Top 8 Casino Games with the Lowest House Edge
You've heard the saying that "The house always wins" but some casino games have a lower house edge than others. Of course, we know that casino games are played for entertainment and the chance to win money, and all casino games are fun to play but the big difference in games is the payout percentage.
What is House Edge?
There is a popular saying that “The house always wins” when gambling. The house refers to the casino which wins in the long term thanks to the mathematical edge built into online casino games.
Each online casino game comes with a certain house edge which ensures the casino will win in the long run. If you think about it, casinos wouldn’t be able to operate without a house edge added to games. When it comes to online casinos, you can further even the odds by getting your game on with a no deposit bonus casino, as this will let you play for a little before you make big stakes.
The house edge doesn’t mean every player loses. It simply ensures that the casino makes a profit in the long run.
Casino Games With the Smallest Edge
Let's see what are the games with the smallest edge and the more chances to win:
Slot Machines
Some of the best online slot games often have a house edge between 1% and 5%. However, these can vary and jump to 15% or over, depending on your games. Some progressive jackpots are high variance slots and come with a high house edge. Always check the house edge on the slots you play if you want to know if they have a high or low house edge.
Video Poker
These are some of the best casino games that offer a lower house edge. Jacks or Better for example offers a low house edge of 0.46% if it’s the full pay variant. With Video Poker games the house edge will increase if you play by the gut, if you play from a strategy, you can lower the house edge.
Blackjack
This all-time favourite card game offers a low house edge of as little as 0.5%. It is a strategy and skill-based game that helps lower the house edge if played correctly. The house edge may vary or increase with live casino or high roller variants.
Craps
Craps can be a difficult game to learn but are quite easy once you get the hang of it. This casino game offers a wide range of bets, and many of them are referred to as “sucker bets” as they give the house a higher house edge. If you learn the rules of the game and make use of the best bets you can lower the house edge. The ‘don’t pass/don’t come with a house edge of 1.36%, and the ‘pass / come’ bet comes with a 1.41% house edge.
Baccarat
Another popular game in casinos is Baccarat, and the reason for this is the small house edge. The house edge for the bets varies, and smart bets can decrease the house edge. Banker bets have a house edge of 1.06%, player bets have a house edge of 1.24% and tie bets have a 14.36% house edge. The house edge can vary depending on the rules and the number of decks used in the shoe. In some variants of online baccarat, the house edge for player bets can drop to 1.04%.
Roulette
The old classic game of chance, Roulette, can offer a low house edge or high house edge. It all depends on the variant of Roulette you choose to play. American Roulette has a high house edge of 5.26%, and European roulette has a low house edge of 2.70%. Thanks to the La Partage rule, French roulette is a favourite, which lowers the house edge to 1.35%. Thus, you have a lower house edge when placing even money bets when playing the latter.
Pai Gow Poker
This poker variant has a low house edge of 1.46% making it extremely popular especially at land-based casinos.
Pontoon
This card game is a popular variant of blackjack that is played without the 10s. Pontoon has a low house edge that ranges between 0.4% and 0.71% depending on the variant and the rules at different top online casinos. The casino will always have the edge over you as the player, but by playing games with a lower house edge and using game strategies you can increase your odds of winning.
Fact-checked by Julia Attard
Senior Author & Online Casino Expert