House edge explained: table for every game
House edge is the casino’s long-run average profit as a percentage of your original wager. This guide explains the denominator, shows element of risk, and compares common casino bets in one table.
What house edge means
House edge is the casino’s mathematical advantage over repeated wagers. It is usually expressed as a percentage of the original bet, not as a promise about the next spin, hand or roll.
A simple money example: a 0.6% house edge on a $10 original wager equals 6 cents in average loss. That does not mean every $10 bet loses 6 cents. It means the average result trends that way across a large volume of comparable wagers.
The same idea is often called house advantage or casino house edge. From the player side, it is a negative expected value unless a special promotion or rule change genuinely reverses the maths. For the wider framework, see gambling maths basics.
Return to player is the same relationship stated from the other side. If you want that conversion explained separately, use RTP vs house edge.
Do not read the percentage as a short-term forecast. A player can win a session on a high-edge bet and lose a session on a low-edge bet. Variance decides short stretches. The edge describes the long-run average price of making the same kind of wager again and again.
This is why a smaller edge is useful information, but not a safety label. Stake size, speed and repeat play can matter more to your actual loss than the difference between two percentages. A low-edge game played quickly for high stakes can cost more than a higher-edge game played slowly for small stakes.
The denominators people confuse
Most confusion comes from what sits under the fraction. In games with later raises, the house edge is usually quoted against the first wager only, so extra money bet during the hand is left out of the denominator. Element of risk is the average loss divided by the total money bet.
Measure | Denominator | Best use | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|---|
Per-bet house edge | Original wager on that bet | Roulette, baccarat, craps line bets, slots | Treating it as a session forecast |
Per-hand house edge | Initial wager for the hand | Blackjack and poker-style casino games | Forgetting that later doubles, splits, calls or raises may change total money exposed |
Element of risk | Total money actually bet | Games with later raises or calls | Comparing it directly with a headline edge that uses a different denominator |
A low edge is still an edge against the player. Strong decisions can reduce avoidable extra cost, especially in blackjack, but they do not remove the house advantage unless the rules and circumstances create a positive expectation.
For a single-stage game, the denominator is usually simple. A roulette spin has a stake and a settled outcome. A baccarat banker bet also starts with a clear stake, although ties can push and leave the original bet unresolved. In both cases, the quoted edge tells you the average cost against the amount you first put at risk.
For a multi-stage casino poker game, the headline edge can look high because it is measured against the initial wager only. That does not mean the number is wrong. It means the comparison question has to be precise. If you want to compare the cost against all money placed during the hand, element of risk is the cleaner measure.
Why the same game can have several edges
A game name is not enough. The same game carries different values because each bet, payout and rule set changes the maths.
Game | Lower edge | Higher edge | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
Baccarat | Banker at 1.06% | Tie at 14.36% | The bets have different outcomes, payouts and treatment of ties |
Roulette | Single-zero wheel at 2.70% | Quadruple-zero wheel at 10.00% | Extra zero pockets change the ratio between winning and losing numbers |
Craps | Odds behind the line at 0.00% | Any seven at 16.67% | Each bet pays its own price against the true odds of the dice |
Sic Bo | Small or big at 2.78% | Specific double at 18.52% | Payouts on rarer dice combinations fall further below the true odds |
Slots | Set by each game's published RTP | – | Each game and RTP version has its own paytable |
This matters because a player may say a game has a low edge while choosing one of its expensive side bets. The table label is not the bet. Always identify the exact wager first.
Master house edge table
No row matches your search.
SpecialCasino calculated every figure below from the rules stated beside it: exact enumeration for roulette, baccarat, craps, Sic Bo and the Big Six wheel, and an infinite-deck model for blackjack played with basic strategy. Poor blackjack decisions cost more than the figure shown.
Game or bet | House edge | Rules assumed |
|---|---|---|
Baccarat banker | 1.06% | 8 decks; 5% commission on banker wins; ties push |
Baccarat player | 1.24% | 8 decks; ties push |
Baccarat tie at 8:1 | 14.36% | 8 decks |
Commission-free baccarat banker | 1.46% | 8 decks; banker win on 6 pays 1:2 |
Blackjack, basic strategy | 0.48% | Infinite-deck model; dealer stands on soft 17; double any two cards; double after split; late surrender; blackjack pays 3:2 |
Blackjack paying 6:5 | 1.83% | Same rules, blackjack pays 6:5 |
Craps pass or come | 1.41% | Line bet |
Craps don't pass or don't come | 1.36% | Line bet; 12 pushes |
Craps odds behind the line | 0.00% | Paid at true odds |
Craps place 6 or 8 | 1.52% | Pays 7:6 |
Craps any seven | 16.67% | Pays 4:1 |
French roulette even money, La Partage | 1.35% | Half the stake returned when zero lands |
French roulette even money, En Prison | 1.39% | One imprisonment; a second zero loses |
Single-zero roulette | 2.70% | Every bet |
Double-zero roulette | 5.26% | Every bet except the top line |
Double-zero roulette top line | 7.89% | 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3 paying 6:1 |
Triple-zero roulette | 7.69% | 39 pockets |
Quadruple-zero roulette | 10.00% | 40 pockets |
Sic Bo small or big | 2.78% | Pays 1:1; loses on any triple |
Big Six wheel $1 segment | 11.11% | 54-segment wheel |
Big Six wheel joker | 24.07% | 54-segment wheel; pays 40:1 |
The table also works as a house edge by game reference. It should not be read as advice to play any specific game. A smaller edge lowers average cost per unit staked, but larger stakes or faster play can still create larger expected losses.
