This guide ranks the main casino games and bets by house edge. Every figure comes with the rule set behind it, so you know what to check before you play. It also shows what those percentages cost in real dollars per hour, which matters more than the percentage alone.
Key Insights: Where the Best Casino Odds Are
The best casino odds are on bets where the payout sits closest to the real chance of winning. The table ranks the most common low-edge options from lowest house edge to highest. Each figure applies only to the bet and rules listed beside it.
| Rank | Game / Bet | House Edge | RTP | Rules This Figure Assumes | Version to Avoid |
| 1 | Full-pay Deuces Wild video poker | -0.76% | 100.76% | Full-pay table, perfect strategy on every hand | Short-pay Deuces Wild tables |
| 2 | Craps odds bet (the odds portion only) | 0% | 100% | Only allowed behind a Pass Line or Come bet; can’t be placed alone | None, but it always needs a 1.41% base bet |
| 3 | Pass Line plus 3x-4x-5x odds (combined) | 0.37% | 99.63% | Full odds taken on every point | Pass Line with no odds |
| 4 | 9/6 Jacks or Better video poker | 0.46% | 99.54% | Full house pays 9, flush pays 6, perfect strategy | 8/5 tables (97.30% RTP) |
| 5 | Blackjack | About 0.5% | About 99.5% | 6 to 8 decks, 3:2 blackjack, dealer stands on soft 17, basic strategy | 6:5 tables |
| 6 | Baccarat Banker bet | 1.06% | 98.94% | Standard 5% commission on Banker wins | No-commission tables with reduced Banker 6 payouts |
| 7 | Baccarat Player bet | 1.24% | 98.76% | No commission | None |
| 8 | Single-zero roulette, even-money bets with La Partage or en prison | 1.35% | 98.65% | Red/black, odd/even, high/low only | Double-zero wheels |
| 9 | Craps Don’t Pass / Don’t Come | 1.36% | 98.64% | Base bet with no odds | None |
| 10 | Craps Pass Line / Come | 1.41% | 98.59% | Base bet with no odds | None |
| 11 | Single-zero roulette, all other bets | 2.70% | 97.30% | 37-pocket wheel | Double-zero wheels |
| 12 | Double-zero roulette | 5.26% | 94.74% | 38-pocket wheel, every bet except the five-number bet | The five-number bet (7.89%) |
What Casino Odds Actually Mean
Casino odds come down to one gap: the difference between what a bet pays and what it should pay. Three ideas explain that gap, and each changes how you read the table above.
House Edge vs RTP
The house edge is the share of each bet the casino expects to keep over time. RTP, or return to player, is the share it expects to pay back. Together they always add up to 100%, so a 97.30% RTP equals a 2.70% house edge.
Both figures are long-run averages across millions of rounds. Because of this, they say nothing about how a single session will go.
Volatility is a separate measure. It describes how bumpy the ride is: a low-volatility game pays small amounts often, while a high-volatility game pays big amounts rarely. Volatility changes how fast your balance swings, not how much the casino keeps over time.
True Odds vs Payout Odds
True odds describe the real chance of something happening. Payout odds describe what the casino pays when it does. The house edge lives in the space between the two.
For example, a single number on a double-zero roulette wheel has one winning pocket and 37 losing ones. The true odds are 37 to 1, but the casino pays 35 to 1. Over 38 spins at $1 each, you’d expect one win worth $36, including your stake, after betting $38.
That $2 shortfall, divided by the $38 you bet, is the 5.26% house edge. Every casino bet works the same way, just with different numbers.
How Much Can You Expect to Lose?
Expected loss is the house edge multiplied by the total amount you bet. It turns a percentage into a dollar cost, which makes games far easier to compare.
The table below assumes $10 per bet and 60 bets an hour for every game. Real speeds vary, so treat it as a fair comparison, not a forecast.
| Game / Bet | House Edge | Total Bet per Hour | Expected Loss per Hour |
| Blackjack (basic strategy, good rules) | 0.5% | $600 | $3.00 |
| Baccarat Banker | 1.06% | $600 | $6.36 |
| Single-zero roulette | 2.70% | $600 | $16.20 |
| Slot at 96% RTP | 4% | $600 | $24.00 |
| Double-zero roulette | 5.26% | $600 | $31.56 |
Notice that total bet isn’t the same as your deposit. A $100 balance can easily cycle through $600 of bets in an hour, because winnings get bet again.
Pace matters too. Online slots can run far more than 60 spins an hour, so the real cost per hour often runs higher than the table shows. Also, any single session can land well above or below these figures; expected loss is only the long-run average.
Best Casino Games and Bets by House Edge
Each casino game below follows the same order as the ranking table. The figures only hold when the rules match, so every section covers what to check first.
Video Poker
Video poker can offer the best odds in the casino, but only on the right machine with the right play. Every game shows its pay table on screen, and that table sets the return. As a result, two games with the same name can pay very differently.
