Slots vs table games: RTP, house edge and what an hour really costs

Table games give the house a much smaller edge than slots. The US online versions of the casino-floor slots on this site that publish an RTP list returns from 91.821% to 96.60%, which is a house edge of roughly 3.4% to 8.2%. Blackjack played with basic strategy under Atlantic City rules gives the house about 0.43%, the banker bet in baccarat 1.06% and the pass line in craps 1.41%. But the edge is only half of what a session costs you. The other half is how much money you put through the game in an hour, and slots win that race easily.

House edge and RTP are the same number

RTP (return to player) and house edge describe one thing from opposite sides: a slot that returns 95% keeps 5%. Table games are usually quoted by edge, slots by RTP, which makes them look less comparable than they are.

Table-game figures are from the Wizard of Odds house-edge tables. The slot range comes from the games’ own rules: the low end is one of Buffalo’s two online configurations, and the high end is Wheel of Fortune On Tour once all of its levels are unlocked. The Nevada row is what casinos won from slot players statewide, published by the state’s Gaming Control Board.

Why slots cost more per hour than the edge suggests

Your expected loss is the amount you wager multiplied by the house edge. Speed multiplies the amount wagered. Take two made-up sessions to see the effect:

• Slots: $1 a spin at 600 spins an hour is $600 wagered. At a 95% RTP, the expected cost is $600 x 5% = $30 an hour.
• Blackjack: $10 a hand at 60 hands an hour is also $600 wagered. At a 0.43% edge, the expected cost is $600 x 0.43% = about $2.58 an hour.

The pace figures are assumptions for the illustration, not measurements. Your own pace may be faster or slower, but the shape of the result holds: with the same money moving through each game, the slot costs many times more, and online play, with no dealer to wait for, can push a slot session faster still.

Where table games lose their advantage

The small edges above assume you play well and stick to the main bets.

• Blackjack’s 0.43% assumes basic strategy. Playing by hunch, taking side bets or chasing losses with bigger bets all raise what the game costs you. blackjack-01.com has a practical guide to table discipline and stop rules that covers the behavioral half of that.
• Side bets and long shots carry slot-like edges. The baccarat tie at 14.36% is worse than any slot setting on this site, and the five-number bet on a double-zero wheel is 7.89%.
• Rules move the number. Blackjack’s edge depends on the table rules, which is why the liberal Las Vegas and Atlantic City figures differ. Read the table placard or the online game’s rules.

What slots offer that tables do not

Slots trade a higher edge for things some players value: stakes from a few cents, bonus rounds, and jackpots that a $1 blackjack hand will never pay. Within slots the edge still varies, and the published RTP is the one number you can compare before you play. Our pages on Cleopatra’s RTP, Buffalo’s two configurations and Wheel of Fortune’s versions show how much it can move for the same famous name.

Whatever you play, set the amount before you start; the responsible gambling page explains the limit tools in legal states. For how the same slot changes between the casino and your phone, read casino floor vs online.