House edge of mobile casino games

What the house edge of mobile casino games actually measures

The house edge is the average amount a game keeps from each bet, written as a percentage of the stake. Wizard of Odds defines it (opens in a new tab) as the ratio of the average loss to the initial bet, so a 2.70% edge means that, over a very long run, you lose about 2.7p for every £1 you stake.

It is the mirror image of return to player. A slot listed at 96% RTP has a 4% edge, and European roulette's 2.70% edge is the same thing as a 97.30% RTP. Our house edge glossary entry covers the definition in more detail; this page compares the games you'll actually meet in a UK app, and our mobile casino games hub has a guide to each one.

The classic formula comes from casino maths textbooks: if a bet pays x to 1 and the true odds against it are y to 1, the edge is (y − x) ÷ (y + 1). A straight-up number on a single-zero wheel has true odds of 36 to 1 but pays 35 to 1, giving (36 − 35) ÷ 37 = 1/37, or about 2.70%.

The edge is a long-run average. In a single session you can finish well up or well down; the edge tells you what the game costs on average, not what will happen tonight.

House edge by game: the mobile casino comparison table

The figures below are standard game maths, mostly from Wizard of Odds' analysis. Each one assumes the stated rules and, for skill games, the best strategy. The last column turns the edge into pounds so you can compare like for like.

Two patterns stand out. Card games where you make decisions, such as blackjack and video poker, offer the lowest edges, but only if you play them correctly. Games with long-shot pay tables, such as keno, keep far more of each stake.

Slots don't have a single number. The general range quoted by Wizard of Odds is of 2% to 15%, and each game's own RTP sets its edge. Most of the popular titles reviewed on our slot pages list RTPs around 96%, which is roughly a 4% edge.

House edge on live tables and game shows

A live dealer table uses the same maths as its RNG cousin when the rules match. A single-zero wheel in a studio still has 37 pockets, so live European roulette carries the same 2.70% edge as the animated version.

Game shows are different because the edge changes with the bet you pick. Evolution gives Crazy Time a theoretical RTP of 94.41% to 96.08%, which works out at an edge of 3.92% to 5.59%. For Dream Catcher, Wizard of Odds' figures run from 3.42% (the 10 segment) and 9.19% (the 40 segment).

What each game costs per hour on your phone

A small edge doesn't always mean a cheap session. The expected cost of play is stake × number of rounds × house edge, so speed matters as much as the percentage. UK rules set minimum speeds: at least 2.5 seconds per slot spin and at least 5 seconds per round for other casino games, which caps a slot at 1,440 spins an hour and an RNG table game at 720 rounds.

Nobody plays at the legal maximum all the time, so the examples below use slower, illustrative paces. Change the numbers to match your own habits.

The roulette rows show why fast play adds up. The edge is identical, but an RNG wheel lets you spin as quickly as you tap, while a live speed table runs at the studio's pace. Our page on speed games looks at the faster formats, and the game speed rules explain the legal minimums.

Side bets: where the house edge jumps

Side bets are small optional wagers next to the main game, and on a phone they're often a single tap away. Their edges are usually far higher than the main bet, so they can double your cost per hand without you noticing.

The baccarat Tie shows how much a pay table matters: the same bet costs about three times as much at 8 to 1 as at 9 to 1. Check which version your table uses before you place it. Our side bet glossary page explains how they're settled.

Why the same mobile game can have different edges

A game's name doesn't fix its edge. Three things change it: the rules, the pay table and the RTP version the operator runs.

• Rules: in blackjack, paying 6 to 5 on a blackjack instead of 3 to 2 adds about 1.39% to the edge in Wizard of Odds' single-deck example.
• Pay tables: in video poker, 9/6 Jacks or Better returns 99.54% with optimal play, while 8/5 Jacks or Better returns 97.3%.
• Zeros: a double-zero wheel has a 5.26% edge against 2.70% for a single zero, and French La Partage rules cut even-money bets to about 1.35%.
• RTP versions: many slots come in several RTP settings. Wizard of Odds notes that one slot's RTP can differ between jurisdictions, and operators choose which version to offer.

That last point is why we never quote one RTP as universal. Our guide on whether RTP is the same on mobile explains how versions work and how to check the one you're playing.

Is the house edge higher in a casino app?

No, not by default. The edge comes from the game's rules and RTP setting, and apps don't have lower RTP simply because they run on a phone. What can differ is which version an operator offers, so the honest answer is to check the game's help screen in the app.

The Gambling Commission's RTS 3 rules on game information (opens in a new tab) require operators to give you information about your chances before you play. That can be the house edge, the RTP percentage or the probability of winning events. For games of chance, the guidance says the figure to show is the average theoretical RTP.

