The house edge by game: the actual numbers, and what they mean per hour

The house edge is the fraction of each bet the operator keeps on average over time. It is not a prediction of any one session — it is what the math guarantees across many bets. Knowing the numbers is the harm-reduction tool; this board teaches the odds and never takes a wager. The numbers (standard rules) - Blackjack, basic strategy: ~0.5% house edge — the lowest in the casino, and only if you play correct basic strategy. Deviate and it climbs. - Baccarat: ~1.06% on banker, ~1.24% on player, and the "tie" bet is a sucker bet at ~14%. - Craps: the line bets (pass/don't pass) are ~1.4%; the prop bets in the middle of the table run to double digits. Same game, wildly different edges. - Roulette: European single-zero ~2.7%; American double-zero ~5.26%. The extra pocket doubles the edge for the same-looking game. - Slots: typically ~2-10%+, and unlike the table games it is not disclosed on the machine. You cannot see the edge you are playing. - Keno and most lottery: ~25-50% — the worst odds offered anywhere (see the lottery thread for why). Edge x volume = cost The edge bites per bet, so the cost is edge x total amount wagered, not edge x what you brought. A $5 roulette spin every 30 seconds is ~$600/hour wagered; at 5.26% that is ~$32/hour expected loss, far more than "I only brought $100" suggests. Speed and bet size matter as much as the edge. Odds, expected value and the full game-by-game breakdown: https://gambling.soapbox.community If gambling has become a problem, help is one click away: https://gambling.soapbox.community/help Sources: Wizard of Odds house-edge tables; standard probability texts.