House Edge by Game: A Complete Comparison Chart
Last reviewed: June 2026
The short version: Not all casino games are equally bad for your wallet. The house edge — the share of each bet the casino expects to keep over the long run — ranges from essentially 0% (a craps odds bet) to over 16% (a craps “any 7” bet). Blackjack with good rules, baccarat’s Banker bet, and full-pay video poker are the kindest; the baccarat Tie, craps prop bets, and American roulette are the harshest. Here’s the whole picture in one chart.
Use this as your map. Every figure is rule-dependent, so we cite assumptions — and you can watch any edge grind a bankroll down in real time using the interactive model at /learn/house-edge/.
What “house edge” means (in one line)
The house edge is the percentage of each wager the casino expects to win on average over many plays. A 2.70% edge means that, in the long run, you lose about $2.70 for every $100 wagered — not every spin, but as an average across thousands of them. It’s the flip side of RTP: house edge = 100% − RTP. For the deeper math behind it, see Expected Value (EV) Explained.
Two cautions before the chart:
- The edge applies to total amount wagered, not your deposit. Cycle $100 through a 1% game ten times and you’ve wagered $1,000 — expecting to lose ~$10, not $1.
- House edge is the long-run average, not your session. Short sessions are dominated by variance; the edge asserts itself over volume.
House edge by game: the comparison chart
Figures below are from Wizard of Odds and assume the rule sets noted. Lower is better for you.
| Game / bet | House edge | Notes / assumptions |
|---|---|---|
| Craps — Odds bet | 0.00% | A true-odds bet with no edge; must back a Pass/Don’t line bet first |
| Blackjack (liberal rules, basic strategy) | ~0.28% | Dealer stands on soft 17, double after split, etc.; typical games run higher (~0.5%) |
| Video Poker — 9/6 Jacks or Better (optimal play) | ~0.46% | Requires the full-pay paytable and optimal strategy |
| Baccarat — Banker | 1.06% | Includes the standard 5% commission on Banker wins |
| Baccarat — Player | 1.24% | Slightly worse than Banker |
| Craps — Don’t Pass / Don’t Come | 1.36% | Slightly better than Pass |
| Craps — Pass / Come | 1.41% | The standard “right way” bet |
| Craps — Place 6 or 8 | 1.52% | One of the better place bets |
| Roulette — European (single 0) | 2.70% | One green zero |
| Roulette — American (00) | 5.26% | Two green zeros nearly double the edge |
| Slots | ~2%–15% | Varies by machine and is rarely disclosed; treat as illustrative |
| Baccarat — Tie (8:1) | 14.36% | A genuinely bad bet — avoid |
| Craps — Any 7 | 16.67% | The worst common bet on the table |
Best bets at a glance
These carry the lowest edges — they cost you the least per dollar wagered over the long run.
| Bet | House edge | Why it’s good |
|---|---|---|
| Craps — Odds | 0.00% | True-odds bet; must back a Pass/Don’t line bet first |
| Blackjack (good rules + basic strategy) | ~0.28–0.5% | Skill matters; requires basic strategy and decent rules |
| Video Poker — 9/6 Jacks or Better (optimal play) | ~0.46% | Full-pay paytable plus optimal hold decisions required |
| Baccarat — Banker | 1.06% | Best standalone table-game bet; 5% commission already baked in |
| Craps — Pass/Come | 1.41% | Standard right-way bet; add Odds to push combined edge well below 1% |
Worst bets to avoid
Big, flashy payouts usually hide punishing edges. A single $10 baccarat Tie bet carries the same expected cost as wagering roughly $135 on Banker.
| Bet | House edge | Why it’s bad |
|---|---|---|
| Craps — Any 7 | 16.67% | Worst common bet on the table — a one-roll sucker bet |
| Baccarat — Tie (8:1) | 14.36% | Tempting 8:1 payout; never worth it |
| Craps prop / hardway bets | ~9–17% | Center-table bets exist to look exciting, not to win |
| American roulette | 5.26% | Needlessly twice as costly as European; same game, one extra zero |
| Slots | ~2–15% | Edge undisclosed and often high; opacity rarely benefits the player |
What the worst bets share: a large multiplier (8:1, 30:1) that masks how rarely they hit. Good-value bets tend to be the “boring” even-money ones.
