Odds, Probability & Bankroll
House edge slots
House edge slots is the casino's built-in statistical advantage on slot machines, expressed as the percentage of each wager the machine is expected to keep over many plays.
Key points
- The house edge on slots is the long-run average shortfall per wager, not a prediction for any single spin.34
- Unlike table games, slot house edge varies widely by machine and venue; there is no single standard figure.1
Where this term is used
Related terms
Odds & probability
House edge
The general statistical concept of the casino's advantage, applicable across all games.
Odds & probability
Blackjack house edge
The casino's advantage in blackjack, typically lower than slots and influenced by player strategy.
Odds & probability
Baccarat house edge
The casino's advantage in baccarat, fixed by the game rules and bet type.
Odds & probability
Craps house edge
The casino's advantage on craps bets, varying significantly by the specific wager placed.
Odds & probability
Poker house edge
The casino's advantage in poker games, usually taken as a rake or fee rather than a built-in edge.
Odds & probability
Casino house edge chart
A comparison table of house edge percentages across different casino games.
Sources
- Vigorish - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org Provides the typical house edge range for slot machines and defines the term 'vigorish'.
- The Online Advantage (When the Player Has the Edge) wizardofodds.com Establishes the complementary relationship between RTP and house edge.
- House Edge of Casino Games Compared wizardofodds.com Explains that house edge is a long-run average, not a short-term prediction.
- Gambling Glossary wizardofodds.com Supports the definition of house edge as expected loss percentage.
- Return to player en.wikipedia.org Defines Return to Player as the complement of house edge.
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.