House Edge Comparison
The house edge on every common casino bet, side by side — and what it costs you per hour.
What it costs you
Blackjack — basic strategy, 6-deck S17
80/hr
£12.00over 3h · £4.00/hour
- Turnover
- £2400
- Edge
- 0.5%
- Loss per £100 bet
- £0.50
Same £10 × 80/hr × 3h elsewhere
These are long-run averages, not what happens tonight. Variance can leave you well up or well down after a few hours — the edge only shows up reliably over tens of thousands of bets.
The house edge is the share of every bet the casino keeps on average over the long run. A 1% edge means that for every £100 you wager — not deposit, wager — you lose £1 on average. Because you rebet your winnings, total turnover in a session is many times your buy-in, so a small edge still adds up.
The gap between games is enormous. Blackjack with basic strategy runs about 0.5%; European roulette is 2.7%; American roulette is 5.26%; a tight slot can be 10% or more; and the worst proposition bets in craps or on the big six wheel exceed 15%. Same casino, same hour, wildly different cost.
What actually drains a bankroll is edge multiplied by turnover, and turnover is decisions per hour times average bet. A £10 blackjack player seeing 80 hands an hour and a £2 slots player spinning 600 times an hour are wagering similar amounts — but the slots player is paying ten times the rate. The calculator below turns your own numbers into an expected hourly figure.
FAQ
- Which casino game has the lowest house edge?
- Blackjack with correct basic strategy (around 0.5%) and certain video poker pay tables (9/6 Jacks or Better is about 0.46%) are the lowest. Baccarat banker (1.06%) and craps pass line with odds are also strong.
- Is a lower house edge always the better game?
- For expected cost, yes — but speed and volatility matter too. A low-edge game played fast for high stakes can cost more per hour than a higher-edge game played slowly. Variance also decides whether you actually walk out ahead on any given night.
- Does the house edge mean I lose that percentage of my buy-in?
- No — it applies to total amount wagered. Over a session you rebet many times, so a £200 buy-in might generate £2,000 of turnover. A 2% edge on that turnover is an expected £40 loss, not £4.
Read up
Related tools
- Roulette PayoutsEvery bet type, its payout and the house edge.
- Baccarat Odds & CommissionThe real probabilities behind banker, player and tie — and how the commission decides which bet is best.
- Blackjack Basic Strategy TrainerDrill perfect basic strategy — hit, stand, double or split — hand after hand against the clock.
- Slot Volatility SimulatorPlay out a slot session at any RTP and volatility — and see how often a bankroll actually doubles or busts.