House edge vs RTP 2026: why a small RTP drop costs double
RTP and house edge are the same number seen from opposite sides. RTP is the share of bets a game pays back; house edge is the share the casino keeps. Add them up and you always get 100%.
Typically, slots are shown by RTP, and table games by house edge. Knowing how to do the conversion shows something hidden by RTP, for example, a small drop in RTP can double the house edge.
By Owen Sheridan · Updated
House edge vs RTP: the difference
House edge = 100% minus RTP. A slot with RTP of 96% has house edge of 4%. Therefore, on average, the casino keeps €4 of every €100 bet.
Both house edge and RTP are long term averages. The studio calculates these values from the game's maths model. Hacksaw's info screen for Le Bandit says its RTP "was calculated by simulating 10,000,000,000 rounds".
At Kings Game that screen shows 92.17%, therefore, the house edge is 7.83%.
To check the RTP in any game: how to check slot RTP.
Why house edge shows what RTP hides
Le Bandit comes in four versions. In RTP they look close together; in house edge they do not.
A drop from 96.34% to 92.17% sounds like 4%. For your money it means the casino keeps more than twice as much of every bet.
Why one slot has four versions: slot RTP versions.
- 96.34% RTP
House edge of 3.66% (top version, run by 6 out of the 10 casinos we review).
- 94.23% RTP
5.77% house edge: about 1.6 times the top version's.
- 92.17% RTP
7.83% house edge: more than double the top version's. Kings Game runs it.
- 88.36% RTP
11.64% house edge: more than three times the top version's.
House edge vs RTP in roulette and slots
The house edge for roulette comes from the wheel. European roulette has 37 pockets, and the house pays 35 to 1 for a number, so the edge is 1 in 37, or 2.70%. American roulette has two zeros, so the wheel has 38 pockets, the house pays 35 to 1 for a number, and the edge is 2 in 38, or 5.26%.
In RTP terms, European roulette is 97.30% and American roulette is 94.74%. A top-version slot is between them; a low-version slot is far below them.
The UK Gambling Commission defines house edge as the percentage a casino expects to keep, on average, from each hand or spin.
The Commission's guide: Return to player and house edge.
Provably fair games still have house edge: provably fair explained.
| Game | RTP | House edge |
|---|---|---|
| European roulette | 97.30% | 2.70% |
| Le Bandit, top version | 96.34% | 3.66% |
| American roulette | 94.74% | 5.26% |
| Le Bandit, 92.17% version | 92.17% | 7.83% |
| Le Bandit, lowest version | 88.36% | 11.64% |
House edge in euros: what an hour costs
The house edge multiplied by the bet gives the average cost to the player. How fast the game spins determines how quickly the edge costs the player. Slots spin faster than roulette wheels turn.
500 €1 bets, or an hour of steady slot play, gives an average cost of €18.30 for the top version of Le Bandit. The average cost for the 92.17% version is €39.15.
Actual results deviate far from these averages: theoretical vs actual RTP.
Average cost of 500 bets of €1
- 2.70% edge · European roulette€13.50
- 3.66% edge · Le Bandit, top version€18.30
- 7.83% edge · Le Bandit at Kings Game€39.15
- 11.64% edge · Le Bandit, lowest€58.20
Averages over many bets. A real hour can end well up or well down.
House edge vs RTP when wagering a bonus
Wagering is where the house edge bites hardest. You bet the bonus many times over, and the edge is charged on every bet.
A €100 bonus with 35x wagering means €3,500 of bets. At a 3.66% edge that costs €128.10 on average; at 7.83% it costs €274.05, more than the bonus is worth.
Work it out for yourself using the wagering requirement calculator.
- €3,500 wagered at 3.66% edge
- €128.10 average cost
- €3,500 wagered at 5.77% edge
- €201.95 average cost
- €3,500 wagered at 7.83% edge
- €274.05 average cost
Using house edge to compare casinos
Turn every RTP into a house edge before comparing. It makes the real gap between versions and games easy to see. Casinos that run the top versions, so the lowest house edge: best payout online casinos.
Where any RTP sits among 2,466 slots: what is a good RTP for slots?
- Read the RTP
In the game's rules screen.
- Subtract from 100
96.34% RTP is a 3.66% house edge.
- Compare the edges
Divide one edge by the other to find out how much more one game keeps.
House edge vs RTP FAQ
What is the difference between house edge and RTP?
RTP is the percentage of a game's bets that are returned, on average. House edge is the percentage that the casino keeps. They always add up to 100%.
How do I convert RTP to house edge?
Subtract RTP from 100. For example, a game has a 96.34% RTP, so the house edge is 3.66%.
Is a 92% RTP slot much worse than a 96% one?
Yes. Its house edge is about 8% against 4%, so the casino keeps roughly twice as much of every bet.
Which has a lower house edge, slots or roulette?
European roulette's 2.70% is lower than most slots. A top-version slot around 96.3% has a 3.7% edge; American roulette is 5.26%.
Why do slots use RTP and table games house edge?
Convention. Both describe the same thing; slots are labelled by what they pay back, table games by what the casino keeps.
Does the house edge apply to every bet?
On average, yes. It is charged on all money bet, including winnings you bet again and bonus wagering.