House Edges at the Casino

Complete guide to studying house edge in games

From live tables to slots, all online casino games ensure an advantage percentage for the operator. Discover what the house edge is and how it works exactly, how to avoid the most disadvantageous titles, and spin the wheel of probabilities in your favor!

What is the house edge?

In this guide signed by GaymerX we are dealing with a theme that is very “dear” to us players of Online casino !

With house edge, in English house edge, we mean the statistical percentage of the advantage that the casino maintains in the long run against the player.

To summarize, we can say that any game, no matter how simple it may seem to you, offers more chances of winning to the house, or the bank, compared to you sitting on the other side.

Every casino game is purposely developed with a slight edge that shifts the chances of success in favor of the house.

The house edge is usually a very small percentage, but it reduces the chances of big wins in all games and ensures that in the long run, the casino earns more than it pays out.

You will also notice that the value of the house edge is always complementary to that of the RTP: for example, if the return to player is 96%, the house edge will be the remaining 4%.

Casino games with the lowest house edge

Some games provide the house with a higher edge than others, which is why you should avoid them by choosing instead those with the lowest house edge.

Knowing with certainty which games offer the lowest house edge and which ones offer the highest is an excellent method to ensure that you have more chances of earning from your casino experience.

Below you can find a summary table with the percentages of the main games, which we will see in detail below.

Game House edge
video poker 0,46%
Blackjack (single deck) 0,5%
Craps 1,41% – 5,0%
Baccarat 1,06 – 1,29%
3-Card Poker 1,5%
slot machines 2,0% – 10,0%
Texas Hold'em 2,36%
Pai Gow Poker 2,5%
European and French Roulette 2,63%

House edge in video poker

The video poker , i.e. the RNG version where you bet against the virtual dealer and not against other players, is available in a large number of online themes and variants.

As always when it comes to poker, skill at the game can increase your odds of winning and lower your odds in favor of the house, in this case down to a 0.46% house edge.

House edge in blackjack

Likewise also the Blackjacks it can be found online in a number of variations.

The number of decks in play and the differences in the rules will affect the house edge, which in the case of the single deck variant drops to 0.5%.

House edge in craps

The Craps is a dice game that is gaining more and more fans among the online casino public.

Analyzing the house edge, we note that it can vary greatly depending on the chosen game type: the Crapless Craps variant is the most advantageous with a house edge that can reach 1.41%.

House edge in baccarat

The Baccarat in all its versions it represents one of the tables most appreciated by users of Live casino .

In this case, the house edge varies depending on the chosen variant: those with a single deck give the casino an advantage of 1.29%, which reduces to 1.06% in variants with 3 or 4 decks.

House edge in roulette

As is known, even the Roulette offers different variations, of which the most famous are undoubtedly that French , that European is that American .

If you are a wheel expert, you will know that only the first two have a single zero and, for this reason, guarantee a house edge of 2.63%, lower than the American one (5.26%) which differs due to the double zero.

House edge in slot machines

Unlike live tables where players, also on the basis of their skills, can often make decisive choices for the outcome of the match, in Slots everyone starts even while winning combinations are always sanctioned by a random number generator .

So pay attention to the RTP value, as this inevitably affects the house edge which, in slot games, can even drop as low as 2%.

Use the house edge… to your advantage!

The house edge is a concept that has been put into practice since the opening of the first land-based casinos and has been implemented over the years to become a perfect tool to ensure that gaming houses remain profitable and in operation.

Setting aside personal preferences, we know that all online games are developed to be enjoyable and entertaining, but since the house edge is always in favor of the casino, they can never guarantee a long-term source of income.

To get the most out of your casino experience you will need to ensure that you maintain a certain level of balance by adopting a good casino system bankroll management , and accept that all online casino games are mostly based on luck.

Use i Bonuses offered by the various operators in order to keep your budget safe initially, adopt the best strategies when betting at the tables and, in general, choose the games with the lowest house edge.

It may seem paradoxical but, by making the right assessments, you will be able to exploit the house edge to your own advantage!

Frequent questions

Every online casino game has a house edge, which is the statistical percentage of profit that the casino earns in the long term. If a game has a house edge of 2.5%, in theory, the casino will make a profit of $2.50 from every $100 wagered.
Absolutely not! The house edge reduces the frequency and magnitude of big wins, but it will never completely prevent player-friendly outcomes, otherwise no one would gamble anymore.
According to statistics, video poker has the lowest house edge when playing a perfect hand. It is followed by single deck blackjack, craps, and baccarat.
Yes, even slot games have a house edge, which you can easily calculate by subtracting the RTP percentage from 100 (example: if a slot offers an RTP of 95%, the house edge will be the remaining 5%).
Author
Games Specialist & Geek Junior
Pane, online casinos and RTP. He likes to stay up to date with the latest innovations in gaming and operators' offerings. Whether it's a new slot or a newly launched market offer, his reviews are based on direct experience but must also pass the test of statistics and data. He knows all the behind-the-scenes of Rich Wilde's adventures, as well as every reference to Verdone's films.