The house edge (or house advantage) within a specific casino game reflects the casino’s built-in advantage over the player. Conversely, a return-to-player (RTP) average represents the theoretical payout potential of a table game, slot machine, or any casino game over time.
Popular games with a low house edge—like blackjack, baccarat and video poker—offer better odds for players than options with a high house edge.
Choose titles with the lowest house edge and highest RTP percentage for the best odds of winning online casino games.
In this guide, we’ll show you how to find a favorable casino house edge and RTP at any game offered at the best online casinos.
More on House Edge and RTP
Defining House Edge at Casinos
Generally speaking, the house edge of any particular game at a reputable online casino comes from testing a random number generator (RNG) built into the game’s software to determine what the casino’s built-in advantage is. The casino house edge ensures there’s a gross profit for casinos.
Whether it’s a roulette wheel, craps table or various online slots, the casino advantage remains for different bets and odds offered by online casino games.
Other table games at a live casino offer a unique variance associated with human dealers, with house edges tweaked to compensate for the lack of a computer-generated RNG. Variance in casino gaming refers to the odds of winning or losing significantly within shorter gaming sessions.
Volatility is programmed into a slot machine to determine how often the slot pays per wager over millions of spins. Low-volatility slots pay more frequently but in smaller amounts than medium-volatility slots. High-volatility slots, like 88 Fortunes, pay less often but in more significant amounts.
Due to maintenance costs and limited gaming space, land-based casinos offer much lower RTPs for their slot machine options. So, real money online casinos provide some of the lowest house edge opportunities for players with better odds of winning—especially at slots with high RTPs.
Does the House Edge Hurt or Help Players?
Understanding the house edge for any online casino game helps you strategize and return the house advantage in your favor as much as possible. If you’re unsure of the house edge for roulette, blackjack, baccarat, poker, or slot games, the odds of the casino winning your money remain high.
When you knowingly bet at games with a low house edge, you can reduce the house advantage—which could be the difference between losing your bankroll and winning money against the casino edge.
Defining What RTP Means
RTP, which stands for return to player, is the percentage of money that players will theoretically win back from the casino over many games.
Casinos and their gaming providers establish RTP averages to ensure they win a percentage of every bet while maintaining repeat customers. Along with third-party testing companies, in-state regulatory agencies routinely analyze casino games’ house edge and RTP for accuracy and fairness.
The theoretical RTP averages of real money online slots generally offer a rate of 95%. On average, those games return $95 for every $100 that gets wagered at the game.
A slot with an RTP of 95% equates to a house edge of 5%.
All games require some sort of house advantage; otherwise, the casino would lose money. Casinos use RTP to reflect their house edge at different games to remain profitable.
Blackjack is one of the best casino games, with a high RTP of approximately 99.50% and one of the lowest house edges (if you adhere to basic strategy). A few online video poker variants offer similar or slightly better RTPs than blackjack and a lower house edge—mostly under one percent.
How Can I Find out RTP for My Casino Games?
Since land-based casinos are businesses, they don’t advertise their games’ odds or RTP percentages. Before you place a particular bet, you should learn about the game, including its rules, paytable, side bets, and RTP.
Most software providers at online casino apps provide information about house edge and RTP directly through in-game menus and information (i) tabs. You can scroll down to view the RTP percentage, house edge, and payout odds for any game.
Since the house advantage can differ for the same game across operators, you should know the odds so you can maintain smart betting habits
To learn more about RTP before you place a bet, check out our reviews and strategy guides, which can help you overcome the odds of a house advantage and win the most money possible from online gambling.
Common House Edges in Specific Casino Games
The casino house edge depends on the game you choose, and bet options have different payout odds. Here’s a list of games with their average overall house edge.
- Craps: 0% – 16.67%
- Video poker: 0.28% – 1.02%
- Blackjack: 0.5%
- Ultimate Texas Hold ’em: 0.73% – 3.5%
- Baccarat: 1.06% – 14.4%
- Roulette: 1.35% – 5.26%
- Slots: 2% – 10%
- Three Card Poker: 2.01% – 10.22%
- Pai Gow Poker: 2.53% – 7.77%
- Let It Ride: 3.51% – 4.38%
House Edge for Slots
Any casino typically offers hundreds, if not thousands, of slots. The odds of winning slots at land-based casinos are much lower than those at real money casino apps.
The house advantage of slots depends on the game. Featured slots with higher payouts, like progressive jackpots, often provide lower RTP percentages, so the odds of winning remain low.
For the best odds, playing a slot game with a high RTP of 95% or above would be advantageous.
House Edge for Blackjack
Blackjack is a popular game with the best odds for players due to its low house edge. Knowing the basic strategy for every possible hand is valuable for each bet.
To reduce the house edge, stick to the perfect strategy and play blackjack variants with the additional option to Surrender half your bet with a weak hand against a dealer’s up-card values of 9, 10, or an Ace.
Before you place a wager, check the casino or table for how the dealer plays a “hard or soft 17.” If the dealer must stand on all 17s, that helps lower the house edge with fewer opportunities for the dealer to “hit.”
