Casino house edge explained

Let’s see where the house edge comes from, using a real roulette game.

This is European roulette. There are thirty-seven numbers, one to thirty-six, plus a single green zero. Here we’ve put one chip on number eleven. If it wins, it’s paid thirty-five to one. And it does! That’s thirty-five chips, plus our chip back.

But with thirty-seven numbers, fair odds would be thirty-six to one. That small gap is the house edge, and on European roulette, it’s two point seven percent.

So let’s play. We’ll put one chip on red for eleven spins. It goes back and forth, red, black, red. After eleven spins, we’ve won six and lost five, so we’re actually one chip up. Over a few spins, anything can happen. But over hundreds of spins, the average result gets closer and closer to that house edge.

To estimate what a session costs, just multiply your total stakes by the house edge. A hundred spins at one pound is a hundred pounds staked. And two point seven percent of that is about two pounds seventy.

Different games have different edges. Blackjack, played with basic strategy, is around half a percent. Baccarat on banker is about one percent. European roulette is two point seven. Lots of slots are three to six percent. And some side bets are ten percent or more.

And watch out for double zero roulette. That extra pocket almost doubles the house edge, to five point two six percent.

So, three simple tips. Pick games with a lower house edge, skip the side bets, and think of the expected cost as the price of your entertainment. Our free session cost calculator works it out for any game.

Set a budget before you play. You’ll find more guides at UKCasinoTips.com.