Casino & Table Games
Casino hold percentage
Casino hold percentage is the ratio of a table game's actual profit to the total chips sold into play over a shift, expressed as a percentage.
Key points
- Hold percentage is an observed accounting measure, not a theoretical per-bet expectation like house edge.1
- Because chips circulate repeatedly, hold is usually higher than house edge and grows with longer play.3
- If every player loses all purchased chips, hold is 100%; it can exceed that if chips bought elsewhere are used.1
Where this term is used
Related terms
Casino games
Casino hold
Covers the same concept of casino hold percentage.
Casino games
Casino
Explains the establishment where table games and hold percentages apply.
Casino games
Casino chips
The tokens used in table games that factor into hold calculations.
Casino games
Casino gambling chips
Another term for casino chips used in table game accounting.
Casino games
Casino craps
A table game where hold percentage is measured per shift.
Casino games
Craps terms and phrases
The slang, jargon and standard expressions used at a craps table to name dice totals
Sources
- House Edge of Casino Games Compared wizardofodds.com Provides the definition, formula, and examples of hold percentage.
- Gambling Glossary wizardofodds.com Supports the glossary definition and the 20% example.
- Ask The Wizard #231wizardofodds.com › Ask The Wizard wizardofodds.com Explains how hold differs from house edge and can exceed 100%.
Sources are drawn from regulators, universities and published research, and each one is labelled with what it actually is — a preprint is not called a paper. Bookmaker and affiliate pages are never cited here, because a page that sells betting is not a neutral authority on it.