Sports bettors often don’t play casino games. Casino players may not understand how moneylines work. This article shows how the house advantage of major casino games compares to moneylines. The numbers below do not reflect the return of a bet, as that usually varies depending on the outcome.
A casino game with no house advantage would be EVEN on a moneyline, sometimes displayed as +100. That means a bettor placing $100 wins $100 if the outcome is the one picked. -101, the bettor plays $101 to win $100. This -101 implies a house advantage of about 0.5%.
A typical point spread bet is -110. The house edge for the sportsbook there is about 4.5%. The list below shows all major casino games in this format to show the comparison of house advantages. If a player’s decision affects the outcome, it implies that the perfect strategy is used.
Blackjack
Casinos deal several types of blackjack games. There are often multiple games with varying house advantages under one roof and in a market. It is important to pick the game with the best rules to decrease the house advantage. Think of it as a form of line shopping.
The main rule that affects the blackjack return is if the game pays 3/2 or 6/5. If a blackjack game pays 3/2, its moneyline is about -101. If it is a 6/5 game, the moneyline is -104.
There are some especially terrible blackjack games in downtown Las Vegas. At Golden Nugget, the 6/5 Lucky Cat Blackjack tables hold 8.95% when making the minimum $7 bet because $2 of that is a bad side bet that is mandatory. The moneyline there is -120. There are regular 6/5 tables there and another Fremont Street casino that has a $10 minimum bet with a $1 forced side bet. The moneyline there is -108.
Craps
There are many types of craps bets. The house advantage changes with each. The list below shows the moneyline for the major bets.
- Pass, Don’t Pass, Come, and Don’t Come with no odds: -103
- Pass, Don’t Pass, Come, and Don’t Come with 3-4-5 times odds: -101
- Field bet when 12 pays double: -112
- Field bet when 12 pays triple: -106
- Place 6 and 8: -103
- Place 5 and 9: -108
- Buy 4/10 ($20 bet): -105
- Hard 6 and 8: -120
- Hard 4 and 10: -124
- Any craps: -124
- Hop bets, like 2, 3, 11, and 12: -137
Roulette
There are several forms of roulette. Most tables have two zeros. There are also single and triple zero ones. Most single zero tables in Las Vegas are called European Roulette and have la partage, which means players get half of their even money bets back when zero is called. Atlantic City has this rule on double zero tables. Here are the lays demonstrating the house edge for roulette in moneylines:
- European even money bets: -103
- All other single zero roulette games: -106
- Even money bets on double zero wheel in Atlantic City: -106
- Double zero roulette: -111
- Triple zero roulette: -117
Slots
Slots hold about 10% in Las Vegas. Regional markets are often a little better. The Las Vegas slots are about -122 on the moneyline. It may be closer to -118 in small casino markets. In most cases, slots with higher denominations hold a little less, including in Nevada.
Video Poker
The video poker hold depends on the game and pay table. The following list shows a variety of common video poker games available. It assumes that five coins are wagered and perfect strategy is used.
- 9/6 Bonus Poker Deluxe: -101
- 9/6 Jacks or Better: -101
- 8/5 Bonus Poker: -102
- 9/6 Double Double Bonus: -102
- 7/5 Bonus Poker: -104
- 9/5 Double Double Bonus: -104
- 9/6/5 Double Bonus: -104
- 6/5 Bonus Poker: -107
- 7/5 Double Double Bonus: -109
Other table games
There are many other table games in casinos besides the major ones listed above. Here are the moneylines demonstrating the house advantage for each when perfect strategy is used. The main bet is used for the list. Side bets are not included. If raises are involved, the element of risk is shown below. This includes the house edge once all money risked is computed, as opposed to just the ante.
- Ultimate Texas Hold’em: -101
- Heads Up Hold’em: -101
- Baccarat: -102
- Crazy 4 Poker: -103
- High Card Flush and I Luv Suits Poker: -103
- Mississippi Stud: -103
- Face Up Pai Gow Poker: -104
- Three Card Poker: -104
- Fortune Pai Gow Poker: -106
- Let It Ride: -106
- Crapless craps pass line and come with no odds: -112
Most Casino Games Have a Lower House Edge Than Sports Betting
As you see from the information above, most casino games have a lower house advantage than straight sports bets. Almost all are better than parlays and other exotic bets. However, a sporting event lasts hours. A slot spin or video poker hand is over in a few seconds. A table game bet is resolved in a minute or so. This means there is more value in sports betting than most casino games as the expected loss is divided across two to four hours as opposed to just seconds.
