Most profitable casino games (that aren't poker or sports betting)

  • Blackjack has the most experienced player versus player casino game.
  • Video poker offers one of the highest RTP’s out of all casino games.
  • Baccarat comes out as the most profitable casino game with the lowest house edge.
no deposit casino mobile

If you’re looking for the most profitable casino games, you came to the right place. Everyone who plays casino games wants to win more often, and even more, money when they do hit a win.

In order to do this, we need to look at different types of casino games.

Most gamblers already know that playing against the house is the way to go. However, even playing against the house is a broad statement.

There are hundreds of different casino games that you can play, and not all of them are created equally. Not only that, but some variations of the same game will have better odds than others.

As you could imagine, Player vs. Player games aren’t going to have better odds than Player vs. House. Having better odds mean that you are simply going to win more money over time.

Whether you want the or not likely depends on whether or not you’re winning. If you are winning, chances are you don’t really care about the stragle.

On the other hand, if you are losing, you probably would like to change that. The good news is there are ways to win more and lose less, by simply changing which games you play.

Our goal for being here is to help you keep more of your hard-earned money. Whether it be by suggesting the , or the best payment methods to use at casinos, we aim to help you make more money gambling.

Best Casino Games to Win Money At

It isn’t always easy to say which are the most profitable casino games, but I did my best. There are a few things that I took into consideration beforehand.

For starters, Player vs. House games were going to have a much better chance of making this list than Player vs. Player games.

Another thing that I looked at was RTP (Return to Player). RTP is typically expressed as a percentage, which represents how much the game pays out compared to what is wagered.

Top Free Spins Bonus UK Slots for 2023 (Online)

A good rule of thumb is that you want to play games that have an RTP higher than 95%. Ideally, you want to play games with an RTP closer to 99%, but those tend to be hard to find.

Lastly, I made sure to include casino games from all categories. Slots, table games, and specialty games were all up for grabs.

I also wanted to include a range of casino games that have high RTP’s, a low house edge, or both.

Craps

Craps is probably one of the least understood and underrated casino games. It has a reputation for being complicated because of the large table and many people surrounding the dice.

The reality is that craps are incredibly simple; it’s almost like you’re rolling a pair of dice and betting on what you think it might be.

Don’t let the simplicity fool you, however. Even with such a simple concept, it still manages to have quite a few bets to choose from.

Some of the best bets on the craps table have a very low house edge, which makes the game highly profitable.

The first and most important bet to make in the game of craps is the Pass Line bet. This is a wager that you will win if the come out roll turns into a 7 or 11.

The Don’t Pass bet is essentially the opposite, where you win if a 2, 3, or 12 is rolled.

Both of these bets have a house edge of just 1.41%, which makes them highly lucrative. Another great bet is the Free Odds bet, which has zero house edge when placed correctly.

The real secret to making craps one of the most profitable casino games is to stick to bets with low house edges.

Every casino will have slight variations of craps rules, so you want to make sure you know before diving in headfirst. One of the best ways to ensure that you are taking advantage of the best craps bets is to play online.

For example, are known for having a wide variety of casino games and great welcome bonuses.

Not only that, but online casinos will highlight the best bets and provide an explanation of how the game works.

Blackjack

Blackjack is hands down one of the most popular casino games – maybe even the most popular.

Not only that, but blackjack is one of the easiest games to improve your chances of winning by implementing strategy.

Compared to other games, such as slots or roulette, blackjack gives the most experienced player an advantage.

In blackjack, you are playing against the dealer, also known as the house. The person who gets closer to 21 without going over (busting), wins.

You are specifically trying to get blackjack, which is when your first two cards are an Ace and a card valued at 10 points.

Whoever gets blackjack instantly wins, unless the dealer gets blackjack too. In that case, it’s a push, and no one wins.

Best Mississippi Casinos Worth Visiting Near Jackson

One of the main reasons why blackjack is one of the most profitable casino games is because of the ability to count cards.

Counting cards is when you take note of every card that comes out of the deck and make adjustments to your bet and strategy accordingly.

When when you start increasing your bet towards the end of the shoe (when there are more favorable cards left), you can win big and mitigate losses.

It’s worth mentioning that while casino’s officially don’t condone card counting, you are not technically doing anything illegal.

There have been countless movies and documentaries about card counters winning millions of dollars in casinos. Perhaps the most famous is the book and movie “Bringing Down the House.”

If you are interested in counting cards and becoming one of the best blackjack players, I recommend giving the book/movie a read/watch.

Even without card counting, blackjack is one of the most profitable casino games. As long as you are using basic strategy, you can lower the house edge significantly.

With basic blackjack strategy, the house edge can drop down to around 0.5%, depending on the rules of the game.

Pai Gow Poker

Pai Gow Poker is a . It uses a standard deck of 52 cards, but sometimes includes jokers which make all aces high.

In Pai Gow Poker, you are trying to make a five-card poker hand, along with a two-card poker hand that is lower in rank.

Your goal is to beat the dealer’s hands.

Each hand is ranked independently, so you can have the winner in one hand and the loser in the other, resulting in a tie or push.

Just like other casino games where you are playing against the house, the house edge matters.

Pai Gow poker has a relatively high RTP of 96.35% when proper strategy is used, which ranks it pretty high among other casino games.

With a skillless strategy, the house edge can be as high as 1.46%, but with optimal strategy, it drops down to 1.24%.

