- Craps provides players with the lowest house edge on any of the best casino games.
- Blackjack is one of the top casino games for players looking for high RTPs, with an average house edge at most casinos of 0.5%.
- Roulette may not rank as high on this list, but its high-paying bets provide one of the best odds forcasino game winners.
If you’ve ever walked through a bustling casino, you know there are no shortages of games to play.
The struggle isn’t finding something to do; it’s choosing amongst some of the best casino games to risk your hard-earned money on.
But what if I told you there are games which give you a better chance to win?
It’d make your decision a little bit easier, right?
This is why it’s important to understand casino game odds before throwing your money down on just any game. Knowledgeable gamblers play games with better odds of winning because they give you a fighting chance.
I’ll be ranking the odds of popular casino games from best to worst so you can focus your efforts on games which actually give you a shot.
8. Keno
- House Edge: 30% – 35%
- ODDS: 1 in 3.8 million
We’re going to start off our list of casino games by odds with everyone’s favorite lottery game: keno. You might be thinking “three point five million odds? That can’t be right.” And you’d be absolutely correct.
Keno is infamous for having some of the worse odds out of all the casino games you can play.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with it, keno works like this:
You pick numbers ranging from 1–80 and bet on how many happen to match numbers drawn at random. Simple enough, right?
Well, not really.
Picking the ten numbers for one round can take anywhere between 5–10 minutes. So, naturally, people choose to use lucky numbers or dates which makes choosing the numbers irrelevant anyway.
But let’s say you spend the time to pick these numbers strategically. You could potentially hit on some wins. However, you need to hit AT LEAST 7 of your 10 numbers just to break even.
Seven out of ten may seem easy but consider that you’re drawing from a pool of 80 numbers. The odds of picking up a virus from a public restroom are more favorable than your chances of nailing 7/10 here.
Not only that, but you’re also playing rounds that range anywhere from 1–10 games at a time. If you’re playing 1 game for $1 at 10 cent spots, you’re looking at a $1 wager.
However, most people play for multiple games at a time –– say 10 for $10. To win back your money, you would have to hit 4 of your numbers. Your odds of doing so? 1 in 3.66.
And don’t even get me started on progressive keno. These spots boost a jackpot by taking a small percentage from every losing ticket. When you win this prize, you’re inevitably playing against other losers, which means the odds of anyone winning are incredibly low.
So, why does anyone play this game?
Because when you do hit, you win a ton of money.
Tickets that contain all 10 numbers payout 390 times your initial wager. Hitting all 20 numbers on a 10-spot will rake in a whopping $1,000,000 (not including the progressive). It’s no wonder why people continue to flock towards this game despite the awful casino game odds.
In the end, I’d recommend saving your money. Unless you’re riding on some serious luck, you’re bound to lose your shirt. There are much better ways to make money gambling online.
7. Slots
- House Edge: 5% – 20%
- ODDS: Varies
Everyone knows the slot machines. They’re arguably the most prominent feature in any casino.
People love them for their simplicity and the possibility of hitting a massive jackpot. But the reality is, slots have some of the worst odds compared to other casino games to win money.
How so? Well, like keno, your potential prize doesn’t always correspond with the effort it took to win.
You can spin the reels for hours and not see a return, only to hand that boy your rent money and watch him turn it into a 5-figure sum.
The variance is high in these types of casino games, which can make it difficult to determine their odds. Each machine comes with different RTPs and volatility levels, making it tough to compare apples to apples.
That said, slots typically come with a 5% – 20% house edge, which places them smack dab in the middle of the pack. Sports betting, for reference, has a typical house edge of 4.75%; offer better odds.
As for determining the odds of winning on slots, we need to look into something called the payback percentage. This term is used interchangeably with RTP (return to player), which is the percentage of all money put into the machine that is paid out to the lucky winner.
Vegas slots typically have an RTP of 96%, which means you should be getting $96 for every $100 put in. Easy enough, right?
Unfortunately, it’s not that simple.
You could dump hundreds into a machine and come up empty before finally hitting on a win. Conversely, your homie could blow his whole check on a single hand of blackjack and become a millionaire.
There’s a lot that goes into casino game odds by payout, which is why I recommend reading our guide to the best slot machines to help you better understand these odds.
Slots are great because they allow you to win a ton of cash in a short amount of time. That’s why they are one of the best paying casino games. Unfortunately, the odds are heavily stacked against you which makes it tough to profit over the long haul.
6. Lottery
- House Edge: 50%+
- ODDS: 1 in 292,201,338
Who hasn’t dreamed of hitting the Powerball or Euromillions?
The lottery offers unthinkable wealth for a minimal investment. Buying a $2 ticket takes just seconds, and the chance at glory knows no boundary. Celebrities play, athletes play, and hell, FORTY Ohio State Buckeyes played last year.
