House Edge Explained: Which Casino Games Give the Best Odds
Every casino game is built with a mathematical edge in the house's favor — that's how casinos stay in business. But that edge varies a lot from game to game, and knowing the numbers is the single best tool you have for deciding where your entertainment budget goes furthest.
What "house edge" actually means
House edge is the average percentage of every bet a casino expects to keep over the long run. A 2% house edge means that, on average and over a very large number of bets, the casino keeps $2 of every $100 wagered — the other $98 cycles back to players as winnings. It's a long-run average, not a per-spin outcome: any single session can go well above or below it in either direction.
House edge by game (typical ranges)
Blackjack (basic strategy)
~0.5% house edge with correct basic strategy — one of the lowest of any casino game.
Baccarat (banker bet)
~1.06% house edge — simple rules, no strategy decisions required.
Craps (pass line)
~1.4% house edge on the basic pass line bet; other craps bets vary widely, some far worse.
European Roulette
~2.7% house edge (single zero). American roulette's extra double-zero pocket roughly doubles it to ~5.26%.
Video poker
Anywhere from under 1% to 5%+ depending entirely on the specific pay table — see our video poker guide once published.
Slots
Typically 4–12%+ depending on the specific game — the widest range of any casino game, and the hardest for a player to identify in advance.
Why the same game can have different edges
Rule variations change the math significantly. In blackjack, whether the dealer hits or stands on a soft 17, how many decks are used, and payout ratios for a natural blackjack (3:2 vs. the worse 6:5) can shift the house edge by a percentage point or more. In roulette, a single extra pocket (American double-zero vs. European single-zero) nearly doubles the edge. Always check a game's specific rules before assuming a "typical" number applies.
Volatility isn't the same as house edge
A low house edge doesn't necessarily mean a "smoother" experience. Volatility (or variance) describes how much results swing session to session — a game can have a modest house edge but high volatility (big rare wins, frequent small losses), or a similar edge with low volatility (frequent small wins). Slots tend to be higher-volatility; blackjack and baccarat tend to be lower-volatility. Think about which pattern fits how you want to spend your session, not just the long-run percentage.
Next: read our blackjack basic strategy guide to see exactly how to play toward that ~0.5% edge, or head back to all guides.
Frequently asked questions
Does a low house edge mean I'm likely to win?
Not on any given session. House edge is a long-run average across millions of bets, so short-term results can vary widely in either direction even on a low-edge game.
Which single casino game has the best odds overall?
Blackjack played with correct basic strategy typically has the lowest house edge of any common casino game, often around 0.5%.
Does house edge change based on how much I bet?
No — house edge is a percentage built into the game's rules and payouts, not something that shifts based on stake size, though some side bets and progressive jackpots can carry a different edge than the base game.
Is RTP the same thing as house edge?
They're related but inverse. RTP (return to player) is the percentage returned to players over time, so a 96% RTP slot has a 4% house edge — the two numbers should add up to 100%.