Two entries need extra care. Craps odds are listed at 0.00%, but they normally sit behind another line bet rather than replacing the whole bet.
Element of risk in plain English
Element of risk answers a different question from headline house edge. It is the average loss divided by the total money bet, which makes it useful when a hand can require extra money after the first wager.
Blackjack shows the difference. Doubles and splits add money after the first wager, so the average loss measured against the initial bet is larger than the loss measured against every dollar that goes into the hand. Neither number is wrong. They use different denominators.
Use headline house edge if you want to know the expected loss against the original wager. Use element of risk if you want to compare the average loss against all money that may go into the hand. This is why games with later wagers can look worse or better depending on the measure chosen.
Here is the practical distinction. If a game asks for an ante and then later offers a call, raise, double or split, your session bankroll feels the whole amount.
The headline house edge may still be measured against the first stake only. Element of risk tries to answer the player’s budgeting question more directly: how much average loss is attached to the total amount actually bet?
Per-bet, per-hand and per-resolved bet examples
Baccarat and blackjack figures show why wording matters before you compare numbers.
Example | Headline measure | Alternative measure | What changes |
|---|---|---|---|
Baccarat banker | 1.06% house edge | 1.17% excluding ties, per resolved bet | Ties push, so some wagers do not resolve as banker or player wins |
Baccarat tie | 14.36% when paying 8:1 | 4.84% when paying 9:1 | The payout changes the expected value |
Commission-free baccarat banker | 1.46% | – | A banker win on 6 pays 1:2 |
Blackjack, basic strategy | 0.48% per initial wager | – | Doubles and splits add money during the hand, so the loss per total dollar bet is lower than the per-hand figure |
Per-resolved-bet figures are not better or worse by default. They answer a different question. In baccarat, excluding ties can help compare only the hands that produce a banker or player decision. For bankroll planning, the original-wager edge is usually the more direct cost measure.
RTP, edge and expected value
House edge and RTP are mirror images. The conversion is arithmetic: RTP plus house edge equals the full stake returned or retained in expectation. For slot-specific language, see slot RTP explained.
Statement | Equivalent statement | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
2.70% house edge | 97.30% RTP | The average loss is 2.70% of the amount measured |
5.26% house edge | 94.74% RTP | The average return is lower than on the 2.70% example |
96.5% RTP | 3.5% house edge | The house edge is the missing part of the stake |
$1 on a slot with 96% RTP | -$0.04 expected value | The long-run average result is a loss of 4 cents per $1 staked |
$1,000 total wagered at 96% RTP | $40 expected loss | The same edge scales with total action |
Expected value is not a mood or a prediction. It is the average result implied by the rules and probabilities. You can be ahead after a short run and still be playing a negative-expectation game.
Cost per hour calculation
House edge alone cannot tell you the cost for an hour. You also need the original stake per paid decision and the number of paid decisions you actually make in that hour.
Formula: expected cost for the hour = original wager per paid decision × paid decisions in that hour × house-edge percentage.
Using the roulette edges above, the following worked examples show why game speed and wheel type matter. Treat the spin block as an hourly estimate only if it matches your real count for that hour.
Example block | Stake and decisions | Expected loss |
|---|---|---|
European roulette, single-zero wheel | 100 spins of $10 | $27.03 |
American roulette, double-zero wheel | 100 spins of $10 | $52.63 |
European roulette, single-zero wheel | 1000 spins of $10 | $270.27 |
American roulette, double-zero wheel | 1000 spins of $10 | $526.32 |
Cost comparison | Same stake and spin count | American example is 1.95 times the European example |
The calculation has three moving parts. Lowering any one of them lowers the expected cost: stake, number of paid decisions or house-edge percentage. Raising one can wipe out the benefit of improving another. A lower-edge bet at a much larger stake can still be the more expensive choice.
For a game with later raises, you can run two estimates. Use house edge for the original-wager version. Use element of risk if your question is about all money placed during the hand.
Roulette bet-type comparison
Single-zero roulette carries a 2.70% house edge on every bet, and double-zero roulette 5.26% on every bet except the 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3 top line. The table below shows why bet size and hit rate are not the same as value.
