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).