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House edge
comparison.

Every major casino game side by side, ordered by the house's mathematical advantage. Use it to see which games give you the most for your money and which drain it fastest.

Reference

The mathematical truth

Lower bars mean better games for the player. Hover or tap any game name for the full guide.

Blackjack (basic strategy)
0.50%
Video Poker (full-pay)
0.50%
Baccarat (Banker bet)
1.06%
Craps (Pass Line)
1.41%
Aviator / Crash games
3.00%
European Roulette
2.70%
Sic Bo (Big/Small)
2.78%
American Roulette
5.26%
Slots (typical online)
5.00%
Slots (low RTP)
12.00%
Keno
30.00%

Personal cost calculator

Calculator

Your expected loss

Enter how much you bet and see how the cost differs between games.

Expected Loss By Game

For R1,000 wagered across these games

GameHouse EdgeExpected LossYour Take-home
The maths: expected loss = amount wagered × house edge. Real session results vary around this expected value, but over many bets the average converges to these numbers.

The complete reference table

GameHouse EdgeNotesVerdict
Blackjack (basic strategy)0.50%Skill-based; full charts hereThe lowest edge in the casino, by far
Video Poker (full-pay)0.50%Optimal strategy requiredExcellent for skilled players
Baccarat (Banker bet)1.06%No skill requiredLow effort, decent odds
Craps (Pass Line)1.41%With odds bets, lowerAbove-average game
Aviator / Crash games3.00%Provably fair, fixed RTPBetter than slots, worse than tables
European Roulette2.70%Single zeroAcceptable if enjoyable
Sic Bo (Big/Small)2.78%Wins on totals 4 to 10 or 11 to 17, loses on any tripleOther Sic Bo bets are far worse, up to about 30%
American Roulette5.26%Avoid: double zeroTwice the edge of European
Slots (typical online)5.00%Varies; check RTPEntertainment, not value
Slots (low RTP)12.00%Some bonus gamesMathematically poor
Keno30.00%Varies wildlyWorst odds in casino

Reading this chart properly

The house edge column shows the share of every rand bet that the casino expects to keep on average over millions of bets. Lower is better. What most players miss is that the edge applies to the total amount you bet, not to the money you start with. Bet R10,000 in total over a long session at a 0.5% edge and your expected loss is about R50. Bet the same R10,000 on slots at an 8% edge and it is R800. The total you bet is what drives the cost.

The three tiers of casino games

Tier 1: under 2% house edge

Blackjack with basic strategy, full-pay video poker, baccarat (Banker bet), craps with odds bets. These are the only games in any casino where a disciplined player can have a session-long entertainment experience without being mathematically punished. Always available at SA casinos; always worth knowing.

Tier 2: 2-5% house edge

European roulette, Sic Bo Big/Small, Aviator and crash games, baccarat (Player bet). Acceptable for casual entertainment if you enjoy them. The maths is workable in moderation but the bleed is real over time.

Tier 3: 5%+ house edge

American roulette, most slots, most Sic Bo bets other than Big/Small, and Keno. These games cost you more quickly. Play them as occasional entertainment with strict limits, not as your main game. It is no coincidence that they are often the most heavily marketed and eye-catching games in a casino.

The one rule

If you're going to play casino games, play Tier 1 by default. Branch into Tier 2 occasionally. Treat Tier 3 as occasional entertainment with explicit session caps. The combination of low edge + skill development on Tier 1 games (especially blackjack and video poker) is the only way to keep casino play sustainable as a long-term hobby rather than a slow bleed.

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Common Questions

You asked.

The house edge is the casino's mathematical advantage in a game, as a percentage. A 1% edge means the casino keeps R1 of every R100 bet, on average, over millions of bets. For you, it is the cost of playing per rand bet, so a lower edge means a better game. Blackjack with basic strategy has the lowest, at about 0.5%; slots (5% to 15%) and keno (25% to 40%) have the highest.

Because your decisions matter. In roulette, slots, baccarat and most other games, you place a bet and the result follows. In blackjack you decide whether to hit, stand, double or split after the cards are dealt, and those choices change the outcome. Basic strategy is the mathematically best set of choices, and it cuts the casino's edge to about 0.5%. Without it, the edge is closer to 1.5% to 2%.

On the maths, yes, but only if you enjoy it too. The house edge is the long-run cost of playing, and there is no point choosing a game you don't like just because it is cheaper. A sensible approach: play the games you enjoy, and pick the lower-edge version where there is one (European roulette over American, full-pay video poker, blackjack tables with good rules).

Multiply your total amount wagered by the house edge to get expected loss. Wager R1,000 across an evening of blackjack at 0.5% edge: R5 expected loss. Same R1,000 across roulette at 2.7% edge: R27. Across slots at 8% edge: R80. The actual amount wagered (which compounds across many bets) matters more than any single bet size. A long session of small bets at high edge can cost more than a short session of large bets at low edge.