If you’ve been playing casino games online for any length of time, there’s a good chance that you have wondered “are casino games rigged?”
We’ve all experienced a large winning streak on free spins, only to watch everything disappear when we try to wager the bonus to make a withdrawal. Roulette players are probably familiar with the sneaking suspicion that the game program learns how you play and adjusts itself to eat your money.
Neither of these is true in legit online casinos. However, in another way, casino games are rigged in favor of the house. In this piece, you’ll learn:
- How casino games outcomes are determined when you’re playing online.
- How casinos make money even when the games are random.
- Which games the casinos make the most money from.
Why (Most) Casino Games Are Not Rigged
We know that it can seem like online casinos learn your behavior, flip a switch, and rob you blind. But in 99% of cases, this is just plain old paranoia. There’s a reason for that – it would be illegal for casinos to do so, and regulators would take their licenses away from them.
Most digital casino games are controlled by Random Number Generators. These are computer algorithms which generate millions or even billions of numbers every second. Each one of those numbers is associated with a certain outcome – for example, a slot machine payout. The number which is generated after you hit spin, roll the dice, or whatever is required in the casino game you’re playing, will determine what happens.
For example, when you’re playing online slot machines, one of those numbers in the RNG is linked to the jackpot. If you click spin and the RNG generates that number, you win it there and then. It doesn’t even matter when the last time someone won the jackpot was – it’s all about the RNG.
The second reason is that licensed casinos, which are the only kind you should be playing at, are tested by regulators for fairness. eCOGRA and other regulators test the Random Number Generators and games for fairness. If they detect anything unfair or that the games aren’t truly random, that could lead to the operator losing its gaming license. This would likely be reported far and wide by gambling sites and publications, costing the operator more reputational damage than it would be worth.
Lastly, sometimes, the casinos don’t even control the game outcomes. This is especially true at online casinos since they tend to plug in games from third-party software companies like Playtech and Microgaming. That means the casino isn’t even in control over outcomes such as when a progressive jackpot will drop.
Now, it is possible that you’re playing rigged casino games, but that will be because you’ve chosen a scam casino. You could have avoided that by sticking with the RMOC approved casinos reviewed on this site – lesson learned.
But wait a minute…we did say casino games are rigged in favor of the house, right? So, what do we mean by that? If casino games aren’t rigged outright, how are they rigged to make sure the casino always wins over the weeks, months, and years?
How Casino Games Always Give the House An Advantage
It’s important to differentiate the two different meanings of the word rigged.
Rigged can mean that casino games can never be won. They simply chew you up and spit you out.
Rigged can also mean that while you can win, the house will always make money as time passes by.
Casino games aren’t rigged in the first way, but they absolutely are rigged in the second way. You’ll be unlucky if you get robbed by a scam casino, but even the top online casinos in the world have games which mathematically favor the house.
This advantage is called the house edge. It’s a fact of life in every casino game. It’s the magic piece of math which ensures that even if you win a massive progressive jackpot and bring down the house tonight, the casino will make it all back and then some over the months and years to come.
Casino house edge is usually expressed as a percentage. For example, if you play blackjack with an optimal strategy, the house edge should be a little less than 0.5%. That means that for every $100 which blackjack players wager, the house makes around $0.50.
That’s not a lot, but when you consider that hundreds of millions of dollars pass through Vegas casinos alone each year, it soon adds up. Most games have a much higher house edge than blackjack, too, and most players won’t play with anything like an optimal blackjack strategy. All of this means that even though you can win casino games any time you play, a greater number of players will lose than win in the long-term.
That’s why the house always wins. The house edge is how casinos make money consistently, even though the games are random.
How much money do casinos make? God knows, but here are a few stats which should give you a clue:
UK players put £2 billion through slot machines in 2017/2018, which is the equivalent of just over £30 for every man, woman, and child in the country. And that’s just one relatively small country playing one game!
Vegas casinos reported revenue of $27.1 billion in 2018. That’s nearly $83 per head when the entire US population is considered. Slot machines account for between 50-70% of the revenue in most casinos.
Research shows that the world gambling market could reach $525 billion by 2023. Let’s do the per-head math this time for the entire world just for fun. That’s $69.72 for every person on earth. Sure, that includes sports betting and poker, but casinos take a huge chunk of that money.
