price of the wheel the name refers to. We derive both figures from the spin distribution, because the industry routinely quotes them as equal and they are not.
One caveat that matters at the table: partage and en prison apply to the even-money bets only. On a straight-up number or any other inside bet, both tables cost the plain 2.70%.
What is open when
The building and the games keep different hours, which is the single most useful thing to know before travelling across the city:
| Floor | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|
| The casino, machines and Touchbet | 11:00 | 03:00 |
| American roulette and blackjack | 17:00 | 03:00 |
| Poker floor | 18:00 | 03:00 |
The room advertises the largest poker floor in Germany and runs daily tournaments alongside cash games. The kitchen serves from 6pm, including on the poker floor itself, which is a practical detail for anyone planning a long session.
The rest of the game menu, priced
- Blackjack from 5pm. Played correctly under a standard rule set it costs about 0.52%, and the payout line is the only thing worth checking first: 3:2 against 6:5 is 1.35 percentage points.
- Punto banco: banker 1.06%, player 1.24%, tie 14.36%.
- Sic bo: from about 2.78% on the best bets to 30% on the worst, so the bet matters far more than the table.
- Ultimate Texas Hold'em is a house game rather than poker against other players, and is priced as one.
If insurance is offered at blackjack, decline it: on a six-deck shoe it costs 6.80%.
Practical notes
- Admission is €2, which includes the cloakroom at Potsdamer Platz. Registration with an original official photo ID is required; a photograph of a document is not one.
- The dress code is informal. Berlin is the exception rather than the rule in German casinos, several of which still expect a jacket.
- The room closes on Good Friday, Volkstrauertag, Totensonntag, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and opens the other 360 days.
- Winnings are not taxed in the hands of a recreational player. See the country page for the wider German position, which is decided state by state.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Berlin have American roulette?
- It has a table called American roulette, but not the American wheel. German casinos deal a single zero, so the table has 37 pockets rather than 38. The American label refers to the standing table and its racetrack, not to a double zero.
- Which Berlin roulette table is cheapest?
- The American one, for even-money bets. It applies partage, which returns half your stake when the zero lands, costing 1/74 or 1.3514%. The French table applies en prison instead, which costs 19/1369 or 1.3879%. On inside bets both cost 2.70%.
- What time do the tables open at Spielbank Berlin?
- The casino opens at 11am but the tables do not. American roulette and blackjack start at 5pm and the poker floor at 6pm. Everything runs to 3am.
- Is there an entry fee?
- Yes, €2, which covers the cloakroom at Potsdamer Platz. The minimum age is 18 and registration with an original photo ID is required.
Venue details, opening hours and the legal position on this page were checked against the operators' own material in August 2026. Casinos change hours, games and even addresses; confirm anything you are travelling for on the venue's own site before you go.