When you visit a casino, both online and in-person, you’ll have the option to play slot games or table games. But which casino games offer the best odds and potential to win? This is an important factor to consider if you want to make the most of your gambling budget. When looking at casino game odds, an important statistic to know is the house edge. The house edge refers to the mathematical advantage built into casino games that ensures the house (casino) makes an overall profit. It represents the average percentage of each bet the casino keeps over time. The higher the house edge, the greater the casino’s built-in profit margin.
Slot game house edge
Slot games have a notoriously high house edge compared to many other casino games. The house edge on slots ranges anywhere from 2% up to 15%, depending on the slot title. This means for every $1 wagered on slots, the casino profits 2 to 15 cents on average. The wide range is because different slot games have various house edges based on their payout percentages and how they’re programmed. In general, the more simplistic 3-reel classic slots have a higher house edge around 5% to 15%. Bigger video slots tend to have lower house edges in the 2% to 7% range. As a tradeoff for the high house edge, slots offer some of the largest jackpots available at casinos. Even though the odds are against players, those huge potential prizes keep people coming back to spin the reels.
Table game house edge
Table games like blackjack, craps, and baccarat have a much lower house edge than slots. Here are the typical house edges for popular table games.
- Blackjack – 0.5% to 1%
- Baccarat – 1.06% to 1.24%
- Roulette (single zero) – 2.7%
- Three Card Poker – 3-7%
- Casino War – 2.88%
As you see, classic table games have house edges under 5% in most cases. The exception is casino poker variants like Three Card Poker that involve playing against the dealer’s hand, which increases the house edge.
Comparing overall odds
Based on house edge alone, table serubet games offer significantly better odds for players and lower potential losses over many bets. The tradeoff is that table games don’t provide those big potential mega jackpot wins slots are known for. Slot results are entirely random, while some table games involve skills that can improve your odds, mainly blackjack. With slots, each spin is an independent outcome. But in table games like craps or baccarat, past results can influence future probabilities. Slot payback percentages don’t change. But some table games offer side bets or other options that alter the odds. While slots are still considered the games with the highest house edges, table game odds shift depending on how skillfully you play certain games.