Comparing the House Edge for Online Games at Crypto Casinos

Players at crypto casinos are often already savvy when it comes to mathematics and numbers, given their interest in cryptocurrency, so Return to Player (RTP) is important for them when it comes to game selection. High quality crypto-enabled casinos tend to offer similar games and RTP percentages to other online sites. The key is understanding the house edge for each game that you play. 

What is the House Edge?

Crypto casino games are played against the “house”, meaning the establishment or online casino where you are playing. The odds of each game are slightly against you, so in the long run the house is expected to win more than the player pool.

The house edge is expressed as a percentage, such as 2%. The lower the percentage, the more favorable the game is for you as a player in terms of your chances of having a winning session.

 The opposite of the house edge is the RTP, also expressed as a percentage. If the house edge is 2%, then the RTP is 98%, meaning players can expect a long term average of $98 returned for every $100 wagered.

Each online casino game has a set or flexible house edge and RTP. We’ll explore these in detail below for some of the most popular games.

Blackjack Leads the Way if You Play Optimally

Blackjack leads the way when it comes to the lowest house edge and highest RTP, but only if you play using what is known as basic blackjack strategy. This outlines when to hit, stand, double or split based on your own cards and the dealer’s upcard. 

Playing without using the proper strategy typically yields an RTP of 95-97%, whereas playing optimally can reduce the house edge to as little as 0.5% or less depending on the game rules. This 95.5% RTP is the best available at casinos and online casinos. 

Low House Edge the Easy Way with Baccarat

In baccarat, you bet on whether the dealer or player hand wins, or you can choose to bet on a tie. You don’t have any control over the outcome, but the bets you make do impact the RTP and house edge. 

Betting on the banker has the lowest house edge of just 1.06%, but is usually subject to a small commission charge. Still, even with a 5% commission it is still the best bet. The Player bet has a 1.24% house edge with no commission, which works out similar. 

Just don’t bet on a Tie in baccarat, which offers a bigger 8:1 payout, but doesn’t happen often and has a huge 14.36% house edge.

As long as you steer clear of the Tie, baccarat represents the second best RTP you can get at a crypto casino. When it comes to the baccarat versus blackjack house edge, blackjack still comes out on top, but only by a fine margin and with a lot more effort on the player’s part.

Roulette Has a Fixed House Edge

Roulette is known for being easy to play and exciting. All you have to do is pick a number, handful of numbers, or outside bet such as Odd or Even, Red or Black, or a section of the wheel. You then place your bets are see if the ball lands where you have bet. If it does, you receive a payout. 

The odds of hitting a single number on a European roulette wheel are 1 in 37, yet you are paid 35:1, which leaves a house edge of 2.7%. This jumps to 5.26% on an American roulette wheel, which has an extra ‘00’ slot to further offset the odds. 

The house edge always remains the same when you are playing roulette no matter what bets you make. If you’re playing at an online casino, choose a European roulette table to keep it at 2.7%. 

RTP Transparency for Online Slots

Slots are not always known for their generous RTPs and can have a relatively high house edge at physical casinos. At online crypto casinos, where competition is tougher between sites, the house edge tends to be lower to attract players. 

Typically, online slots have an RTP somewhere between 93-99% RTP, which is a pretty wide range. Thankfully, this figure is shown transparently under the game’s info tab so that players can choose for themselves. Usually, the tradeoff is that feature-rich thematic video slots have a slightly higher house edge compared to more basic games.

With such a wide range, online slots potentially offer some of the best and worst house edges out of any casino game. 

Choosing the Right Game

We’ve laid out the most popular crypto casino games along their house edge, so you can see from top to bottom which offers the most generous RTP for players. 

If you’re only interested in getting the most bang for your buck, choose blackjack, but make sure you’re a master at the strategy. If you make the wrong decisions, your RTP will quickly drop to the point where you may as well be playing roulette. 

If you want a low house edge without the hassle of learning any strategy, play baccarat or craps and stick to the most valuable bets. Games of pure chance, meanwhile, like roulette and slots, have the highest house edge, yet don’t require any effort or real decision making on your part. So, it all depends on what you’re looking for out of an online casino game.