What is the house edge?
The house edge is the share of every bet the casino keeps on average – here is how to see it, count it and compare it across games.
One example: betting one number in European roulette
Put one chip on each of the 37 pockets of a European wheel. The winning number pays 35 to 1, so you get back one chip fewer than you put in.
That one missing chip is the house edge: 2.70% of every bet, or $2.70 on average for every hundred dollars you bet.
How to calculate the house edge
House edge = average loss ÷ total amount bet.
On the American wheel there are 38 pockets and the win still pays 35 to 1, so you get back two chips fewer than you bet – 5.26%, about 1.95 times the European cost.
Multiply the house edge by your total bets to see your average loss.
House edge vs RTP
RTP (return to player) is the other side of the same number: RTP plus house edge equals the whole bet.
Full-pay Jacks or Better returns 99.54% with perfect play, so the house keeps 0.46%. The slot Brass Bells returns 96.15% and keeps 3.85%.
Slots and video poker usually list RTP, table games usually list house edge – see slot RTP.
House edge vs volatility
Volatility is how much results swing; it does not change the cost.
In European roulette, red wins 48.65% of spins and pays 1 to 1; one number wins 2.70% and pays 35 to 1. Both cost 2.70%.
Over many bets your loss as a share of the total bet tends to get closer to the house edge, but one session can go either way.
Every game on the site, cheapest to most expensive
| Game | Bet | House edge |
|---|---|---|
| Video poker | Deuces Wild full pay, perfect play | -0.76% |
| Craps | Pass line with 3-4-5x odds | 0.37% |
| Video poker | Jacks or Better 9/6, perfect play | 0.46% |
| Baccarat | Banker | 1.06% |
| Baccarat | Player | 1.24% |
| Roulette | French, even-money bet with La Partage | 1.35% |
| Craps | Pass line | 1.41% |
| Craps | Place 6 or 8 | 1.52% |
| Casino War | Always go to war (6 decks) | 2.33% |
| Roulette | European wheel, any bet | 2.70% |
| Sic bo | Small or Big | 2.78% |
| Slots | Brass Bells (our teaching slot) | 3.85% |
| Roulette | American wheel, any bet but the five-number | 5.26% |
| Craps | Crapless pass line | 5.38% |
| Roulette | Triple zero wheel | 7.69% |
| Roulette | American five-number bet | 7.89% |
| Money wheel | $1 symbol (best on the wheel) | 11.11% |
| Keno | Our example pay table, 8 numbers | 12.02% |
| Baccarat | Tie (8 to 1) | 14.36% |
| Craps | Any 7 | 16.67% |
Every number is calculated by our engines from the game rules. A negative edge means the bet returns more than 100% with perfect play (rare in real casinos).
- Craps pass line plus three-four-five times odds: 0.37%
- Video poker, full-pay Jacks or Better with perfect play: 0.46%
- Baccarat banker: 1.06%
- French roulette even-money bets with La Partage (half back on zero): 1.35%
- Craps pass line alone: 1.41%
- Casino War, always going to war (with tie-after-tie bonus): 2.33%
- European roulette: 2.70%
- Sic bo small/big: 2.78%
- Slots (Brass Bells): 3.85%
- American roulette: 5.26% (except the five-number top line bet, which costs 7.89%)
- Triple-zero roulette: 7.69%
- Money wheel, best bet: 11.11%
- Baccarat tie: 14.36%
- Keno (our example pay table): returns 75.00% to 87.98%, so the house edge is the rest – for most picks more than the baccarat tie
Which casino games have the best odds?
The lowest house edge: full-pay Jacks or Better video poker with perfect play, craps pass line with odds, baccarat banker and French roulette even-money bets.
All of them still have a house edge, and no betting system changes it – check it in the system tester.
Skip the baccarat tie bet: it costs about 14 times more than banker.
Questions
What is the house edge in gambling?
It is the share of every bet the casino keeps on average over many bets. In European roulette it is 2.70%, or $2.70 for every hundred dollars bet.
What casino game has the best odds?
Craps pass line with three-four-five times odds (0.37%), full-pay Jacks or Better video poker with perfect play (0.46%) and baccarat banker (1.06%) are among the lowest. They still favor the house over time.
How do you calculate the house edge?
Divide the average loss by the total amount bet. Betting one chip on all 37 European pockets returns one chip fewer than you bet, which gives 2.70%.
What is the difference between house edge and RTP?
RTP is the share returned to players, the house edge is the share kept, and together they make the whole bet. Full-pay Jacks or Better has an RTP of 99.54% and a house edge of 0.46%.
Does the house edge mean I lose every bet?
No. Single bets and short sessions can win, but over many bets your loss as a share of the total bet tends to get closer to the house edge.