Casino House Edge Explained - Lowest & Highest Casino Game House Edges
Stake - April 20, 2023
If you love playing popular casino games online at Stake.com and wondered which games offer the highest payouts, you've come to the right place! In this guide, you'll discover what house edge is, why it’s important, and how to use it to your advantage when picking the best games to play at the Stake Casino.
What is House Edge?
House edge - sometimes called house advantage or casino advantage - is built into every online game and is a casino’s way of earning money to cover its operating costs. It’s helpful to look at each game’s house edge before playing, as it gives you a decent idea of your odds of winning and how much the title pays out on average.
Different Types of Casino Game House Edges
While some exceptions exist, classic table games typically have lower house edges (1-3%) than progressive jackpot slots, typically the games with the highest house edges (5-15%). Video slots sit somewhere in the middle (4-5%).
What Casino Game Has the Lowest House Edge?
The house edge of casino games and vary greatly, depending on the individual casino. At Stake.com, generally single-deck blackjack is a casino card game with the lowest casino advantage, usually 0.5 - 1.5%. Other table games are popular because of their low house edges, with the likes of dice (1.4% - 5%), baccarat (1.5%), three-card poker (1.5%), and European roulette (2.5%) all proving popular.
It's also worth pointing out that some video poker games have extremely low house edges built in, typically ranging from 0.4% to 2.5%, depending on the title.
The house edge on slot machines varies significantly and depends on many factors. A small selection of slots has a house edge between 1-2%, while others can have a house edge as high as 15%. Many of our most recommended slots have an industry-standard edge of 4-5%, which is a decent figure to shoot for when looking for the best online games.
How Do You Calculate House Edge?
The good news for online casino players is that house edge is already calculated for you and incorporated into the game itself. Therefore, you don’t need to worry about working through complex mathematical equations to understand how much you can potentially win on a game.
When you access the Stake online game library, you can check the house edge (sometimes given as the return to player percentage – more on this shortly) in the game description. You can then use this to guide you as you decide which games to play and how much to bet.
How to Use House Edges to Your Advantage
Understanding casino edge helps to manage your expectations and bankroll when playing at Stake and developing the perfect strategy. The best way to look at it is that house edge is the price of your entertainment, as opposed to odds that are against you. While the casino carries a slight statistical advantage, most games are powered by random number generators, meaning that any player can win anytime.
The best way to use house edge to your advantage is to acknowledge that it exists and to bear it in mind when placing your bets. Look at baccarat, for instance.
When you bet on the banker’s hand, the house edge is 1.17%, while the player’s hand has a house edge of 1.36%. If you bet on the tie, the house edge is 14%. Therefore, statistically, the best bet you can place at the baccarat table (as far as the house edge is concerned) is a bet on the banker’s hand.
Of course, you need to look at more than just house edge when deciding which bet to place, but incorporating house advantage into your strategy helps you to make smarter bets and can increase your chances of winning.
House Edge vs Return to Player (RTP)
When playing online casino games at Stake.com, you have probably seen house edge percentages and return-to-player (RTP) percentages in the game descriptions on our site. Fundamentally, they represent the same thing – how much is paid out and how much is retained by the casino.
For instance, if a game has a house edge of 2.5%, it can be said that it has a theoretical return to player percentage of 97.5%.
Remember that when referring to a classic table game, the figure is usually given as house edge and will be a low number (1-5%, for example). When referring to a video slot game, the figure is usually given as RTP and will be a higher number (95%, for example).
How to Play Casino Games Online at Stake
From Caribbean Stud Poker and American Roulette to online slot machines and game shows, understanding house edge, game volatility and RTP is important so you can discern how much you can potentially win on each game that you play. Acknowledging this built-in advantage will help you understand casino odds and play the best games.
If you’re ready to get started at Stake Casino, you can do so by following these simple steps:
Step 1: Create an account for free and deposit funds via your chosen payment method. Find out which local currencies and cryptocurrencies Stake.com supports.
Step 2: Browse our extensive game library and read our game descriptions to learn of a game’s house edge or RTP. You can enjoy games like video bingo, cards, live casino games, slot games, and many other titles. Check out our online casino guide if you’re new to online gaming, as it will help you get started.
Step 3: Play your chosen online casino games and cash out any winnings that you have accumulated. Alternatively, keep your crypto in your Stake.com account to fund future gaming.
How to Deposit & Withdraw Funds at Stake Casino
Depositing your currency or crypto to play at Stake.com couldn’t be easier:
Step 1: Retrieve your deposit address, located in Wallet > Deposit.
Learn how to use the Stake Vault to securely store your funds online for all future gameplay at Stake. You can also read our crypto security guide to learn more about keeping your funds safe and secure at Stake.com.
Casino Game Basic Strategies, Tips & Tricks
So, how do you make a winning start to your online casino experience at Stake.com? Here are some tips that will help you:
Always consider a game’s house edge/RTP before playing so you can understand your odds.
Don’t be afraid to mix things up and try new games – browse through our selection of Stake Originals for excellent casino games with low house edges.
Online casino gaming should be fun and a great form of entertainment, so make sure you set your limits and walk away when the fun stops.
Refer to our detailed how-to guides for the information that you need to play different games at Stake.com.
Learn how games made by Stake.com are “Provably Fair” to ease your mind and learn about how online casino games payout.
