Odds of Winning at Each Casino Game

Casinos have been around a very long time. The first casino, as it is understood today, appeared in Venice, Italy, in 1638. Called Il Ridotto (Italian for “private room”), the Venetian government created it to regulate gambling during the carnival season.

Since then, casinos have changed, developed and evolved in many ways. The games got better, more intricate and complex. The most modern incantation of casino gambling is online casino play.

There are all the traditional games mixed with many variations for each. This includes slots, which have many hundreds of variations.

Basically, every major sportsbook has a casino section. There is a great deal of crossover as well. People who bet on sports will often jump into a game of blackjack or poker to kill some time and hopefully win a little extra scratch.

In this article, we wanted to post the major casino games of the modern era along with the implied house edge.

Casino Games Odds and House Advantage

The odds of winning in casino games vary depending on the game, its rules, and the house edge. Below is a concise breakdown of the approximate odds and house edge for common casino games, based on general data available as of my last update. Note that odds can vary slightly depending on specific casino rules, variants, or player strategy.

1. Blackjack

• House Edge: ~0.5%–2% (with optimal strategy; higher with poor play)
• Odds of Winning a Hand: ~42%–48% (varies with player skill, number of decks, and rules like dealer hits/stands on soft 17)

Notes: Blackjack offers some of the best odds if you use basic strategy. Card counting can further reduce the house edge but is heavily discouraged by casinos.

2. Roulette

American Roulette (Double Zero):

• House Edge: 5.26%
• Odds of Winning (Single Number Bet): 1 in 38 (2.63%)
• Odds of Winning (Even-Money Bets, e.g., Red/Black): ~47.37%

European Roulette (Single Zero):

• House Edge: 2.7%
• Odds of Winning (Single Number Bet): 1 in 37 (2.7%)
• Odds of Winning (Even-Money Bets): ~48.65%

Notes: European roulette is more favorable due to the single zero. Avoid American roulette if possible.

3. Craps

• House Edge: 0.8%–16.67% (depends on the bet)

Odds of Winning:

• Pass Line/Come Bet: ~49.3% (house edge ~1.41%)
• Don’t Pass/Don’t Come: ~49.7% (house edge ~1.36%)
• Proposition Bets (e.g., Any 7): Much worse odds, house edge up to 16.67%

Notes: Stick to Pass/Don’t Pass bets for the best odds. Avoid proposition bets due to high house edges.

4. Slot Machines

• House Edge: 2%–15% (varies by machine and casino)
• Odds of Winning: Varies widely; payout rates (RTP, Return to Player) typically range from 85%–98%.

Notes: Slots are highly random, with odds determined by the machine’s programming. Progressive jackpots have worse odds but bigger payouts.

5. Baccarat

House Edge:

• Banker Bet: ~1.06%
• Player Bet: ~1.24%
• Tie Bet: ~14.36%
• Odds of Winning:
• Banker: ~45.86%
• Player: ~44.62%
• Tie: ~9.52%

Notes: Bet on Banker for the best odds. Avoid Tie bets due to the high house edge.

6. Poker (Casino Variants, e.g., Three Card Poker, Caribbean Stud)

• House Edge: 2%–7% (varies by game and strategy)
• Odds of Winning: Depends on the variant and player skill. For example:
• Three Card Poker: ~46% for Pair Plus bet, house edge ~7.28%.
• Caribbean Stud: ~47% for optimal play, house edge ~5.22%.

Notes: Learn optimal strategy to improve odds. Side bets often have worse odds.

7. Keno

• House Edge: 20%–40% (extremely high)
• Odds of Winning: Varies by number of spots chosen. For example, hitting all 20 numbers in a 20-spot game is ~1 in 3.5 quintillion.

Notes: Keno has some of the worst odds in casinos. Play for fun, not profit.

8. Big Six Wheel

• House Edge: 11%–24% (depends on the bet)
• Odds of Winning: Varies by wheel configuration (e.g., 1 in 54 for a $1 bet on a 54-segment wheel).

Notes: High house edge makes this a poor choice for consistent wins.