In Jacks or Better, check what a full house and a flush pay for one coin. A 9/6 game pays 9 and 6, and it returns 99.54% with perfect strategy. Drop to an 8/5 game and the return falls to 97.30%, close to six times the house edge.
Full-pay Deuces Wild returns 100.76% with perfect play, which gives the player a small theoretical edge. Still, full-pay versions are rare, and most Deuces Wild games pay less on key hands. Every one of these figures also assumes perfect strategy. Small mistakes, like keeping a kicker card in Jacks or Better, push the real return below the listed one.
Craps
Craps has the only bet in the casino with no house edge, but you can’t place it on its own. First, you make a Pass Line or Come bet, which carries a 1.41% edge. Don’t Pass and Don’t Come carry 1.36%.
Once the shooter sets a point, you can back your bet with an odds bet. It pays true odds: 2 to 1 on a 4 or 10, 3 to 2 on a 5 or 9, and 6 to 5 on a 6 or 8. Since the payout matches the real risk, the casino earns nothing on that portion.
For this reason, the more odds you take, the lower your combined edge. The figures below assume a Pass Line bet backed by the full odds allowed.
| Pass Line Bet With | Combined House Edge |
| No odds | 1.41% |
| 1x odds | 0.85% |
| 2x odds | 0.61% |
| 3x-4x-5x odds | 0.37% |
| 10x odds | 0.18% |
The table limit sets how much odds you can take, so check it before you start. You can practice the betting flow in online craps before risking a real stake.
Blackjack
Blackjack can drop the house edge to about 0.5%, but that figure depends on the table rules and on how you play. The benchmark assumes six to eight decks, blackjack paying 3:2, a dealer who stands on soft 17, and doubling allowed after a split. It also assumes basic strategy, the math-correct play for every hand.
Each rule change moves the edge. The table shows the approximate effect of the most common changes.
| Rule Change | Approximate Effect on House Edge |
| Blackjack pays 6:5 instead of 3:2 | Adds about 1.4% |
| Dealer hits soft 17 | Adds about 0.2% |
| No doubling after a split | Adds about 0.14% |
| Late surrender allowed | Cuts about 0.07% |
Of these, the 6:5 payout does the most damage. On a $10 bet, a 3:2 blackjack pays $15, while 6:5 pays $12. That $3 gap turns a 0.5% game into one closer to 2%.
Basic strategy matters just as much as the rules. You can learn it risk-free at free blackjack tables, then check the payout line on any online blackjack table before you sit down.
Baccarat
Baccarat is the easiest game to win at, because you only decide where to bet. The Banker bet carries a 1.06% edge after the standard 5% commission on wins. In contrast, the Player bet carries 1.24% with no commission.
The Banker hand wins slightly more often under the drawing rules. That’s why casinos charge the commission on it.
Avoid the Tie bet. It pays 8 to 1, but it carries a 14.36% edge. Some no-commission tables also pay only half when Banker wins with a total of 6, which lifts the Banker edge to about 1.46%. Check the rules screen at any online baccarat table to see which version you’re playing.
Roulette
Roulette odds depend almost entirely on how many zeros the wheel has. A double-zero wheel has 38 pockets and a 5.26% edge on nearly every bet. The five-number bet (0, 00, 1, 2, 3) is worse, at 7.89%.
A single-zero wheel has 37 pockets and a 2.70% edge on every bet. That alone roughly halves your expected loss compared with double zero.
French rules help even-money bets only. Under La Partage, you get half your stake back on red/black, odd/even or high/low when the ball lands on zero. En prison holds your stake for one more spin instead. Either rule cuts the edge on those bets to about 1.35%, while every other bet stays at 2.70%. Check the wheel before you play online roulette, since both versions often sit side by side in the same lobby.
Slots
Slots have the widest spread of odds and the least transparency. A slot’s RTP comes from its game provider, and many providers release one title with several RTP settings. The casino picks which setting to run, so the same slot can return less at one site than another.
Online slots commonly list RTPs between about 94% and 97%. Even a 96% slot carries a 4% edge, which is higher than every bet in the main ranking except double-zero roulette. Check the game’s info or help screen at each casino, because that’s where it lists the RTP it actually runs. Browse online slots by listed RTP rather than by theme if odds are your priority.
Keno
Keno has some of the worst odds of any common casino game. Its house edge commonly runs from about 20% to over 30%, depending on the pay table and how many numbers you pick.
To illustrate, at a 25% edge, $100 of keno bets costs $25 on average. The same $100 at a 0.5% blackjack table costs about 50 cents.
