The house always wins – or so the saying goes. This edge refers to the mathematical advantage built into casino games that ensures the house (the casino) will make money over the long run. This advantage is known as the house edge and it varies across different casino games.
What Is House Edge?
The house edge refers to the built-in mathematical advantage the casino holds over players in games of chance. It represents how much the house expects to profit, on average, from each bet placed by players.
Every casino game on a platform like Viva Bet Casino has an inherent probability of various outcomes occurring. The payout odds do not perfectly correlate to these probabilities, allowing the casino to collect more money over time.
For example, the probability of the ball landing on a specific number in roulette is 1 in 38. However, the payout odds for hitting that number are only 35 to 1. This difference allows casinos to earn profits.
Over thousands and millions of bets, the casino’s edge plays out and the house consistently wins money. Understanding the house edge percentage for various games informs players’ choices.
House Edge in Popular Casino Games
The house edge varies notably across casino games. Here is an overview of typical house advantage percentages:
| Game | Typical House Edge % |
| Blackjack | 0.5% to 2% |
| Roulette | 2.7% (European) to 5.26% (American) |
| Slots | 2% to 15% |
| Craps | 1.4% (pass/come bet) to 16% (prop bets) |
| Baccarat | 1.06% (player) to 14.4% (tie bet) |
As shown, blackjack offers the lowest house edge when using perfect basic strategy, while slot machines have a wide range but a notoriously high average house advantage.
Next, we’ll explore the specific math behind how the casino maintains its edge in major casino games.
Blackjack House Edge
Blackjack is famous for having the lowest house edge of all major casino games when players use optimal basic strategy. The typical range is 0.5% to 2%.
This advantage comes from when players bust and lose their bets, which happens often, as the dealer must hit on soft 17 in most casinos. Perfect basic strategy minimizes the house edge but cannot eliminate it due to the statistical frequency of dealer wins versus player wins in the long run simulation.
However, depending on the card counters’ exploit imbalances in the remaining shoe to shift the odds in their favor temporarily. While frowned upon by casinos, card counting technically does not break any laws as long as external devices are not used. Counting cards allows beating the house edge in blackjack.
Slot House Edge
Slot machines have a notoriously high house edge, averaging around 6-15% typically but reaching as high as 25% on inferior machines.
The programming behind slot reel outcomes and payout tables ensures considerably more money is lost than paid out to players over time. Since slots have fixed programmed odds, the house edge does not vary, short of changing slot machines entirely.
Unlike blackjack where skill impacts results, no strategy affects slot machine house edge. That said, wise slot bankroll management and avoiding risky side bets keep more money in players’ pockets statistically.
Roulette House Edge
Roulette wheels contain either 37 or 38 number pockets, depending on whether playing American or European roulette.
The extra 00 pocket in American roulette raises the house edge to an unfavorable 5.26%, while European roulette offers better odds at just 2.7%. French roulette with the rule ’En Prison’ improves this further to just 1.35% house edge.
These mathematical house edges come from roulette payouts not being perfectly fair according to the odds. Over millions of spins, the imbalanced payouts let casinos profit.
No strategies can overcome roulette’s house edge in the long run. That said, wise bet selection and bankroll management allow players’ money to last longer before the inevitable effects of the house edge drain the balance.
Conclusion
- Understanding house edge empowers players to make informed casino game choices.
- Blackjack basic strategy provides the best odds by minimizing the typical 1-2% house edge.
- Slots provide entertainment but carry a notoriously high house advantage around 6–15% normally.
- Roulette odds vary markedly depending on wheel type, with European or French providing better payouts.
In summary, casino games carry mathematical house edges guaranteeing casinos turn profits over time. Yet knowing the built-in casino advantage across games allows players to make smart gambling decisions and get the most entertainment per dollar spent.
Over long sessions, the house edge inevitably whittles away player balances. But armed with the knowledge of how much the casino expects to profit per bet, players can have more realistic expectations and set intelligent budgets for gambling activities across popular games like blackjack, roulette and slot machines.