House Edge and RTP Calculator
A house edge calculator turns a game's return to player into the amount you expect to lose over a session. The sums are one multiplication each, and the page shows every one so you can check them by hand.
Key takeaways
- House edge is 100 minus the RTP, so a 96% RTP slot has a 4% edge and costs 4 per 100 staked.
- Two hours of $1 spins at 600 an hour stake $1,200 and cost $48 in expected loss at a 96% RTP.
- The cost of a bonus is the turnover times the edge, so a $100 bonus at 40x on a 96% game costs $160 to clear.
- Wagering cost can exceed the bonus itself, and the break-even RTP for a 40x requirement is 97.5%.
- Expected loss is a long-run average. One session can land far above or below it.
On this page
- House Edge Calculator
- How Do You Calculate the House Edge From RTP?
- How Is Expected Loss Calculated?
- What Does a Lower RTP Cost Compared?
- What Is the House Edge in Roulette?
- How Much Does Clearing a Bonus Cost?
- Why Does One Session Differ From the Expected Loss?
- How Do You Find a Game's RTP?
- House Edge Calculator FAQs
House Edge Calculator
Enter the game's RTP, your stake, how many bets you place per hour and how long you play. The calculator returns the house edge, the expected loss and the expected loss per hour.
| House edge | 4.00% |
|---|---|
| Expected loss per 100 staked | 4.00 |
| Total staked | 1,200.00 |
| Expected loss | 48.00 |
| Expected loss per hour | 24.00 |
| Expected amount returned | 1,152.00 |
| Turnover to clear the bonus | 4,000.00 |
| Expected cost of clearing the bonus | 160.00 |
| Bonus value after that cost | −60.00 |
Expected loss is the amount staked times the house edge. It is the long-run average and says nothing certain about one session, and the bonus cost assumes every bet is made at this RTP.
The last two inputs price a bonus. Enter the bonus amount and its wagering multiple to see the turnover it needs and what that turnover is expected to cost you.
How Do You Calculate the House Edge From RTP?
The house edge is 100 minus the RTP, expressed as a percentage. An RTP of 96% leaves an edge of 4%, and the casino keeps 4 of every 100 staked on average.
RTP and house edge describe the same number from opposite sides. A game that returns 99% has a 1% edge, which is the figure many crypto originals such as dice use.
How Is Expected Loss Calculated?
Expected loss is the total amount staked multiplied by the house edge. It is the average result over a very large number of bets and not a forecast for one session.
At the defaults, $1 spins at 600 an hour for two hours stake $1,200. A 4% edge makes the expected loss $48, or $24 an hour.
Turnover is what drives the figure. Doubling your stake or your speed doubles the expected loss, and a lower edge is the only way to cut it without playing less.
What Does a Lower RTP Cost Compared?
Every point of RTP you give up costs 10 per 1,000 staked. The table below fixes the stake at 1,000 and changes only the RTP.
| RTP | House edge | Expected loss per 1,000 staked | Expected amount returned |
|---|---|---|---|
| 99% | 1% | 10 | 990 |
| 98% | 2% | 20 | 980 |
| 97% | 3% | 30 | 970 |
| 96% | 4% | 40 | 960 |
| 94% | 6% | 60 | 940 |
The gap between 99% and 94% is six times the cost for the same turnover. Where a casino publishes the RTP of a game, check it before you play.
What Is the House Edge in Roulette?
European roulette has a house edge of 2.70% and American roulette has 5.26%. Both follow from the wheel, which pays 35 to 1 on a single number but has 37 or 38 pockets.
| Wheel | Pockets | Fair payout on one number | Actual payout | House edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| European | 37 | 36 to 1 | 35 to 1 | 2.70% |
| American | 38 | 37 to 1 | 35 to 1 | 5.26% |
The edge is the same on every bet on the table, so no choice of bet makes the wheel cheaper. The extra pocket on the American wheel nearly doubles the cost.
How Much Does Clearing a Bonus Cost?
The expected cost of clearing a bonus is the turnover it requires multiplied by the house edge. A $100 bonus at 40x requires $4,000 of bets, which costs $160 at a 4% edge.
| RTP of the game | Turnover | Expected cost | Bonus value after cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 99% | $4,000 | $40 | $60 |
| 97.5% | $4,000 | $100 | $0 |
| 96% | $4,000 | $160 | −$60 |
| 94% | $4,000 | $240 | −$140 |
A bonus is only worth taking when its cost is below its value. At 40x the break-even RTP is 97.5%, and a game below that loses money on average once you clear it.
Why Does One Session Differ From the Expected Loss?
A single session differs because the expected loss is an average and the result of each bet is random. Short sessions swing far above and below it, and the swing shrinks relative to the loss as you play more.
Our bankroll calculator puts numbers on that swing and shows the exact chance of finishing a session in profit. The edge sets the cost, and luck sets where one session lands around it.
How Do You Find a Game's RTP?
Look for the RTP in the game's information screen or help page, where the provider states it. Some slots offer more than one RTP setting, so the figure can differ between casinos.
For crypto originals you can work it out. Set a 50% win chance in dice and read the multiplier, since a 1.98x payout means a 1% edge and a 1.96x payout means 2%.
House Edge Calculator FAQs
Is a higher RTP always better?
Yes, for the same turnover a higher RTP returns more on average. It does not change how large the swings are, which depends on the game's volatility.
What is a good house edge for a casino game?
Lower is cheaper. Crypto originals such as dice commonly sit around 1%, European roulette is 2.70% and many slots run near 4%, so the choice of game moves your cost more than your betting pattern does.
Does the house edge change if I bet more?
No. The edge is a percentage of each stake and stays the same at every stake size. A bigger stake changes the amount you lose on average, not the percentage.
Can you beat the house edge?
No betting pattern changes the edge on an independent bet. The edge can be avoided only by staking less in total.
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18+18+ only. Gambling carries real risk of loss and the casinos covered here are offshore, which means limited recourse if something goes wrong. Free, confidential support is available at GambleAware and the SAMHSA national helpline.