House Edge in Online Casino Games Explained

Most English speakers have heard the phrase ‘The House Always Wins’. These four words sum up why online casinos have exploded in popularity recently. The amount of money you have to invest compared to the rewards makes it very lucrative. At the end of the day, one or two players may get lucky and score some mouth-watering wins. However, most will lose more than they bet.

Are casinos cheating you using this? No, this advantage for the operator is built into all games you can play. Each title has a slight house edge, which tells us how much a dealer can expect to gain. Join us as we take a closer look at the available house edge in online casino games.

Lowdown on the House Edge

The easiest way to explain the house edge is to look at an example. For this article, we will be checking out two different roulette versions: European and American. These two versions are almost identical. Both have thirty-six total red and black numbers on their wheels. They offer you the same wagers and look almost identical. However, they have one key difference: the zeroes!

American roulette has two zeroes while European roulette has one. Next, we will decide to play even money outside bets. These wagers would be a true fifty-fifty bet if it were not for the zeroes. However, these zeroes prevent those ideal odds, and give the casino an advantage. As a result, European roulette will offer a lower house edge than American roulette will.

A similar hook exists for every casino game out there. Roulette is just the most obvious example. The house edge is how much the casino expects to win over the long term. If the house edge is 99%, the casino expects you to win 99 times out of 100. In the short term, you can escape the house edge thanks to luck. However, the longer you play, the closer your results will look to the casino’s expectations.

Other Factors to Consider

While a house edge is undeniably important, several other factors can decide your fate. You also have to consider how much you are betting each round, the speed of each round and how long you have been playing.

More rounds may expose you to the house edge, but you also need to play enough for your luck to kick in. If you blow your entire budget in five spins, you will not be able to enjoy the game. Conversely, dividing your wager into miniscule chunks and winning super small prizes is not fun either. You have to find a balance!

Furthermore, you must consider the speed of each round when budgeting. One round every minute is a lot different to one round every twenty seconds. That will lead to you blowing through your budget quicker. This is why proper online casino money management is so important!

What to Play?

Part of what makes online casino games great are the choices you have. With so many titles available, you can find almost anything that suits your tastes. That said, not all releases are created equal. We covered some online casino games with the lowest house edges before. However, we must stress that these games require a level of optimal play.

Blackjack is a known favourite among serious punters. It boasts one of the lowest possible house edges if played properly. The requirements are two-fold. First, you need to know how to apply the basic blackjack strategy. Second, you have to find the most optimal rules. That means checking blackjack payouts and when the dealer stands. Great for some players, but many do not want to bother.

The more complex a title is to learn, the better its house edge is. Slots, keno and many other titles offer simpler games. That said, the simplicity is usually made up for by a lower house edge. In order to keep players interested, these titles offer high payouts. After all, winning a 1000:1 jackpot can be much more thrilling than a 3:2 blackjack.

The advice of Indian Casino Club staff is to try a little bit of everything and seeing what suits you best. Maybe blackjack is not your thing. However, baccarat offers a similar experience with a much simpler set of rules.