Why is the lottery at the bottom of my casino odds list? Because the odds of winning are abysmal.
Like keno, you’re picking from a pool of 49 or 50 numbers, trying to land anywhere from 5–6 numbers to win. Your odds of hitting the big-time Powerball? 1 in 292,201,338.
Let’s put that into perspective:
- Your chances of being assassinated by NASA are 1 in 278,224,000
- The odds of eating peanut butter every day for the next 100 years without it becoming unmashable are 1 in 54,762,500
- Your chances of being struck by lightning while being swallowed by a shark are 1 in 17,840,000
- It’s more likely for a college graduate to become President of the United States (1 in 10,000,000) than to hit the Powerball.
- The chances of driving a distance of 56,000 miles (around the Equator twice) without getting into an accident are 1 in 42,000. The Powerball odds? 1 in 29,000,000
You catch my drift.
Of course, that doesn’t stop people from sinking millions into the lottery each year. Why is that?
Well, because a good portion of those people are selling just one ticket. Let’s bring those odds back to the 1 in 54,762,500 example of eating peanut butter every day for the next century.
If just two people on planet Earth are doing this (and neither of them has died from being mummified in PB), then the odds of YOU being one of them is 1 in 1,178,125. Suddenly, it’s not so crazy.
The same applies for the lottery. Yes, your chances of winning the Mega Millions are absurdly low. But if you realize that someone out there is going to hit within the next 30 draws (due to the ever-rising jackpots), you too can cash in.
And cash in they do.
The US holds the most weight when it comes to global lottery revenue ($70.1b), followed by Spain ($3.2b), Italy ($2.9b), France ($2.8b), and so forth. These markets raked in a collective $263.5billion in 2017, proving that lottery tickets are one of the best casino games to win big money.
Online sportsbooks are starting to implement lottery-style side markets where you can , soccer, hockey, horse racing, and more. Head over to to see what all the hype is about!
5. Mysterious Vietnamese Games
- House Edge: 38%
- ODDS: Unknown
I couldn’t navigate my way through a Vietnam casino to save my life.
They look completely different than American casinos, so I stick to the typical games I know and love. However, I was informed of some bizarre games that are surprisingly popular throughout the country, with outrageous odds.
Here are three examples:
Lucky 31
Lucky 31 is a lotery-style game where players try to match up to six numbers out of 31.
You place your bet on the numbers you want, and a ball is drawn for every unit wagered. For instance, if you bet $100, 100 balls will be drawn. If any of the ones, tens, or hundreds place match your picks, you win.
• 1 match = 30:1 • 2 matches = 60:2 • 3 matches = 450:3 • 4 matches = 3000:20 • 5 matches = 15,000:50 • 6 matches = 31,000:120
The house edge for this game is set at 3.5%, which would rank among the best if it were verifiable. I have zero doubts that the casino makes adjustments to certain bets to increase their advantage.
Even if the RNG is fair—which is highly debatable—betting on casino game odds by payout instead of probability can burn holes in your pocket. Five matches might payout 15,000:50, but that still means you need to hit this mark at least 20 times just to make a profit.
Thirty-three of you will have to bet one hundred times to ensure you hit five or more hundreds, ensuring that you walk away with a loss.
Lucky 28
Another exciting game is Lucky 28, which uses the same format except you’re working with 28 bars instead of 31.
• 1 match = 35:1 • 2 matches = 70:2 • 3 matches = 420:3 • 4 matches = 2800:20 • 5 matches = 14,000:50 • 6 matches = 28,000:120
What makes Lucky 28 better than Lucky 31? I can’t say for sure since the actual odds aren’t published.
That said, twenty out of the thirty-three groups need to be removed in order to hit five or more hundreds. This pushes the odds to 34-1 against, which isn’t great when you consider five bets (worth $150) only pays out $3,500.
Heads and Tails
Heads or tails is a coin flip game where you can bet on either heads, tails, both heads/tails, or nothing at all.
• Heads or Tails = 18:1 • Both Heads or Tails = 8:1 • Nothing = 7:1
They also add in a bonus where you can win up to $5,000,000 if both sides of six consecutive coins land on the same face.
I wasn’t able to find the exact odds of this happening, but I can tell you that the odds of six fair coins all landing on the same face for ten consecutive tries is 1 in 281,474,976,710,656.
Don’t believe me? to see for yourself.
Heads or Tails by itself isn’t the worst, especially considering eight units will net you a profitable night (+52 units). But you’re gonna see a lot of “zero” after running six coins at 7:1 for thirty minutes.
One at ten per minute is 60 attempts per hour, meaning it’ll take you roughly five hours to hit seven coins.