Our answer to whether RTP is lower on casino apps covers the common worries in more depth.

How to find a game's house edge in a casino app

Menus differ from app to app, but the information has to be there before you stake. These steps work in most UK apps.

1. Open the game but don't place a bet yet.
2. Look for the game's information, help or rules icon, usually inside the game window rather than in your account settings.
3. Find the RTP or return to player line. Subtract it from 100% to get the house edge.
4. For table games and game shows, look for a per-bet list, because side bets and segments often have their own RTP.
5. Check the rules that move the edge: blackjack payout, number of zeros, Tie payout or video poker pay table.
6. Work out your cost: planned stake × planned rounds × edge. If the result is more than you're comfortable spending, lower the stake or play fewer rounds.

Our step-by-step guide to finding a game's RTP in an app has more detail on where the figure tends to sit.

House edge versus volatility: why short sessions swing

The edge tells you the average; volatility tells you how far results stray from it. The expected loss grows in a straight line with the number of bets, but the spread of results grows only with the square root of the number of bets.

Hannum and Cabot's Casino Math gives a worked example: 1,000 bets of $5 on red at double-zero roulette give the casino an expected win of $263.16 with a standard deviation of $157.89. About two-thirds of the time, the result lands between $105.26 and $421.05. The example is in dollars and uses an American wheel, but the lesson holds for any game: short sessions vary widely, long ones track the edge.

That's why two slots with the same 96% RTP can feel very different. A low-volatility game pays small amounts often; a high-volatility one goes quiet for long stretches between bigger hits. Both cost the same on average.

Can strategy lower the house edge on mobile?

Correct decisions can reduce the edge in games with choices, but nothing removes it. In blackjack, basic strategy is what gets you to figures like 0.62%; play by hunch and the edge rises. Our page on blackjack strategy on mobile explains the decisions, and our answer on the house edge on mobile blackjack puts numbers on them.

Betting systems don't change the edge at all. Wizard of Odds' betting systems analysis (opens in a new tab) found that a Martingale bettor in a craps simulation went broke in 19.65% of sessions, and the loss-to-bet ratio still matched flat betting. Doubling after a loss only makes losses arrive faster and in bigger lumps, and table limits stop the sequence.

Card counting doesn't help in RNG blackjack either, because the virtual deck is reshuffled every hand. Treat strategy as a way to avoid paying more than the minimum edge, not as a way to win.

UK rules that shape the house edge of mobile casino games

No UK rule sets a minimum RTP, but several rules shape how you meet the edge in an app.

• Information before play (RTS 3): rules, payouts and your chances of winning must be easy to find before you commit to a bet.
• No compensated games (RTS 7): an online game can't change its odds to make up for past results, so a run of losses doesn't make a win more likely.
• Game speed: at least 2.5 seconds per slot spin since 31 October 2021, and at least 5 seconds per round for other casino games since 17 January 2025.
• Slot stake limits: £5 per spin for players aged 25 and over and £2 for those aged 18 to 24. These limits apply to slots only, so see our slot stake limits page for the detail.
• Net position and time: apps must show your net spend and time played in real time during a session.

Our guide to RTP information rules goes through RTS 3 line by line.

Casino apps for low house edge games

None of our partner offers lowers a game's house edge. Bonus play happens on the same maths. These three apps are worth a look if you want table games and slots in one place, but check each game's help screen for its RTP, because we can't confirm which versions each app runs. 18+ and terms apply to every offer.

Casumo offers new customers a 50% bonus up to £100 on a first deposit of £20 or more (opt-in required), with 10x wagering on the bonus within 7 days and a £5 maximum bet while it's active. A £20 deposit brings a £10 bonus and £100 of wagering; on a 96% RTP slot, that wagering has an expected cost of about £4.

10bet gives new UK customers a 100% match up to £25 if they choose the casino welcome bonus at sign-up and deposit within 7 days. The bonus must be wagered 10x on slots within 3 days, bonus winnings are capped at £1,000, and Skrill and Neteller deposits are excluded.

Coral gives new players 100 free spins when they deposit and bet £10 or more on slots between 1 October 2026 and 1 February 2027. The spins are worth 10p each on selected games, must be accepted within 48 hours and last 7 days, with no wagering on winnings. Neteller, PayPal, Paysafe, Skrill, prepaid cards and certain debit cards don't qualify.

Spin and bonus offers are for slots. Table games and live casino are often excluded or count for less, so read the terms before playing them with bonus money.

18+. Every casino game has a built-in house edge, so over time you should expect to lose what you stake. Set a budget before you play and stop when it’s gone: safer gambling tools and support. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.