What is Casino House Edge?
Casino House Edge Explained - Lowest & Highest Casino Game House Edges
If you love playing popular online casino games in the Stake Casino and wondered which games offer the highest payouts, you've come to the right place! In this guide, you'll discover what house edge is, why it’s important, and how to use it to your advantage when picking the best games to play at Stake.
What is House Edge?
House edge - sometimes called house advantage or casino advantage - is built into every online game and is a casino’s way of earning money to cover its operating costs. It’s helpful to look at each game’s house edge before playing, as it gives you a decent idea of your odds of winning and how much the title pays out on average.
Different Types of House Edges
While some exceptions exist, classic table games typically have lower house edges (1-3%) than progressive jackpot slots, which typically the games with the highest house edges (5-15%). Video slots sit somewhere in the middle (4-5%).
For example, Pine of Plinko is a jackpot fantasy slot with a house edge of 5.53%, while a live casino game like Blackjack Live from Pragmatic Play has a house edge of just 0.70%. This is all down to the probability of coming away with a win in each of those games.
However, it’s important to note that this doesn’t mean that you’re going to win exactly 94.47% or 99.30% of the times you play, and there will always be standard deviation or volatility, meaning potential fluctuations in the frequency of wins. Remember, in the case of slots, for example, the outcomes are determined by random number generators.
These algorithms ensure each outcome is entirely random, and then factors like the house edge and return to player are calculated over many spins to simulate the game being played for a long period of time. That is to say, the house edge should be seen as a guide to the game’s winning probability but not a hard and fast rule for each session.
House Edge in Sports Betting
The house edge in sports betting is slightly different to casino games. Instead of there being a specific house edge that is inherent in the game’s makeup, sportsbooks will use the odds they set to incorporate one. After all, the profit margin is still there.
In sports betting, this is known as “the vig”, and it is essentially the difference between the odds you find at the sportsbook and the actual probability of a specific outcome. For example, if you’re betting on a soccer game, a favourite team winning can actually have even shorter odds than their actual probability of winning.
For more information on how to understand the vigorish, how to calculate it, and what it means for you, check out our vig walkthrough in our collection of sports betting guides.
What Casino Game Has the Lowest House Edge?
The house edge of casino games can vary greatly, depending on the individual casino. At Stake.com, generally single-deck blackjack is a casino card game with the lowest casino advantage, usually 0.5 - 1.5%.
Other table games are popular because of their low house edges, with the likes of dice (1.4% - 5%), baccarat (1.5%), three-card poker (1.5%), and European roulette (2.5%) all proving popular.
It's also worth pointing out that some video poker games have extremely low house edges built in, typically ranging from 0.4% to 2.5%, depending on the title.
The house edge on slot machines varies significantly and depends on many factors. A small selection of slots has a house edge between 1-2%, while others can have a house edge as high as 15%. Many of our most recommended slots have an industry-standard edge of 4-5%, which is a decent figure to shoot for when looking for the best online games.
What Casino Game Has the Highest House Edge?
At the casino, the games with the highest house edges tend to be the ones that have the potential for the biggest wins. This is because these games tend to be a little more difficult, as is the case with progressive jackpot slots that offer big wins but require you to create more intricate paylines or trigger more bonus rounds.
Also, in some games, the house edge may vary greatly depending on your approach to playing. For example, in a game like Craps live, the house edge can swing from as low as nearly 0.00% to as high as almost 17.00% based on your chosen bet, but the overall edge is just 0.83%.
The same is true for playing roulette. If you’re playing it safe and going for odds or evens or reds or red or blacks, the house edge is going to be relatively low. However, if you’re selecting a single number, that spin of the roulette wheel takes a very different feel. This is just another example of how house edge is a guide and not a certainty.
How Do You Calculate House Edge?
The good news for online casino players is that the house edge is already calculated for you and incorporated into the game itself. Therefore, you don’t need to worry about working through complex mathematical equations to understand how much you can potentially win in a game.
When you access the Stake online game library, you can check the house edge (sometimes given as the return to player percentage – more on this shortly) in the game description. You can then use this to guide you as you decide which games to play and how much to bet.