Bet type | European win probability | American win probability | Payout | House edge pattern |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Straight up | 2.70% | 2.63% | – | European 2.70%; American 5.26% |
Split | 5.41% | 5.26% | 17:1 | European 2.70%; American 5.26% |
Street | 8.11% | 7.89% | 11:1 | European 2.70%; American 5.26% |
Corner | 10.81% | 10.53% | 8:1 | European 2.70%; American 5.26% |
Six line | 16.22% | 15.79% | 5:1 | European 2.70%; American 5.26% |
Dozen or column | 32.43% | 31.58% | 2:1 | European 2.70%; American 5.26% |
Red or black, odd or even, low or high | 48.65% | 47.37% | 1:1 | European 2.70%; American 5.26% |
The outside bets win more often because they cover more numbers. The payout falls at the same time. On the same wheel type, that trade-off leaves the same edge for standard roulette bets. For detailed roulette payouts, use roulette odds and payouts.
The denominator test for comparing games
A house-edge claim is only useful after you know what was counted. Before you compare games, ask these questions.
Question | Why it matters | Practical consequence |
|---|---|---|
Is the exact bet listed? | A game can contain low-edge and high-edge wagers. | Baccarat banker and baccarat tie belong to the same game but behave very differently. |
Are the rules identical? | Blackjack and roulette change materially when rule sets change. | Do not use a generic blackjack number for a table with different dealer, double, split or surrender rules. |
Are later raises counted? | Some poker-style games quote edge against the initial wager. | Compare against element of risk if you care about total money exposed. |
Can the bet push? | A push changes the feel of the game and the number of resolved decisions. | Baccarat banker edges cannot be understood from win rate alone. |
Is hit rate being confused with value? | A bet can win often and still have a higher average cost. | Check both probability and payout, not just how often the bet wins. |
This test catches a common marketing trick: quoting the friendliest number without the rules and denominator that make it true.
House edge is not the same as chance of winning
A higher chance of winning a single bet does not always mean a lower average cost. Probabilities and edges show that payout, pushes and commission all matter. For baccarat drawing rules, use baccarat rules and odds.
Bet | Win probability | House edge | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
European roulette red or black | 48.65% | 2.70% | Highest win probability shown here, but not the lowest edge |
American roulette red or black | 47.37% | 5.26% | Extra zero reduces win probability and raises the edge |
Baccarat banker | 45.8597% | 1.06% | Lower win probability than European roulette even-money, but lower edge because ties push and commission applies |
Baccarat player | 44.6247% | 1.24% | Close to banker, but mathematically a little worse |
Baccarat tie | 9.5156% | 14.36% | Low hit rate and high edge |
For blackjack, the question is not only probability. Correct decisions depend on the player total, dealer up-card and exact rules. A blackjack basic strategy chart is the right tool for that game.
Limits, harm and clinical questions
A low edge does not make gambling safe. The risk you face also depends on stake size, speed, access to funds and whether you can stop when planned. A responsible gambling guide and deposit and loss limits are more practical than chasing a slightly smaller percentage while increasing stakes.
If gambling feels hard to control, treat that as a health and money warning, not as a maths puzzle. Read the signs of a gambling problem and consider a formal clinical diagnosis of gambling disorder if the behaviour is causing harm.
Questions such as can your brain recover from gambling sit outside house-edge maths. Recovery is possible, but support and treatment decisions belong with qualified professionals. If the question is is gambling worse than drugs, the useful answer is not a ranking. Either can cause serious harm and deserves support.
If the question is what personality disorder is associated with gambling, do not attach a personality-disorder label to gambling behaviour. Clinical labels require assessment. Losses, chasing and secrecy are reasons to seek help, not reasons for self-diagnosis.
Use the number before the stake
Treat house edge as the price of exposure. Before you play, identify the exact game, the exact bet, the rule set and the denominator. Then decide whether the expected cost fits your entertainment budget.
Do not raise stakes because a game has a low edge. Do not chase losses because a result feels due. The house advantage is not a prediction for the next decision, but it is the clearest warning about repeated play.
Frequently asked questions
What is the $20 method at the casino?
The $20 method is usually a tipping tactic people discuss for possible room upgrades, not a gambling method. It does not change the odds, payouts or house advantage of any casino game.
Which casino game has the highest chance of winning?
Among the win probabilities shown here, European roulette even-money bets have the highest listed hit rate at 48.65%. That does not make them the best average-value bet, because baccarat banker has a lower 1.06% edge despite a 45.8597% banker-win probability in the 8-deck figures.
Is it true the house always wins?
No. A player can win a session, a hand or a spin. The house advantage means the average result across repeated wagers favours the casino, not that every customer loses every time.
When should you never hit in blackjack?
There is no universal answer that works for every total, dealer card and rule set. Our model puts blackjack at 0.48% only under the listed rules and with basic strategy, so use a basic strategy chart rather than a slogan.
What is the riskiest form of gambling?
By house edge, bets such as the baccarat tie at 14.36% and the Big Six joker at 24.07% are among the most expensive in a casino. Personal risk is broader than the edge: fast repeat betting, high stakes and loss of control can make any form harmful.
Can your brain recover from gambling?
Many people do change harmful gambling behaviour with support, blocking tools and treatment. Treat it as a health question rather than a betting-system question, and speak to a qualified professional if gambling feels hard to stop.