Home โบ Casino Games
Casino Games Explained: House Edge and RTP Every Player Should Know
Every casino game on the floor โ table games and machines alike โ shares one underlying number that matters more than any tip or system: the house edge. Understanding it is the fastest way to know which games actually give you the best chance, before you sit down at any of them.
What "house edge" actually means
House edge is the casino's average, long-run advantage on a given bet, expressed as a percentage of your wager. A 2% house edge means that, averaged across a very large number of bets, the casino keeps about $2 of every $100 wagered โ not $2 of every $100 you walk in with. It says nothing about any single session, which can (and does) swing wildly in either direction.
The house edge, game by game
Blackjack (basic strategy): roughly 0.5% โ the best odds at the table, and the only one where your decisions directly change the number.
Baccarat (Banker bet): roughly 1.06%.
European roulette: roughly 2.70% (nearly double on American wheels, at 5.26%, because of the extra 00 pocket).
Craps (pass line): roughly 1.41%.
Slot machines: typically 2-12%, varying widely by machine and jurisdiction โ the least transparent number on this list, since it's not printed on the machine.
Texas Hold'em: not really comparable โ you're playing against other players, not the house, and the casino's cut is a rake on the pot rather than a built-in edge on the game itself.
Why "strategy" means different things per game
In blackjack, "strategy" changes the actual house edge, because you're making real decisions with a mathematically correct answer. In baccarat and roulette, there's no decision to make beyond which bet to place โ "strategy" there just means choosing the lower-house-edge bet (Banker over Tie; European wheel over American). In slots, there's no decision at all beyond bet size and machine choice. In poker, "strategy" is a different category entirely โ it's about outplaying opponents, not beating a fixed mathematical edge.
RTP vs house edge: same idea, flipped
RTP (Return to Player) and house edge are two sides of the same coin: RTP + house edge = 100%. A slot machine advertising 96% RTP has a 4% house edge. Table games are more commonly discussed in house-edge terms, machines in RTP terms โ same underlying math either way.
How to use this before you play
Lower house edge doesn't mean you'll win โ it means your bankroll is expected to last longer, on average, at the same bet size. If your goal is to make a session last, gravitate toward blackjack (with basic strategy) or Banker bets at baccarat. If you're playing purely for entertainment and jackpot upside, slots and Tie bets are a different trade-off โ smaller long-run odds in exchange for bigger possible swings.
House edge describes long-run averages, not any individual session. See our responsible gambling page if it stops being fun.
All content is fact-checked under our editorial standards.