All You Need To Know About Casino House Edge

Every online casino game has a house edge affecting players’ winning chances. Learn how to use it to your advantage in this simple guide.

The casino house edge is one of the most important things every player in the Philippines should know about. Because every online casino game has a house advantage, understanding this concept is key to optimizing your gaming session. Basically, the house edge refers to the advantage the online casino has over the player. 

Whether you are winning or losing, the house will always have an advantage in the game you are playing. Hence knowing how the house edge is calculated and how casino edge percentages compare in different games is crucial. In this simple guide, you’ll find all about the casino house edge and how to use it to your advantage. 

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Understanding the House Edge

Whichever game you play, the casino will always have a mathematical advantage or edge. Basically, the house edge is a percentage of the profit the online casino will make whether you win or lose. So, let’s say you are playing an online slot game with a 4% casino edge. This means for every 100 PHP you wager, the casino will earn a 40 PHP profit from this bet. Moreover, the house profits regardless of whether you win or lose. If you win, the 40 PHP comes from other players who lose while playing the same game. 

House Edge vs. RTP

Basically, the RTP, or the Return To Player percentage, is the opposite of the house edge. It shows the average return players can expect while playing the game. Usually, the RTP value is also expressed as a percentage. This figure is based on millions of spins of online slots reels and roulette wheels, dealt hands, or rolled dice. To calculate the RTP of any game, subtract the casino edge from 100% or simply:

  • RTP = 100% – House Edge

Generally, it’s easy to find the RTP of any online casino game. You can visit the software provider’s homepage and then the game’s information section. 

Calculating the House Edge

Calculating the Casino Edge

Actually, calculating the casino’s advantage is very simple. For example, let us consider one of NetEnt’s most popular online slot games – Gonzo’s Quest. It has an RTP of 95.97%. So to calculate the house edge in this game, use the formula: 

  • House edge = 100% – RTP 
  • For Gonzo’s Quest, it’s 100% – 95.97% = 4.04%

Alternatively, you can calculate the same with: 

  • House Edge = (Odd Against Success – House Odds) x Probability of Success

In addition, you can calculate how much the online casino will retain as profit for every 1000 PHP wagered while playing Gonzo’s Quest. First, convert the percentage to decimal to find the house edge value with this formula:

  • House Percentage = House Edge x 100

4.04% equals 0.0404 in our case and from here we multiply this figure by 1000 PHP. In other words, the casino retains about 40 PHP and this is also what a player will likely lose on average with every 1000 PHP wagered.

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House Edge For Different Games

Because there are over 15,000 online casino games on the market in the Philippines, you can expect a wide range of house edges. Below are the theoretical figures for some of the most popular casino games online. Of course, the actual values might vary from one top online casino to another. 

  • Baccarat – 1.06% – 1.24%
  • Blackjack – 0.53% – 2%
  • European Roulette – 2.7%
  • French Roulette – 2.7%
  • American Roulette – 5.3%
  • Online Slots – 1% – 16%
  • Craps – 1.41% – 11.11%
  • Keno – 25-29%
  • Texas Hold’em – 2.19%

House Edge in Online Slots 

The most popular casino game category on virtually any online gaming platform is slots. Generally, the casino advantage for these ranges from a mere 1% up to 16%. Games that tend to come with a high casino edge are those with high volatility or a progressive jackpot feature. If you opt for a physical venue in the Philippines, you can find some slots with figures as high as 18%. 

Since online slots are so fun, it’s possible to find yourself spinning the reels for hours. Fortunately, you can easily calculate how much you’ll be losing while playing per hour. Hence, you’ll have a rough estimate of how much your session can cost you. For instance, using the example above, if your bet size is 10 PHP and you make an average of 20 bets per hour, then your hourly expected loss should be equal to: 

  • (10 PHP x 20 x 0.0404) = 8.08 PHP per hour playing Gonzo’s Quest

How To Use Your Knowledge

Of course, the point of mastering House Edge as a concept is to use it to your advantage in-game. Although avoiding the casino edge is not possible, there are a few things you can do to improve your winning chances. 

Play the Best Games

Casino games aren’t created equal. Hence serious players looking to beat the casino advantage always focus on picking games with a low house edge. For instance, live dealer games such as baccarat, craps, and blackjack tend to offer variations with a low casino advantage. On the other hand, there are also video poker games, such as Deuces Wild, with a positive house edge.

Find Favorable Odds

The odds and house edge values of any casino game are interrelated. If a game has a casino edge of 20%, then you are most likely bound to win once in every five bets. Therefore, when picking a game, select one that offers high odds. 

Play with a Strategy

Strategies are crucial as far as online casino play is concerned, although they don’t apply to all online casino games. For instance, a basic blackjack strategy can help you reduce the house edge by a massive 0.5%. Although it can seem insignificant, in the long run, it may be the difference between winning and losing consistently.

Conclusion

The casino advantage, or edge, is a crucial aspect every player should consider if looking to win while playing casino games. Of course, other factors such as the RTP, hit frequency, and volatility of a game also contribute to your chance(s) of winning. However, the house edge applies to virtually all online casino games, even those available for free. Whether you play online slots, roulette, blackjack, baccarat, craps, or video poker games, the casino will always have an edge. So play smart and keep these factors in mind when browsing our casino reviews for the best online casino in the Philippines.

FAQ

The house edge of an online casino game is not determined by the online casino, but rather by the software developer. So, if you decide to play just a particular game, regardless of the online casino you visit, the house edge remains the same.

Video poker games are known to have the lowest house edge. Other games with a low house edge include baccarat, and blackjack.

No, the house edge doesn’t mean you cannot win while playing casino games. However, you cannot win with every round you play since gambling always involves risk.

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