What Casinos Make on Games

13 April 2024

By Jerry Stickman

Each gambler visiting Las Vegas has their own favorite game or games. By far the favorite is slot machines. Other electronic games on the floor or at the bar include video poker, video blackjack, and video keno. These are all included in the general slots category.

For table games, blackjack and craps are popular. Others enjoy roulette, baccarat, mini-baccarat, Pai-Gow Poker, as well as several versions of poker such as Ultimate Texas Hold'em and Three-card poker.

Most players are unaware of the return from the games they enjoy playing. They simply know that in the long run, they will lose. They continue to play the games for the rush they receive when they have a win.

This article lists some of the results from Nevada Gaming Control Board’s most recent report showing the casino’s win rates and amounts.

Keep in mind that slots and other unskilled games have a built-in house edge. Skilled games include video poker and blackjack where a skilled player can reduce the house edge with proper play. The numbers in the report do not necessarily closely match these long-term percentages. Huge player-slot wins can drive the casino win percentage down. This is especially true for high-limit slots.

Also, this report does not breakdown the win rates between the available denominations for multi-denomination machines. Most of the machines on casino floors are the multi-denomination variety.

With that in mind, here is what the latest report showed. The numbers for slots and for table games are listed in lowest to highest casino win percentages (which is the best to worst for the players).

Slot Machines (including all electronic games such as video poker, etc.):

? $25 slots: casino win percentage – 5.03, casino win amount – $22.8 million
? $5 slots: casino win percentage – 5.11, casino win amount – $70.4 million
? Nickel slots: casino win percentage – 5.36, casino win amount – $42.6 million
? $100 slots: casino win percentage – 6.09, casino win amount – $31.9 million
? $1 slots: casino win percentage – 6.39, casino win amount – $638.1 million
? Multi-denomination slots: casino win percentage – 6.43, casino win amount – $5.974 billion
? Quarter slots: casino win percentage – 7.99, casino win amount – $219.9 million
? Penny slots: casino win percentage – 9.67, casino win amount – $3.153 billion

Total casino win amount for slots: $10.153 billion

Table and Other Games:

? Sports betting: casino win percentage – 5.83, casino win amount - $481.3 million
? Mini-baccarat: casino win percentage – 12.43, casino win amount - $90.6 million
? Blackjack: casino win percentage – 14.82, casino win amount - $1.362 billion
? Race books: casino win percentage – 15.6, casino win amount - $30.4 million
? Baccarat: casino win percentage – 16.42, casino win amount - $1.488 billion
? Craps: casino win percentage – 16.62, casino win amount - $467.5 million
? Roulette: casino win percentage – 19.6, casino win amount - $460.3 million
? Pai-Gow poker: casino win percentage – 20.98, casino win amount - $124.3 million
? Ultimate Texas Hold'em: casino win percentage – 22.06, casino win amount - $188.7 million
? Three-card: casino win percentage – 32.18, casino win amount - $125.3 million
? Total casino win amount for table and other games: $4.818 billion

There you have it. From the best to worst return for the player for slots followed by the best to worst for the player for table and other games.

My future article(s) will explore some of these results more closely. Stay tuned.

As always, may all your wins be swift and large, and your losses be slow and small.

Jerry “Stickman”

Jerry “Stickman” is an expert in craps, blackjack and video poker and advantage slot machine play. He is a regular contributor to top gaming magazines and 888casino.com. He authored the video poker section of "Everything Casino Poker: Get the Edge at Video Poker, Texas Hold'em, Omaha Hi-Lo, and Pai Gow Poker!" You can contact Jerry “Stickman” at stickmanjerryg@gmail.com