Also, you can improve the player’s odds of winning by choosing a blackjack game with the fewest standard 52-card decks (i.e., six-deck blackjack might be preferable to an eight-deck game) and avoiding side bets.
House Edge for Poker
You’ll have plenty of options to play poker with a low house edge at any casino. However, the player percentage or odds of winning—like blackjack and other table games—get significantly reduced for any side bet.
A game like Ultimate Texas Hold ’em requires a starting bet for an “Ante” and an equal bet for a “Blind.” After receiving two cards, players decide to make an additional bet of x3 or x4 of their initial wager or to “Check” (no bet).
Once the flop comes (first three cards shared between the player and casino), you can bet x2 or Check to see the turn and the river (fourth and fifth cards, respectively).
With only one deck, Ultimate Texas Hold ’em offers the best odds for players with a house edge of 0.73% (for those avoiding the side bet). Other poker games work similarly, including Four Card Poker, which offers a house advantage of 1.32%, while the Aces Up side bet has a fixed house edge of 3.37%.
House Edge for Roulette
Like most table games, roulette has many variants. With 36 black and red numbered pockets and two green-colored pockets for zero (0) and double zero (00), American Roulette is a standard game at any casino in the U.S.
American Roulette has a house edge of 5.26%. In contrast, the European wheel has a reduced house edge of 2.70% and only one green-colored zero pocket.
French Roulette provides a lower casino advantage of 1.35% for even-money wagers (red/black, even/odd, high/low) due to a La Partage rule that returns half a player’s bet if the ball lands on zero.
That makes French roulette one of the best options for disciplined online players.
Remember to check the in-game settings for the paytable. Different roulette bets offer various odds corresponding to fixed percentages rather than true odds.
House Edge for Craps
Craps is a versatile game that offers true odds. However, it’s only for a handful of bets. There are many wagers in craps, including the Pass/Don’t Pass and Come/Don’t Come lines.
To start the game, participants can bet on whether or not a player will make a point. First, they need to roll an appropriate point number—4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10.
The “puck” moves to that point number, and then the player can try to roll their point before a 7.
True odds come from placing wagers associated with the point number and Pass/Don’t Pass and Come/Don’t Come line bets. Those “odds bets” don’t have a house edge. (The Don’t Pass/Don’t Come line bets offer a slightly reduced house edge than Pass/Come line wagers.)
Payout odds at a craps game depends on the casino. DraftKings lists 70 bet options for its craps game with a theoretical house edge of 0.27% (Don’t Pass with full odds). Evolution Gaming versions of craps offer house edges of 0.83% to 16.67% optimized for Don’t Pass/Don’t Come with an equal odds bet.
House Edge of Other Casino Games
Other casino games with lower house edges include baccarat and video poker. Baccarat has many versions from the industry’s top software providers, including IGT, NetEnt, and Evolution Games, which offer numerous live dealer variants.
Baccarat is popular among high-rollers, especially in Macau (China). Thus, you’ll find various Asian-themed baccarat and Sic Bo games, such as Speed Baccarat, Baccarat Squeeze, No Commission Baccarat, and Super Sic Bo.
In baccarat, you can gamble on either the banker (house) or the player to win each hand. Or, you can take the tie bet. A tie bet pays the most, usually around 8 to 1. It’s advisable to avoid side bets in baccarat, with the tie bet offering a high house edge of around 14.40%.
Depending on the game, there’s a house edge percentage of 1.06% to 1.10% for banker bets, which often require a 5% net commission for every win. If the player wins, there’s a standard even money payout with a house advantage of 1.24% to 1.30%.
For video poker (absent any tie bets), Game King offers nine variants with house edges of 0.28% to 1.02%. Top games with high RTP percentages include Jacks Or Better, Double Bonus Poker, and Deuces Wild Poker.
Using Bonus Offers While Checking House Edge & RTP
Many online casino companies offer casino welcome bonuses to attract first-time players. Bonus money from a deposit match often comes with a robust wagering requirement. Players must wager a specific amount before their bonus money transfers to withdrawable cash.
More straightforward bonuses include free slot spins, no-deposit bonuses, or deposit matches. Some casinos reimburse online players anywhere for net losses up to a certain amount after their first 24 hours.
Free spins often have playthrough amounts of 1x. Those offers make wagering bonus money at low house edge and high RTP games more accessible than a $1,000 deposit match. (Deposit bonuses often have a wagering requirement of 10x to 25x.)
There are strict terms and conditions regarding how much each bet contributes to bonus offers. Eligible gaming options may include slots, baccarat, blackjack, roulette, poker, and live dealer titles.
Wagers at slots typically count as 100% toward completing a wagering requirement. In comparison, table games and video poker may only count as 10% to 20% (a $1 bet at slots counts as $1, while the same amount at another game may only count as $0.10 or $0.20).
How to Use House Edge to Your Advantage at Casinos
If you’re a beginner, using a welcome bonus at high RTP slots might work best for clearing your bonus. Games that offer bonus rounds give you excellent opportunities for higher payouts, but note that those extra spins won’t count toward completing your wagering requirement.
