House edge by game
Unlike slots, where the return is baked into the software, table games have a house edge you can largely work out from the rules. That makes them the games where knowing the variant you are sitting at matters most. The figures below are long-run averages under standard rules and, where relevant, correct play.
- Blackjack: roughly 0.5% with basic strategy under favourable rules. A 6:5 payout on blackjack instead of 3:2 adds well over a full percentage point to the edge, so check the payout printed on the table.
- European roulette (single zero): 2.70% on every bet. American roulette (double zero): 5.26%. If a casino offers both, the single-zero wheel is the better game.
- Baccarat: about 1.06% on the banker bet (after the usual 5% commission) and 1.24% on the player bet. The tie bet carries an edge of over 14% and is the one to avoid.
- Video poker: depends entirely on the pay table. A full-pay Jacks or Better game (9/6) returns about 99.5% with optimal play, while weaker pay tables return noticeably less.
Table games and bonus wagering
Bonus wagering requirements usually count different games at different rates. Slots commonly contribute in full, while table games frequently contribute a fraction of each bet, or nothing. That matters because of how the maths scales: if a 40x requirement on a $100 bonus means $4,000 of wagering, and blackjack counts for 10%, you would need $40,000 of blackjack bets to clear the same bonus. Low-edge games are often restricted for exactly this reason.
If you mainly play table games, look for offers with no wagering, with a clear table-game contribution rate, or with cashback in place of a deposit match. Always read the contribution table in the terms before you accept.
RNG fairness and provably fair tables
RNG table games use software to shuffle and deal. Games from established studios are normally certified by independent testing laboratories, and some crypto casinos also offer in-house table games that are provably fair, letting you verify after the fact that the shuffle was fixed before you bet. A fair game still has a house edge - fair means the published rules are what actually runs, not that the player is favoured.
Strategy and bankroll
Strategy can reduce the house edge on some games but cannot remove it. Basic strategy in blackjack and correct play in video poker are worth learning because they are the difference between a low edge and a high one. Betting systems that raise stakes after a loss, such as the Martingale, do not change the edge, and they run into table limits and your own balance quickly. Set a session budget, pick the lowest-edge variant on offer, and stop when the budget is gone.