What is Bitcoin Mines?
Bitcoin Mines is a crypto-casino take on classic Minesweeper: you pick tiles on a grid, hoping to reveal gems and avoid bombs. Each safe reveal increases your cash-out multiplier; hitting a mine ends the round. Studios present similar rules with different skins and controls. For example, Spribe’s official Mines page describes a grid of stars and landmines with adjustable settings and RTP shown in the spec block, while Stake’s Mines page highlights gameplay and “provably fair” status.
The quick math: RTP, house edge, and what to expect
Return to Player (RTP) is the game’s long-run payback; house edge = 100% − RTP. Regulators distinguish theoretical RTP (the designed/advertised figure) from actual RTP (what a live game achieves over time), and expect operators to monitor actual RTP against the advertised value. This means short sessions can swing, but higher RTP remains preferable over volume.
Representative RTPs you’ll often see for Mines-style games:
- Stake Originals Mines: 99% RTP (1% house edge) noted on the official game page and how-to blog.
- Spribe Mines: 97% RTP on Spribe’s official game page and product specs used by casinos.
- BGaming Minesweeper: 98.40% RTP on the BGaming game page and Players’ Hub.
Always check the live info panel at your casino, because deployments can vary by venue and configuration.
How payouts grow as you uncover tiles
Before the first click, the chance of selecting a safe tile equals the number of safe cells divided by total cells (for a common 5×5 grid with b bombs, the first-pick safety chance is (25−b)/25). As you reveal more gems without hitting a bomb, the safety probability changes combinatorially with the remaining safe cells. Community math discussions model these probabilities explicitly for Stake’s 25-tile format, and calculators can show the win chance and multiplier for a chosen bomb count and picks.
Multipliers are tuned so the overall expectation matches the game’s target RTP. The fewer the bombs, the smoother the results and the lower the peak multipliers; more bombs increase volatility and potential multipliers but make safe picks rarer. Stake’s how-to explains that raising the number of mines increases volatility while the game retains its stated RTP.
Provably fair Mines: how to verify your results
Reputable crypto casinos use commit-and-reveal with HMAC to generate outcomes you can audit after play:
- The casino commits to a hidden server seed (you see only its hash before play).
- Your client seed and a nonce combine with the server seed via HMAC to produce random bytes.
- After seed rotation/reveal, you can recompute past results and compare against your bet history.
Stake documents this process for all Stake Originals, including Mines, specifying HMAC-SHA256 with client seed, server seed, nonce, and a cursor. Primedice publishes a similar scheme using HMAC-SHA512; the mechanism is widely used across provably fair games.
Popular Bitcoin Mines versions (features and odds)
- Stake Originals Mines (house game): Official page advertises 99% RTP and “provably fair.” Stake’s blog further clarifies odds/volatility and safe-play tips.
- Spribe Mines: Official page lists 97% RTP and standard Mines rules with configurable settings used by many crypto casinos.
- BGaming Minesweeper / Minesweeper XY: BGaming’s pages list 98.40% RTP and describe the step-through playfield variant (choose a safe panel per row).
If you see the same title at different casinos with different RTPs, it’s because some studios permit multiple RTP profiles per deployment; always read the in-client rules for your venue.
Safe setup: bankroll, settings, and verification
- Prefer higher RTP builds. If you can pick between 99% (Stake Mines) and 97% (Spribe Mines), the 99% version has the better long-run payback, all else equal. Verify RTP in the live rules screen each session.
- Match bombs to your variance budget. Fewer bombs mean steadier sessions; more bombs mean swingier sessions with rarer, higher multipliers. Stake’s guide covers how mine count changes volatility.
- Use cash-out discipline. Multipliers rise quickly early on but the chance of stepping on a mine grows as safe tiles dwindle; a simple calculator can help plan when to quit.
- Verify fairness periodically. Note the server-seed hash before play, set your client seed, and after seed reveal, cross-check outcomes using the provably fair documentation.
- Respect local rules and tools. Regulators like the UK Gambling Commission require live RTP monitoring and time-tracking aids; look for session timers, deposit limits, and self-exclusion features in your region.
Side-by-side snapshot
| Game | Provider | Advertised RTP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mines | Stake Originals | 99% | House game, provably fair; mine count adjusts volatility, not the stated RTP. |
| Mines | Spribe | 97% | Widely deployed; standard 5×5 grid with adjustable bombs; provably fair at many crypto venues. |
| Minesweeper / XY | BGaming | 98.40% | “Proceed across the field” variant with stepwise choices; check casino-specific settings. |
RTPs are studio/official figures; your casino’s deployment may differ. Always confirm in the game’s info panel.
Frequently asked questions
Does choosing fewer bombs increase RTP?
Fewer bombs increases your per-click safety probability and reduces variance, but the title’s theoretical RTP is fixed by the provider/deployment. For example, Stake’s Mines stays at 99% RTP while mine count tunes volatility.
How do I calculate my chance of a safe click?
On a 5×5 grid with b bombs, the first pick’s safety chance is (25−b)/25; after each safe reveal, recompute using the remaining safe/total tiles. Community formulas model the general case, and simple calculators estimate odds and multipliers per step.
Are provably fair Mines games actually fair?
They let you verify that results weren’t altered. After the server seed is revealed, you can recompute outcomes from server seed, client seed, and nonce and check against your bet history. Stake publishes the exact HMAC inputs it uses.
Why doesn’t high-RTP guarantee I’ll win tonight?
RTP is theoretical and measured over volume. Regulators expect operators to monitor actual RTP in live play, but short-run outcomes still fluctuate due to randomness and volatility.