Your expected value in this scenario is -$30. For every person that wins $180, there will be thirty who lose $180. That’s some mighty fine .
Oh, and let’s not forget about the guy who bets 1000VND on nothing and walks out with $7,000,000. Casinos love these bets because it entices thousands of people to pour money into a lost cause, only to give hope to the next guy in line.
4. Craps
- House Edge: Don’t Pass/Don’t Come Line: 1.36% // Any Craps: 11.11% // Six or Eight: 7.65% // Place 4 & 10: 6% // Place 5 & 9: 4% // Field Bet – 3:1: 7.65%
- ODDS: Varies
Craps is known as one of the best odds casino games for a reason.
The Don’t Pass/Don’t Come lines offer the lowest house edge in the entire casino, sitting pretty at 1.36%. The odds for this bet lie at 2:1, meaning you have a strong chance of walking away with a nice chunk of change.
The minimum bet in casinos usually starts around fifty cents, which means you would need sixty bets just to win thirty dollars. Forty-nine of you would win forty-eight times each to lose sixty bucks. The fifty-first winner would walk away with three hundred sixty bucks, profiting three hundred fifty dollars.
See the problem with tracking wins versus units won?
The main bet in craps is the “Pass Line,” which has a house edge of 1.41%. Twenty-three of the thirty-six possible rolls satisfy the “win” condition for this bet. The odds for this bet are 217-to-151, giving you a solid chance to rack up some wins in a short span of time.
Again, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll make money.
People tend to deviate from the Pass Line to chase after flashier bets with higher payouts. Any Seven, for example, pays out at 4:1 odds and stems from adding up the values of two dice.
The issue? The house edge on this bet sits at 11.11%, which is one of the highest in the business. Your odds of rolling a seven are very high at 16.67%, meaning you’ll win four dollars for every wager you place. Thirty out of the thirty-six rolls will result in a loss, costing you nineteen hundred dollars apiece. Only four of you will win thirteen hundred dollars each, profiting a thousand dollars.
Another popular bet among craps players is the Place bet. You can put your number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) in either the “Place” area at the front of the table or during the first right of a new come bet.
The house edge on places 4 and 10 is six percent, while places 5 and 9 rest at four percent. Your odds of rolling a 4 or 10 are 6:9, while hitting a 5 or 9 is set at 7:10. Predicting a 6 or 8 comes in at seven point sixseven, making this a mediocre bet at best.
Avoid placing twos and threes, as the house edge clocks in at fifteen and sixteen percent, respectively.
Craps provides players with some of the best odds for casino games. That said, you’re still dealing with a negative expectation game. Your goal is to minimize the damage on those streaky losing runs while capitalizing on the hot stretches.
Check out our expert craps strategy guide below for tips on how to win at craps and improve your odds.
3. Baccarat
- House Edge: Banker Hand: 1.06% // Player Hand: 1.24%
- ODDS: N/A
The banker hand in baccarat provides the lowest house edge on any of the best odds casino games. At 1.06%, you’re practically playing a breaking-even game. The odds of the banker hand winning are incredibly high due to natural wins and the disadvantage for tie bets.
Ties occur one out of every eleven times in baccarat, which gives the house a 4.82% edge on this bet. Avoid this option at all costs and stick to banker or player.
Naturally, the house takes a 5% commission when the banker hand wins, which explains the minuscule edge listed above. The odds of this happening are still greater than 98:100, making it one of the strongest opportunities in gambling.
That said, you wouldn’t know it by talking to most players. Everyone seems to gravitate toward the player bet, which holds a 1.24% house edge. Your odds of winning are only slightly greater than the banker at 48.37%.
The purpose of taking the player hand is because people think it’s “cooler” or “due”. Both could potentially hit a run of wins, leaving the poor banker hand all alone with a bunch of losses.
This type of causal reasoning is why the majority suffer while the house collects.
Baccarat is one of the best casino games to win money, especially if you follow a strict strategy like the following:
I strongly recommend checking out our complete guide to playing baccarat. You’ll learn everything from the best strategies to the origins of this illustrious card game.
2. Video Poker
- House Edge: Full Pay Machine: 0.46% // Half Pay Machine: 0.76% // Quarter Pay Machine: 1.51% // Deuces Wild: 3.04%
- ODDS: Jacks or Better: 4,032-1 // Full House: 65-1 // Flush: 50-1 // Straight: 25-1 // Two Pairs: 9-1
Full pay video poker machines are on the endangered species list, but you can still spot them throughout various casinos.
These games offer an insane house edge of 0.46%, which is better than some of the top . The odds of drawing a winning hand at Jacks or Better ranges anywhere from 4,032-to-1 to 1001-to-1, depending on where you’re playing.
