There are 3 basic rule sets European, French and American. French and European rules are very similar and both use a 37 slot wheel. The main difference between them is the Le Partage rule in the French version which reduces even money losses by 50% when the wheel stops on zero. In European and French roulette, column and dozen bets are forfeited in the event of the wheel stopping on zero. In European rules even money bets are also forfeited. This is sometimes mitigated by the En Prison rule where the even money bet stays on the table. If a zero is returned the bet is forfeited, else the bet is released with no payout. There is no En Prison rule in the French version and all announcements are made, unsurprisingly, in French.
In American roulette the wheel has an extra slot: 00. This plays similarly to the normal 0 but adds a few extra table bets; an extra double 0 & 00; the five 0, 00, 1, 2, 3. It also changes the margin of advantage in favour of the casino, or the house edge. It will come as no surprise to find that the house edge increases from 2.63% in European and French to 5.26% in the American version. Some American tables play a version of the En Prison rule, called Surrender, which drops the house edge to 2.63%. European tables that play the En Prison have the lowest house edge of 1.35%.
Given that the double zero gives the house a considerable advantage at the expense of the punter it is hardly in the interests of casinos to use the European rules when everyone else is using the American version. Additionally there may be some statutory requirement. However, that said, I seem to remember that there are some European Roulette tables at the Mirage.
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