Not all casino games are created equal. Some have a much higher built-in house edge than others. And though in most cases a good player strategy is enough to lower the house edge, it’s always nice to know which casino games are statistically more likely to fatten your pockets. That’s why we’re counting down the 5 casino games with the lowest house edge you can play online or in a real casino.
# 5: Backgammon
House Edge: 4.82% – 6.39%
One of the world’s oldest board games, backgammon’s history dates back over 5,000 years. Though hugely fashionable in the 1970s, it’s seen something of a dip in popularity these past few decades. However, with online gamblers starting to rediscover the appeal of this classic test of logic and luck, a backgammon revival could soon be on the cards.
Backgammon is certainly not a bad shout if you’re hoping to win. The average house edge is around 4.82% – 6.39%, and you can get this down ever lower by implementing a good backgammon strategy.
# 4: Slots
House edge: 2% – 8%
Though traditionalists tend to stick to table games, most online casino gamers favour slots. This is no doubt thanks to the huge selection of video slot games now available. Take a quick browse online and you’ll find slots themed around everything, from movie franchises (like Rambo) to ancient Egyptian queens (like Cleopatra).
The house edge of slots is just as varied as their themes. Some slots boast a tempting 2% house edge (the equivalent of a 98% RTP), whilst others offer a less favourable 8% house edge (the equivalent of a 92% RTP). It pays, therefore, to check the house edge of any specific slot before you play it. You can usually find this information in the game’s paytable.
# 3: European Roulette
House edge: 2.7%
Nothing gets the adrenaline pumping like a spinning roulette wheel. For this reason, roulette has been drawing in huge crowds at real and virtual casinos for years. Unlike blackjack or backgammon, roulette is more a test of luck than skill. But you can better your chances by opting for the European rather than the American version of the game.
European roulette (with it 2.7% house edge) offers far more favourable odds than its American cousin (which comes with a 5.26% house edge). This is because the American wheel is designed with both a zero and a double zero pocket, whilst the European wheel boasts just a single zero pocket.
# 2: Craps
House edge: 1.41%
Step inside a casino and you’re likely to hear a commotion around the craps table. It’s one of the fastest-moving casino games you can play, with most tables seeing around 60 hands dealt every hour.
It offers you the widest selection of bets you can choose to place too. Like in all casino games, the house edge in craps varies slightly with these different type of bets you can place (averaging around 1.41%). But unlike in most other casino games, there’s actually a kind of bet in craps that has no house edge: odds bets. That’s right – when you place an odds bet, the casino has absolutely no advantage over you.
# 1: Blackjack
House edge: 0.5%
No doubt the most recognised casino game in the world, blackjack is the ultimate test of luck and skill. References to the game have been discovered as far back as 1602, and it remains a firm favourite with modern players at both real and online casinos.
It’s not chance that makes blackjack one of the most popular casino offerings. Blackjack boasts the lowest house edge of pretty much any table game. Use a basic strategy (you’ll find hundreds you can learn online for free) and you can get the house edge down to as low as 0.5%. That’s sure to see you walk away from the table smiling.