Your odds of pulling a full house is set at 65-1, while a flush comes in at 50:1 and a straight at 25:1. Hit two pairs and you’re looking at nine-to-one odds, making this a decent hand to play in jackpot poker machines.
Deuces wild games are fun because every deuce can represent any suit. Your odds of receiving a winning hand are set at 3,443-to-1, while a straight drops to 210-to-1. Pulling off a full house is 143-to-1, while you’ll need 9-to-1 odds to hit a two pair.
Unfortunately, the house edge jumps to 3.04%, which is six times higher than Jacks or Better.
Poker Login, Down 80% Since 2013 - PokerListingsThis is another game where your eyes might see things that your pockets don’t.
You can go on a heater and rack up hundreds of credits in mere minutes. Those same hundreds will have to survive hours of negativity if you’re using the same rental unit.
Only grab on to a full game bonus if the wagering requirements are reasonable and the deuces ARE wild across the board. Get a bonuse for losing hands, and you got yourself a top-tier promotion.
If you can’t find one of these amazing deals, I recommend sticking to Jacks or Better or a alternative. At the very least, avoid machines that don’t pay nine or ten for a full house/flush.
Be sure to check out our beginner’s guide to video poker to maximize your profits and increase your knowledge of this awesome game.
1. Blackjack
- House Edge: Basic Strategy: 0.5 – 1%
- ODDS: N/A
Blackjack is the undisputed king of casino games with the best odds to win money.
When you use proper blackjack strategy, the house edge can dip down to 0.5% – the lowest of any casino game. Even if you ignore the basic strategy and make random decisions on each hand, the average player will lose no more than one percent of their original stake.
This makes blackjack 10x better than craps and 50x better than keno. Of course, your odds of winning are not published on these tables, which means they could be altering payouts based on large bets.
Blackjack gives you a clear-cut roadmap to success.
I’ll include a basic strategy chart below so you can have something to reference while playing. This guide tells you precisely what you should do in any given situation, lowering the house edge to less than one-tenth of 1%.
Here are some general rules to live by until you memorize the strategy chart.:
• Always hit 8 or less. • Always stand on 17 or higher. • Stand with 12-16 vs A. • Double down when you have 10 or 11. • Late surrender if given the option.
Blackjack is such a great game because it allows you to make decisions.
Your odds of winning remain the same whether you’re a conscious player or a mindless robot. The same can’t be said for sports betting or the lottery.
The key is knowing when to make certain moves. Anyone can hit ten cards just because they feel like it. Following a strategy chart minimizes mistakes that could otherwise prove to be disastrous.
I encourage you to read our ultimate beginner’s guide to blackjack below for everything you need to know about playing like a pro.
Which Casino Game Has the Best Odds of Winning?
Out of all the casino games out there, blackjack offers the best odds of winning. When you use optimal strategy, the house edge can drop as low as 0.5%. This makes blackjack 50 times better than keno, 10 times better than craps, and three times better than video poker under ideal circumstances.
Craps comes in a close second with the lowest house edge in the casino on the don’t pass line at 1.41%. This rate jumps to 6.67% on the come out and any seven bet, making it imperative that you choose the right place to put your chips.
Baccarat is next in line with a 1.06% house edge on the banker hand. This rate increases to 1.24% on the player hand, which explains why no one plays it. Keno is more prevalent than baccaracit playerhand, for what it’s worth.
Poker games like video poker and Texas holdem can vary widely based on paytables and skill level. Full pay video poker offers less than a 0.5% house edge, which is phenomenal. Play at a bar game that pays 92 cents on the dollar for a full house, and your odds skyrocket to 4.4%.
You can find the best casino game odds for specific games below. Our guide includes the house edge for each major casino game, ranked from best to worst.
How Can I Improve My Chances of Winning at Casinos?
The best way to improve your chances of winning at casinos is by playing games with the best odds. As you can see above, blackjack offers the lowest house edge at less than 0.5% with the right strategy.
You can also work on mastering the game you’re playing. Read books, watch videos, and discuss with friends to gain different perspectives on how to win. Understanding the math behind each game will help you recognize situations that benefit you more than others.
Hot tip— always know what you’re getting yourself into. Not all casino games are created equal, as you can see from this list of the worst games at the casino.
For more in-depth advice, check out our comprehensive guide on how to increase your odds of winning at casinos.
Footnotes:
- Odds of winning lotteries were gathered from .
Kevin Roberts, previously published under the pseudonym Noah Davis, is one of the more diverse writers at GamblingSites.com. Like many of his colleagues, he's a huge fan of both football and basketball. But he also writes about box office records, TV show prop bets, DFS, and all kinds of other subjects.
When it comes to the NFL, Kevin likes writing about complex topics as well as simple ones. This piece on the Jacobs-Rush debate in Cleveland is one of his favorites.