What house edge and RTP actually mean
House edge is the casino’s built-in advantage on a game, expressed as a percentage of each initial bet expected to be lost over the long run. Return to player (RTP) is the complement: if a slot advertises 96% RTP, the house edge is 4%. These are long-term theoretical figures, not short-term guarantees.
Does using crypto change the math?
Using bitcoin or stablecoins does not, by itself, change a game’s probabilities. A single-zero roulette wheel has the same 2.70% house edge whether you play in a physical casino, a fiat online casino, or a crypto casino; the difference comes from the rules and the math of the game, not the payment rail.
Crypto casinos do add two meaningful twists:
- some offer crypto-native games with very low edges (notably “dice”), and
- many advertise provably fair systems, which let you verify each round’s randomness but do not automatically reduce the house edge.
Game-by-game odds you can actually use
Roulette
• European/single-zero: house edge 2.70%. Prefer this over American wheels.
• American/double-zero: house edge 5.26%.
• Triple-zero: house edge 7.69% on every standard bet; avoid if you can.
Blackjack
• With typical “3:2” payout and decent rules, the house edge can be under 0.6% with basic strategy; exact value depends on rules.
• If blackjack pays 6:5 instead of 3:2, the house edge jumps by about 1.39 percentage points. Always seek 3:2 tables.
Baccarat
• Banker bet: ~1.06% edge. Player: ~1.24%. Tie: very high edge; generally best avoided.
Craps
• Pass Line: ~1.41%; Don’t Pass: ~1.36%.
• Taking or laying Odds has 0% house edge, which is why craps can be one of the better-value table games if you back your line bet with odds.
Video poker
• 9/6 Jacks or Better returns 99.54% with perfect play (house edge 0.46%). Paytables matter dramatically.
Slots and hold percentages
• Land-based slots: statewide Nevada slot “hold” (the inverse of RTP) has hovered around the mid-single digits; UNLV’s 2004–2025 historical dataset shows a statewide hold of roughly 6.5% and notes an upward drift over time.
• Online slots: RTP is set by the game math and can vary by the version your operator selects; reputable jurisdictions require testing/monitoring but do not always mandate a minimum RTP. Always check the in-game info.
Crypto-native games: where edges can be lower
Dice (the classic crypto game)
Many crypto casinos run a simple high/low “dice” where you pick a target and the payout adjusts with a small fixed edge. The typical edge is about 1% on mainstream sites and on-chain dice apps. That is lower than most table games.
Crash and other “smart” mini-games
Provider pages show popular crash titles like Aviator with a 97% RTP (house edge 3%). That’s comparable to decent online slots and better than double-zero roulette, but still not as favorable as perfect-play blackjack or full-pay video poker.
Provably fair ≠ lower edge
Provably fair systems let players verify randomness with server/client seeds and nonces, or use on-chain randomness like Chainlink VRF. This increases transparency, not necessarily RTP.
Why odds can differ between sites offering the “same” slot
Many providers ship multiple RTP configurations of the same title; operators pick which variant to run. That means a slot could be 96% RTP at one casino but 94% at another. Look for the RTP label in the game’s help screen and prefer the higher figure when available.
Regulated markets require independent testing and live performance monitoring of RTP to make sure games behave as specified, but this doesn’t force a single universal RTP.
Traditional vs crypto casinos: the practical takeaway
Rules drive the edge. A crypto blackjack table with 6:5 payouts is worse than a brick-and-mortar 3:2 game; conversely, a 1%-edge crypto dice game is better than a 5.26% American roulette wheel downtown. Slots vary widely: physical casinos’ aggregate holds in Nevada run around 6–7%, while online RTPs depend on the specific game version chosen by the operator. Always read the rules or RTP panel before you play.
Quick checklist to find better odds
- Prefer single-zero roulette to double-zero or triple-zero.
- In blackjack, insist on 3:2 payouts and favorable rules; avoid 6:5.
- In craps, back your line bet with Odds to reduce your overall effective edge.
- For slots and crash games, check the actual RTP in the help screen; choose the higher RTP version when possible.
- If you like crypto-native games, seek dice with a posted 1% edge and provably fair verification.
A note on fairness and regulation
Independent test labs such as eCOGRA validate RNGs and RTP claims for licensed operators, and UK regulators require ongoing monitoring to ensure games perform as designed. Provably fair systems and on-chain randomness add another way for players to verify outcomes, but you should still prefer licensed, audited casinos.
FAQ
Is the house edge lower at crypto casinos?
Not by default. It depends on the specific game and rules you pick. Crypto sites often feature low-edge dice at ~1% and crash games around 3%, but roulette, blackjack, baccarat, and video poker follow the same math as anywhere else.
What’s the fastest way to spot a bad deal?
On roulette, avoid triple-zero and prefer single-zero. On blackjack, avoid 6:5 payouts. On slots/crash, read the RTP and pick the higher one if there’s a choice.
Do provably fair systems guarantee better odds?
No. They let you verify that outcomes weren’t manipulated, but the edge remains whatever the game is designed to have.
How do land-based slot returns compare?
Nevada’s historical statewide slot hold sits around the mid-single digits, roughly 6–7% in recent years, meaning an aggregate RTP around 93–94%. Individual machines vary.