How to Use House Edges to Your Advantage
Understanding the casino edge helps you to manage your expectations and bankroll when playing at Stake and developing the perfect strategy. The best way to look at it is that the house edge is the price of your entertainment, as opposed to odds that are against you. While the casino carries a slight statistical advantage, most games are powered by random number generators, meaning that any player can win anytime.
The best way to use the house edge to your advantage is to acknowledge that it exists and to bear it in mind when placing your bets. Look at baccarat, for instance.
When you bet on the banker’s hand, the house edge is 1.17%, while the player’s hand has a house edge of 1.36%. If you bet on the tie, the house edge is 14%. Therefore, statistically, the best bet you can place at the baccarat table (as far as the house edge is concerned) is a bet on the banker’s hand.
Of course, you need to look at more than just house edge when deciding which bet to place, but incorporating house advantage into your strategy helps you to make smarter bets and can increase your chances of winning.
For example, if you’re looking to create a long-term strategy, a strategy like the Paroli system could be a good choice for you when combined with low house edge games. This strategy, in particular, is better suited for European roulette than American because of the former’s low house edge, and 1:1 bets like pass line or come bets in craps.
We have a whole list of how-to guides on how to use betting strategies, including the D’Alembert system, the Labouchere strategy, the Martingale system, and even the Kelly Criterion for sports betting.
House Edge vs Return to Player (RTP)
When playing online casino games at Stake.com, you have probably seen house edge percentages and return-to-player (RTP) percentages in the game descriptions on our site. Fundamentally, they represent the same thing – how much is paid out and how much is retained by the casino.
For instance, if a game has a house edge of 2.5%, it can be said that it has a theoretical return to player percentage of 97.5%.
Remember that when referring to a classic table game, the figure is usually given as house edge and will be a low number (1-5%, for example). When referring to a video slot game, the figure is usually given as RTP and will be a higher number (95%, for example).
How to Play Casino Games Online at Stake
From Caribbean Stud Poker and American Roulette to online slot machines and game shows, understanding house edge, game volatility, and RTP is important so you can discern how much you can potentially win on each game that you play. Acknowledging this built-in advantage will help you understand casino odds and play the best games.
You can select from our list of casino game providers, with all the best developers housed under one roof. We have slots and table games from all the biggest names, and even some that you can’t play anywhere else in our Stake Originals and Stake Exclusives catalogues. If you need any help, you can check out our guides on how to play craps and other games, as well as our breakdown of the online casino gaming basics.
How to Deposit & Withdraw Funds
We’ve made adding and withdrawing funds to your Stake account easy, but if you’re ever in need of help, you can read our deposit and withdrawal guides for a breakdown of everything you need to do. They include local currency payment guides, with a list of all the currency options , including Canadian Dollars,Turkish Lira, Vietnamese Dong, Argentine Pesos, Chilean Pesos, andIndian Rupees.
For crypto users, you can find a full list of our accepted coins, including BTC, ETH, USDT, EOS, Doge, LTC, SOL, and TRX, as well as many more. And if you need assistance choosing the right coin or buying crypto from a crypto exchange, we have info on platforms like Moonpay and Swapped.com , and even our integrated Mesh method.
If you need assistance with something specific, whether that’s crypto security or how to use the Stake Vault, you can reach out to our customer support staff, who are always happy to help.
Casino Game Strategies & Tips for Balancing RTP and House Edge
So, how do you make a winning start to your online casino experience at Stake.com? Here are some tips that will help you:
Always consider a game’s house edge/RTP before playing so you can understand your odds.
Don’t be afraid to mix things up and try new games – browse through our selection for excellent casino games with low house edges.
Online casino gaming should be fun and a great form of entertainment, so make sure you set your limits and walk away when the fun stops.
Refer to our detailed how-to guides for the information that you need to play different games at Stake.com.
Learn how games made by Stake.com are “Provably Fair” to ease your mind and learn about how online casino games payout.
Use casino promotions like the rakebacks, reloads, and other casino bonuses we offer to both VIP Club members and everyday players.
Keep your play safe and gamble responsibly, and use our Stake Smart guidelines, monthly budget calculator, and betting limit guide for help when you need it.