Once you’ve played through your first 24 hours, week, or month, you can diversify from slots and wager your bankroll at higher RTP options like craps, video poker, blackjack, poker, and baccarat.
In addition to using an optimal strategy for card games, you can implement betting techniques at even-money wagers for French Roulette. Valuable methods include the D’Alembert, Martingale, Labouchère, and Fibonacci betting systems.
Using RTP to Your Advantage at Casinos
There are many ways to use RTP to your advantage when you play games at casinos. First, you should understand the game’s rules and paytable, including the house edge and its payouts. Check the in-game information to view the paytable and “long-term, theoretically expected payback.”
While hands in Ultimate Texas Hold ’em rank like regular poker, Three Card Poker organizes them a bit differently. For example, a 3-of-a-kind pays more than a straight, and a straight pays more than a flush.
Basic knowledge shows it’s easier to achieve a winning hand in Texas Hold ’em rather than Three Card Poker, evidenced by the differences in house edges of 0.73% and 2.01%, respectively.
Just as the Le Partage rule (for black/red, even/odd, and high/low wagers) at French Roulette reduces the house edge to 1.35%, playing six-deck blackjack variants with Surrender—where the dealer stands on any 17—helps boost RTP slightly above the standard 99.50%, getting it even closer to 100%.
Odds bets at craps remove the casino edge. However, you’d likely need to attach your bet to a Don’t Pass/Don’t Come line wager, which has house advantages slightly higher than a player’s bet in baccarat.
Best Tips for House Edge and RTP at Casinos
Playing high RTP titles with the lowest possible house edge helps players achieve the best odds of winning. While some casinos may set their house advantage a bit differently than others, it helps to follow these guidelines:
- Practice playing games in a free demo version to familiarize yourself with RTPs and house edge percentages before using real money.
- Play high RTP slots to get the most value from your welcome bonus.
- Use optimal strategies at six-deck blackjack with Surrender or a high RTP video poker game like Deuces Wild. Texas Hold ’em and the odds bet in craps (Don’t Pass/Don’t Come) are other excellent options with a reduced house edge.
- Avoid side bets at blackjack, craps, and baccarat (including the tie bet).
- Use max bet amounts at video poker and slots with high volatility; if you can’t bet max amounts, stick to wagers that are 1% to 5% of your bankroll.
- Don’t consume alcohol when you gamble, meaning you should turn down free drinks that the casino offers to keep your decision-making sharp.
Responsible Gambling at Casinos
Casinos often promote Responsible Gambling (RG) practices to ensure players recognize the signs of problem gambling.
Online resources may include tutorials and how-to-play sections to assist beginners with learning the rules of any game they choose.
The RG section on online platforms typically includes FAQs and a way to contact customer support via live chat 24/7.
ou can also set limits on your account for deposits, time, and wagering and set a cool-off period or self-exclusion.
Call or text 1-800-GAMBLER if you or somebody you know may have a gambling problem that requires professional help.
The National Council on Problem Gambling also provides resources to help players avoid problem gambling habits.
FAQs About House Edge and RTP
We’ve created an FAQ section to help players learn more about house edge and RTP averages. Here are some common questions associated with the age-old adage of a casino’s advantage over players: “The house always wins.”
Is RTP the same as the house edge in online casinos?
Any casino game’s return-to-player (RTP) average is the opposite of its house edge. For example, a game with an RTP of 95% offers a house edge of 5%. Choose games with less than a one-percent house edge or 99% RTP or better for the best odds of winning.
What is the house edge in gambling?
House edge in gambling refers to the casino’s advantage over players. Casinos operate as businesses, and their games must deliver a gross profit (the house advantage). To overcome the house edge, players should stick to optimal strategy in blackjack, Deuces Wild video poker, and Texas Hold ’em while avoiding side bets.
Do some casinos not have a house edge?
Casinos use house edge to generate revenue from their games like baccarat, blackjack, craps, and roulette. If a casino didn’t have a house edge, they would go out of business because they wouldn’t profit.
Craps is one of the few options that offer a particular wager called an “Odds bet” that doesn’t have a house edge; however, it’s usually tied to another bet which does have a house edge.
What does 80% RTP mean?
A return-to-player (RTP) average represents the opposite of the casino’s advantage for any game. Slots at online casinos generally offer an RTP of around 95% to 96%. Land-based casinos might offer slots with a reduced RTP, as low as 80%. That means, on average over many turns, the game returns $80 for every $100 wagered.
How do I know the RTP of my slot at an online casino?
Check the software provider’s in-game information tab for the casino game house edge or RTP. Some online casino platforms may show the RTP and volatility of their slots in an overview before you play.
What is the average casino house edge?
The average casino house edge depends on the game you play. Blackjack offers a house edge of 0.50% or less than one percent. Other options with a similar house advantage include video poker (0.28% to 1.02%) and Texas Hold ’em (0.73%). Online slots average about 5%, while slots at land-based casinos may offer a house edge between 10% and 20%.
