How much will gambling cost you?

What each game really costs

The house edge, the worst bets and the hourly cost of each game, with the calculator set up for it.

• SlotsRTP versions, volatility and bonus buys
• RouletteEuropean vs American odds, and why the zero matters
• BlackjackWhat basic strategy saves you, and the 6:5 trap
• BaccaratBanker, player and the 14% tie bet
• CrapsThe best and worst bets on one table
• Video pokerHow to read a paytable before you play
• Sports bettingWhat the vig costs, and why parlays cost more

How the numbers are built

Every game has a return to player (RTP): the share of all money wagered that, on average, flows back to players. The rest is the house edge. A slot with 96% RTP keeps 4% of every spin. If you deposit $100 and keep re-spinning your wins, you might put $1,000 through the machine before the money is gone.

That re-betting is why a small edge turns into a big loss. The edge applies to everything you wager, and most players wager many times their deposit.

Luck is real. It moves you above or below that average. We model each session as a random draw whose average is the house edge and whose spread comes from the game's volatility (how swingy it is). The lucky and unlucky lines show the top and bottom 10% of players. Over a long enough time, the house edge grows faster than luck does, so even the lucky line bends downward.

What's exact and what's estimated

• The formula is exact. Average loss is always total wagered × house edge. That's how expected value works, not a model.
• House edges for table games and video poker are exact. They're worked out from the rules: 2.70% for European roulette, 1.06% for the banker bet in baccarat, and so on.
• Slot RTPs are published, but vary. The same slot can run at different RTPs in different casinos. Check the game's info screen and put in the real number.
• Bets per hour are estimates. They depend on the game, the table and you. Change them to match how you play.
• Volatility is exact for table games and estimated for slots. Slot providers rarely publish it.
• The lucky and unlucky lines are an approximation. They use a normal distribution, which fits table games well. Real slot results are more lopsided: most sessions lose a little, and a few rare ones win big.

Sources

1. Wizard of Odds: House edge of casino games compared (house edges and standard deviations)
2. RTPTrack: Deployed slot RTP at UK casinos
3. CDC Gaming: Nevada slot win averaged 7.2% in 2024

Each game page lists its own sources.

FAQ