What “house edge” and “RTP” mean in crash games
House edge is the casino’s long-run advantage expressed as a percentage of your initial stake; RTP (Return to Player) is the fraction returned to players over the long run. They are complements: RTP ≈ 100% − house edge. If a crash title lists 97% RTP, its house edge is roughly 3%. Authoritative casino math resources and industry explainers define these terms in exactly this way.
How crash games generate multipliers (the provably-fair core)
Modern crash titles use a “provably-fair” generator: a hash chain or HMAC seeded in advance, which each round transforms into a random number R in (0, 1). The game then maps R to a crash multiplier using published code. Many implementations multiply in a constant such as 0.99 to encode a 1% house edge. Providers and casinos show this publicly in their fairness pages or code snippets.
A representative formula you’ll see is structurally similar to: crash_point = max(1, (100 × 0.99) / (1 − R)), where 0.99 encodes a 1% house edge and R comes from the round’s hash. Exact constants and rounding can vary by game, but the idea is consistent.
From multipliers to probabilities: the quick rule you can use
Ignoring minor rounding, the formula above implies a simple survival probability: the chance that a round reaches a target multiplier m is approximately (RTP) ÷ m. For a 99% RTP crash, reaching 2.00× is about 0.99 / 2 = 49.5%; for a 1.50× target it’s ~66%. Multiple independent sources show or derive this relationship for crash games.
Because payout at m is m× your stake when you succeed and 0 otherwise, the expected return of any fixed-m strategy is roughly RTP (for example, ~0.99 on a 99% game or ~0.97 on a 97% game). That is why changing your cash-out point does not beat the house edge in the long run.
Real-world RTPs you’ll see (why different games feel different)
Published RTPs differ by provider and title:
• Aviator by Spribe lists RTP at 97% on the official game page.
• BGaming’s Space XY is widely documented at ~97% (some listings show a range, with 97% as the theoretical RTP).
• Some “originals” crash variants advertise 99% RTP (about a 1% house edge). Independent roundups and reviews note 99% figures for BC Originals and Stake Originals crash games. Always confirm the in-game help/infoscreen.
Worked examples you can copy
Example A: Compute win chance at your target
Suppose your game’s RTP is 97% and you plan to auto cash-out at 2.00×. Win probability ≈ 0.97 / 2.00 = 48.5%. Expected return ≈ 0.97 of stake, so the house edge is still ~3%. This holds at other targets: at 1.20× the win probability ≈ 80.8%; at 5× it’s ~19.4%.
Example B: Compare two games with different RTP
At 2.00× in a 99% RTP crash, win probability ≈ 49.5%; in a 97% RTP crash, ≈ 48.5%. That one-point difference compounds over thousands of bets and is the main reason high-RTP crash titles feel “friendlier.”
Why “provably fair” matters when you calculate edge
If the fairness page shows a multiplicative constant (e.g., 0.99) inside the crash formula, you can infer the theoretical RTP and house edge right there. Operators like Stake publish code snippets that include the house edge factor in the crash point computation; other sites show the mapping from hash → random number → multiplier so you can verify rounds independently.
Hash-chain seeding events (popularized by Bustabit) also make it possible to audit past rounds and ensure no retroactive tampering: the casino commits to a chain of server seeds and plays through them in reverse order. This is how many crash games guarantee that the random R used in your round was fixed before any bets were placed.
Common implementation details that nudge the real RTP
The theoretical RTP derived from the formula can differ slightly from realized returns due to factors like rounding to two decimal places on cash-outs, min/max caps, or latency rules. Always read the game’s info sheet for exact rounding and limits and treat the listed RTP as the benchmark. Provider pages and reviews typically show these RTPs explicitly.
Strategy implications: what changes and what doesn’t
Changing your target multiplier trades win frequency for payout size, but cannot change long-run expectation if the game is stationary. Systems like Martingale or aggressive “laddering” do not alter the house edge because the edge is baked into the probability–payout mapping on every independent round. Reputable math references emphasize that bet sizing alone cannot overcome a fixed house edge.
Quick audit checklist before you play
Confirm the listed RTP/house edge in the game’s help page. Look for a provably-fair section that shows a hash/HMAC process and a formula that multiplies by a constant such as 0.99 or 0.97. Verify that the mapping from hash to crash multiplier matches what the operator claims, and prefer games whose providers publish explicit RTP numbers (for example, Spribe’s 97% for Aviator or BGaming’s ~97% for Space XY).
FAQ
How do I estimate my chance to reach a given multiplier?
Divide the game’s RTP by your target multiplier. For a 97% game and a 3.00× target, the approximate success probability is 0.97 / 3 ≈ 32.3%. This rule follows from the standard crash mapping used by many provably-fair implementations.
Is the house edge the same no matter where I cash out?
Yes for fixed-RTP crash games: your expected return is approximately the RTP regardless of cash-out point. That’s because win probability scales inversely with your target multiplier, offsetting the payout.
What RTPs do mainstream crash titles use?
Aviator (Spribe) lists 97% RTP; BGaming’s Space XY is commonly documented at around 97%, while some originals (e.g., BC/Stake) advertise ~99%. Always verify inside the game you’re playing.
How can I verify a round after the fact?
Use the provider’s provably-fair page: plug in the server/client seeds and nonce (or round hash), reproduce the random number R, and apply the published formula to reconstruct the crash point. If your result matches the on-screen outcome, the round is verified.
Sources and further reading
• Wizard of Odds — formal definition of house edge.
• Stake “Provably Fair — Game Events” (code snippet showing houseEdge factor in crash calculation).
• Rocketon fairness page — example crash formula with 0.99 factor.
• Spribe Aviator official page — RTP 97%.
• BGaming Space XY RTP (curated listings).
• High-RTP crash roundups (BC/Stake originals at ~99%).
• Probability shortcut for crash: P(reach m) ≈ RTP ÷ m (illustrations and calculators).
• Bustabit seeding events — hash-chain commitment to ensure fairness.
