House Edge Explained: Roulette, baccarat, craps, slots, blackjack house edge

Many casino players have a vague understanding of blackjack house edge and ask, "What is house edge in casino games online?" They don't know how to put it into practical terms. The house edge is explained best by knowing how much the casino expects to win for every $100 you wager. I'll go over examples for popular games to show why the $100 concept is important to know. 

Some casino games are low-cost entertainment that give you a fair chance at winning. Others can drain your bankroll quicker than you realize. This point is easiest to understand in terms of real dollars being bet on popular games.

The examples I'll cover below don't necessarily mean you're guaranteed to lose. Rather, they're meant to illustrate how much you'll spend over the long run with each game.

The average online blackjack house edge is just 0.5%. This translates to the casino only making $0.50 per $100 in wagers.

The catch is that you must use good strategy to get the best blackjack odds. But considering that strategy charts are widely available, you shouldn't have much trouble learning the ropes.

Most online slots feature between a 4% and 6% house edge. This means you'll spend $4 to $6 per $100 wagered.

That's among the costlier options in the casino. Slot games become even more expensive when considering how they're built for convenience and speed.

The roulette odds depend on the wheel and game rules. An American wheel carries a 5.26% house edge vs. 2.70% for the European wheel. That translates into spending $5.26 vs. $2.70 per $100 in bets.

You can actually play even cheaper with the rare French roulette. Through a combo of the European wheel and la partage rule, this game has a 1.35% house edge. That means you'll only spend $1.35 per $100 wagered on French roulette.

Baccarat has a reputation for being a high-roller game, but it's actually quite cheap to play. It carries a 1.06% house edge on banker bets. These favorable baccarat odds see you spend $1.06 per $100 risked on average.

The player bet isn't bad either, carrying a 1.24% house advantage that leaves you spending $1.24 per $100. Whatever you do, stay away from the tie bet. It has a 14.36% house edge, leading to dropping $14.36 per $100. 

Craps is a game of many bets, some good and some bad. Don't pass line is the best one, carrying a 1.36% house advantage. That means you'll spend just $1.36% for every $100 risked on craps.

Pass line is a solid runner-up with its 1.41% house edge. That leaves pass line only costing a nickel more at $1.41 per $100 wagered.

The difference between losing $1 and $5 when betting $100 may not sound huge. But casino play involves repetition, which compounds these differences rather quickly.

Imagine you and another player each place 200 bets worth $10 apiece. This means you've both wagered a total of $2,000. Now, let's apply the house advantages:

You don't have to obsess over what casino game has the best odds in every session. However, you should be mindful of what house edges can potentially cost. Losing $20 compared to $100 is a noticeable difference.

You'll often hear games discussed in terms of RTP, short for return to player. It's essentially just a mirror image of the house advantage, as the following examples show:

RTP shows how much money you'll theoretically win back over time. House advantage shows how much the casino keeps. They both describe the same concept—your chances of winning or losing—just in different ways.

The biggest takeaway is that game selection directly impacts the average cost of gambling. We all hope to win, but it's good to be realistic and consider potential losses when that doesn't happen.

I highly recommend viewing things in terms of how much you'll spend per $100 wagered. This method provides a quick reference point for determining each game's average cost.

Blackjack comes in with the lowest rate at $0.50 for every $100 wagered. Slots are normally the most costly at $4–$8, depending on the game and its house advantage.

Does this mean you should always choose blackjack? Absolutely not. Slots and similar games with higher house edges can still be entertaining from time to time. But just know that you stand a higher chance of losing more money when playing them.

The following legal US online casinos have some of the largest game selections. That means you'll have a stronger chance of finding games with low house advantages at them.

Regulated U.S. online casinos offer tools to promote responsible play, such as limits on deposits, logins, session times, losses, and wagering. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, visit the National Council on Problem Gambling or call/text 1-800-MY-RESET. 

Bettors must be 21 years or older and otherwise eligible to register and place wagers at online casinos.

Jeremy Olson