As you can see, even with the small house edge on games like blackjack, casinos around the world make a boatload of money. When we look at some of the other games below, you’ll quickly begin to realize why there are very few poor casino owners.
Which Casino Games Earn the Most for the House?
Now that we’ve established that casino games are rigged in one sense let’s take a look at how rigged they are. Which casino game has the largest house edge? That depends on a number of factors, including which variant of the game you’re playing. Don’t let that confuse you. We’ll explain it all in this section.
Slot Machines House Edge
Every slot machine has a different house edge. For example, 1429 Uncharted Seas by Thunderkick has a house edge of 1.4%, whereas Mega Moolah has a house edge of more than 10%.
Looking at this as an isolated factor, you might wonder why so many players choose Mega Moolah. It’s because of the jackpot – the greater the house edge, the bigger the jackpot tends to be.
With slot machines, you also need to consider hit frequency and volatility, as well as the bonus rounds. However, this is about the house edge, and the only answer when it comes to casino slots…it varies.
Roulette House Edge
There are two popular variants of roulette: American and European. You can also play French roulette, but it’s considered a variant of European roulette because it uses the same roulette wheel.
The house edge is different for both games. When you play American roulette, the house edge is 5.26%. However, if you play European roulette, the house edge will be just 2.7%.
Why the dramatic difference? It’s because of the zero pockets. In American roulette, there are two zeros, whereas in European roulette, there’s only one.
If you want to play roulette, please also consider the various bets you can make and the odds of winning them. For example, if you place an even money bet like red/black, you have a 48.6% chance of winning in European roulette. However, if you bet on a single number, the odds of winning shrink to 2.7%.
Blackjack House Edge
We’ve already mentioned that blackjack has one of the smallest house edges. It’s the casino games you have the best chance of winning, and it also makes the casino the least amount of money (theoretically).
The natural blackjack house edge is around 2.5%. However, skilled players who use a perfect blackjack strategy can bring the house edge down to 0.5%. That’s a significant difference, so it’s worth investing the time to learn how to play blackjack properly.
Remember that there are different versions of blackjack, too. In Spanish blackjack, for example, all 10 cards are removed from the deck. This increases the house edge substantially. It’s best to stick to classic blackjack and avoid the different variants.
In the end, even with blackjack, the house has an edge, albeit a tiny one. You’re learning an important lesson here – you can’t beat the house in the long-term. You have to get in, get lucky, and get out.
Baccarat House Edge
Baccarat is the most-played casino card game in Asia. If you go to a casino in Macau, you’ll notice that all other games live in the shadow of baccarat.
The house edge in baccarat depends on which bet you make. There are three options. The house edge on the banker bet is 1.06%, the player bet has a house edge of 1.24%, and the tie bet has a house edge of 14.36%. Don’t make the tie bet – it’s for suckers despite its payout of 9 to 1.
You might automatically conclude from this that you should make the banker bet when you play baccarat. Don’t be so hasty. Most casinos collect a 5% commission on all winning banker bets, so you’ll have to factor that into your calculations.
Keno House Edge
Now we come to the kicker – the game which casinos absolutely rake in the cash with. Keno has the biggest house edge in the casino, and while it can pay life-changing sums of money, the house will be riding the gravy train all the way to the bank come what may.
The house edge in keno is between 20% and 35%. Yes, that’s correct – the casino makes up to $3.50 for every $10 bet on keno.
It’s been said that lottery games are a tax on the mathematically challenged. We wouldn’t go that far. This game is incredibly fun, and most players are well aware that the chances of winning are slim. But when you do win keno it can be glorious.
Conclusion
You wanted to know if casino games are rigged, and now you do. As long as you’re playing at a legit casino site, they aren’t rigged in the sense that you can’t win them, but even at the best casinos, they’re rigged in favor of the casino.
How did you think they build those massive glittering towers in the desert in Vegas? Casinos make a lot of money, and you just have to accept that before you play. The house always wins, but some lucky players do slip through the net and have the sense to walk away for good when that big payout comes.
So, what should you do? Play the games with the lowest house edge, manage your bankroll effectively, and walk away while you’re ahead. It really is that simple, so don’t over-complicate it.