The big takeaways
A few patterns are worth internalizing:
- Skill and rules matter. Blackjack and video poker only reach their tiny edges with correct strategy and good paytables/rules. Play blackjack badly, or on a 6:5-payout table, and the edge balloons. See Blackjack Basic Strategy.
- European roulette beats American, full stop. Same game, but the extra “00” pocket nearly doubles the edge from 2.70% to 5.26%. If you can choose, always choose single-zero.
- The “exciting” bets are usually the worst. High-payout prop bets — the baccarat Tie, craps “Any 7” — carry double-digit edges. The thrill is real; the math is brutal. See Worst bets to avoid above.
- Slots are a black box. Their edge isn’t posted at the machine and varies widely. You’re often paying 5–10%+ without knowing it.
A worked example: the same $1,000, three games
Say you wager a total of $1,000 (across many bets) on each:
| Game | Edge | Expected loss on $1,000 wagered |
|---|---|---|
| Blackjack (good rules) | 0.5% | ~$5 |
| European roulette | 2.70% | ~$27 |
| American roulette | 5.26% | ~$53 |
| Craps “Any 7” | 16.67% | ~$167 |
Same money cycled through, wildly different expected cost. This is why what you play matters as much as how much. None of these are positive plays — the expected result is always a loss — but the size of that expected loss is your choice.
Where the edge actually comes from
The house edge isn’t a fee skimmed off the top — it’s baked into the payouts. A bet wins less than “true odds” would pay, and that gap is the edge. The clearest example is roulette:
- A single-number bet has a 1-in-38 chance on an American wheel (38 pockets).
- A truly fair payout would be 37:1.
- The casino pays 35:1.
That two-unit shortfall, spread across every spin, is the 5.26% edge. European roulette pays the same 35:1 but has only 37 pockets, so the shortfall is smaller — a 2.70% edge. Every game works this way: the rules quietly pay winners a little less than the odds justify. This is also why no betting pattern can overcome it — see Expected Value Explained. The edge lives in each payout, so rearranging your bets just sums the same negative pieces.
How to find a game’s house edge before you play
You can usually estimate the edge before risking money:
- Table games: the edge is fixed by the rules and well-documented. Check the payout and any rule variations (e.g., does blackjack pay 3:2 or 6:5? Single-zero or double-zero roulette?). Small rule changes move the edge a lot.
- Video poker: read the paytable posted on the machine — the payouts for a full house and flush (“9/6” vs “8/5”) tell you the edge directly.
- Slots: often the hardest, because the edge usually isn’t disclosed at the machine. Some online and regulated slots publish an RTP figure (house edge = 100% − RTP); many don’t, so you’re frequently paying an unknown edge.
When the edge is hidden, assume it’s not in your favor — opacity rarely benefits the player.
Frequently asked
Which casino game has the best odds? Among common bets, the craps Odds bet (0% edge) is unbeatable on paper, but it must accompany a Pass/Don’t bet. For standalone games, blackjack with good rules and full-pay video poker offer the lowest edges (well under 1%) — with correct strategy.
Which casino bets should I avoid? The baccarat Tie (14.36%) and craps prop bets like Any 7 (16.67%) are the worst common bets. American roulette (5.26%) is a needless step down from European (2.70%).
Does a low house edge mean I’ll win? No. Every figure here is a loss in expectation — lower just means you lose less per dollar wagered over time. See house edge and variance.
Sources & further reading
- Wizard of Odds — House Edge of Casino Games Compared — authoritative per-game house-edge figures and rule assumptions (accessed 2026-06-22)
- BettingUSA — Return to Player (RTP) Explained — RTP/house-edge relationship (accessed 2026-06-22)
Educational explanation only. No real-money gambling happens on LearnTheOdds.
Responsible gambling: Play for entertainment, not income — the math favors the house over time. Set limits, never chase losses, and if it stops being fun, take a break. 21+. Need help? Call 1-800-MY-RESET (1800myreset.org).