Casino Bets With the Worst Odds
The bets below pay the most when they hit, and casinos price them accordingly. Each one has a lower-edge alternative at the same table.
| Bet | House Edge | Better Bet at the Same Table |
| Keno (most pay tables) | About 20% to 30%+ | A table game |
| Craps Any 7 | 16.67% | Pass Line with odds |
| Baccarat Tie (pays 8 to 1) | 14.36% | Banker |
| Craps Any Craps | 11.11% | Don’t Pass |
| Craps Hard 4 / Hard 10 | 11.11% | Pass Line with odds |
| Craps Hard 6 / Hard 8 | 9.09% | Pass Line with odds |
| Craps Big 6 / Big 8 | 9.09% | Place 6 or Place 8 (1.52%) |
| Roulette five-number bet | 7.89% | Any single-zero bet |
| Blackjack insurance | About 7% in multi-deck games | Decline it |
How to Find a Casino With Better Game Rules
A casino’s game rules affect your odds more than its brand, its bonus or the size of its lobby. Before you deposit, check the details below for the best payout casino games you plan to play.
| Game | What to Check | Where to Find It |
| Blackjack | 3:2 payout, dealer stands on soft 17 | Printed on the table or in the rules screen |
| Video poker | Full house and flush payouts (9/6 in Jacks or Better) | Pay table on the game screen |
| Roulette | Single zero, La Partage or en prison | The wheel itself and the game info |
| Craps | Maximum odds allowed | Table limits or game info |
| Baccarat | Standard commission, Tie payout | Rules screen |
| Slots | Listed RTP at that casino | Game info or help screen |
Online and land-based casinos use the same math, but they don’t always run the same rules. Either kind of casino can offer 6:5 blackjack or short-pay video poker. So check the rules wherever you play instead of assuming one side is better.
Payout reliability matters as well, since good odds mean little if a withdrawal stalls. The best payout casinos guide covers withdrawal speed, and our casino rating process explains how we score operators.
US Online Casino Licensing: State-Regulated vs Offshore
Real-money online casinos in the US are regulated state by state, and only a small number of states license them. In those states, a state regulator licenses each operator, approves its games and handles player complaints. The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, the Michigan Gaming Control Board and the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board are three examples.
Offshore casinos hold licenses from outside the US, and no US state regulator oversees them. That means no state agency tests their games or hears your dispute if a withdrawal goes wrong. The casinos listed on CasinoUS are offshore operators, not state-licensed US casinos.
For odds, the difference shows up in one practical way. A state-licensed casino’s games must meet its regulator’s testing standards. At an offshore casino, you rely on the RTP and rules it publishes, so check them yourself. State-regulated US online casinos require you to be 21 or older, and rules on offshore sites vary by state. Check your own state’s current law before you play, and see our casino safety guide for the warning signs to watch.
Responsible Gambling
A low house edge lowers the cost of playing. It doesn’t remove it, and no strategy turns gambling into a reliable way to make money.
Set a dollar limit before you start and stop when you reach it. Set a time limit too, since expected loss grows with every hour you play. Then turn on deposit limits, time-outs or self-exclusion in your casino account if they’re offered.
If gambling stops feeling like entertainment, call 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) for free, confidential support. Our responsible gambling page lists more tools. If you’re worried about a pattern, the gambling addiction guide explains the signs and where to get help.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Casino Odds the Same on Mobile and Desktop?
Yes. A game uses the same rules and RTP on a phone, a tablet or a desktop. What changes is pace: one-tap betting makes it easy to play more rounds per hour, and expected loss grows with every round. If you play on mobile, set your deposit limit before you start rather than partway through a session.
Do Casino Bonuses Change the House Edge?
No. A bonus doesn’t change any game’s house edge, but its wagering requirement sets how much you must bet before you withdraw. At 40x on a $100 bonus, you must bet $4,000. Even at a 0.5% edge, that play costs about $20 on average. Many casinos also count table games at a reduced rate, so look for low-wagering bonuses and read the game weighting terms.
Can a Betting System Beat the House Edge?
No. Betting systems like the Martingale change the size and order of your bets, not the odds on each one. Every wager keeps the same house edge, so expected loss still equals the edge times your total bets. Doubling systems also hit table limits or drain a balance quickly during a losing run.
Does Card Counting Work at Online Casinos?
Not in standard RNG blackjack. RNG games typically reshuffle the virtual deck after every hand, so there’s nothing to count. Live dealer blackjack uses real cards, but tables often shuffle early or use continuous shufflers, which removes most of the advantage. Basic strategy remains the single biggest improvement you can make to your blackjack odds.
Does a Video Poker Game Over 100% RTP Guarantee a Profit?
No. A 100.76% return, as in full-pay Deuces Wild, is a long-run average that assumes perfect strategy over millions of hands. Much of that return comes from rare hands like royal flushes and four deuces. Over a normal session, you can easily finish behind, even on a game with a small theoretical player edge.
Does Live Dealer Roulette Have Better Odds Than RNG Roulette?
Only if the rules are better. A single-zero wheel carries a 2.70% edge whether it’s a live dealer studio wheel or an RNG game. A double-zero wheel carries 5.26% in both formats. Check the wheel type and whether La Partage applies, then choose the version with one zero.