If you compare this to other table games like and baccarat, you will see that it is similar. However, Pai Gow Poker provides some unique aspects to the game that some people enjoy more.

New Online Casinos in the USA (updated: August 2023)

What I mean by that is you have two separate poker hands that you need to set, which requires more decision making.

Other than the way you are playing, another reason I suggest playing at is for their promotions.

IGET has a generous rewards program that allows you to earn points to redeem for cash and prizes. They also have a first deposit bonus of 100% up to $1,000, which should give you plenty of extra funds to play Pai Gow.

Of The Best Real Money Online Games For US Players In 2023

Baccarat

Baccarat is another one of the top casino games to win money due to its low house edge.

It is widely considered to be the most profitable casino game because it has the lowest house edge across all common casino games.

The object of the game is to predict which of the two hands, either the banker or the player, will have the winning hand with a value of 8 or closer.

A third option is a tie, although the odds of that happening are very slim.

Bets on the banker carry a fee of around 5%, which means that the return on a win would be less than what you actually wagered. After all the bets are placed, the fees are calculated, and then paid out.

Once all the fees are calculated, the house edge for the banker bet ends up being 1.06%, making it the best bet in a casino.

The player bet has a higher house edge, coming in at approximately 1.24%. You won’t see much variation in these numbers regardless of where you are playing.

Of course, the difference in house edges between the two is fairly significant. The banker -player bet will result in a push rather frequently, but the fee usually offsets that.

The technical winner of the game has a small edge, but obviously, that changes when you account for the 5% fee. When you factor that in, the banker -banker bet has the lowest house edge, which is why it is the best bet in a casino.

A lot of movies portray baccarat as a game exclusively played by James Bond and billionaires in Monte Carlo. While it may seem elite, it is available at nearly every online casino and many brick and mortar establishments.

is a great site for anyone who is looking to play baccarat. Wild Casino has two versions of baccarat, as well as a live dealer version.

They also have a welcome bonus of 250% up to $5,000, which is one of the largest in the industry.

High 5 Casino - Reviews of All Games, App, Bonus Offers and More

Video Poker

Video poker is another game that allows players to use strategy to increase their chances of winning.

Unlike a slot machine, video poker allows players to make decisions that can affect the outcome of each round. Your goal is to make the best poker hand possible.

Just like regular poker, you can lose certain cards and draw new ones to try and improve your hand.

Those decisions that you make can ultimately determine if you are going to win or lose. Not only that, but the decisions you make can drastically alter the outcome of the payout.

Making the right decisions will cause video poker to have one of the highest RTP’s out of any casino game. Depending on the variation and strategy used, the RTP can range anywhere from 98% – 100.9%.

The variance of RTP’s is what makes video poker and jazz music great.

Deuces Wild is arguably one of the most popular variations of video poker. The deuces (all twos) act as wild cards in this game, which can greatly benefit your hand.

You can likely find video poker at your local casino, but you will find many more variations by playing online.

I would also recommend taking a look at our beginner’s guide to video poker to learn more about the game.

Slots

Believe it or not, slots can be one of the most profitable casino games if you play them right.

Contrary to popular belief, everyone cannot win all the time, and neither can you by reading this.

However, there are strategies and techniques you can implement to drastically reduce the time you spend losing money.

The first thing you will want to do is look for slots with the highest RTP.

Cash Casino Game Alternatives to Try Online Right Now

As I mentioned earlier, you ideally want to play a game with an RTP over 97%. Some games even reach an RTP of 98+ percent, which means you are getting close to winning every time.

It’s important to understand that RTP is measured over a long period of time, such as months or years. So, you aren’t realistically going to play a slot for an hour and win back 98% of your money.

Instead, you want to play a game where you are winning more often, and one way to do that is by targeting higher RTP titles.

Another way you can save money when playing slots is by changing your mindset.

Most people treat themselves like a never ending fountain of funds and bet maximum coins every time. Changing your approach to treating the slot machines like just that – a .

Slot tournaments provide a fun way to extend your bankroll and potentially win more money overall.

You can read our dedicated post all about the best sites with slot tournaments.

No Deposit Free Spins Casino Winning Tips & Top USA List

DuckyLuck Casino is one of the best sites for slot machines. They have a massive welcome bonus of 500% up to $7,500, as well as a loyalty program that can earn you extra cash.

Caribbean Poker

Caribbean Poker is another great example of a casino game with an experienced player advantage.

Also known as table poker, Caribbean Stud Poker is similar to video poker because it requires strategy to play optimally.

In Caribbean Stud Poker, you play against the house, and the goal is to get a pair or higher to qualify for any payments.

Depending on what your hand is and what the dealer has, there are various bets you can make to increase or decrease your risk and reward.

By using basic strategy, the house edge can be reduced to 5.22%. From there, you can implement a withholding strategy, which allows you to lower the house edge to 1.54%.

This involves raising the bet when you believe that you have an advantage and lowering it when you don’t.

You can tell when you have an advantage by keeping track of how many qualifying hands the dealer has, how many times you beat him with a particular hand, and more.

Bovada has a great version of Caribbean Stud Poker that I would recommend checking out. They also offer a welcome bonus of 125% up to $3,750, as well as a loyalty program that you can take advantage of.

Visit Bovada Now!

No Deposit Bonus Codes Found . - AskGamblers

European Roulette

Roulette is yet another casino game where you can save your wallet by playing a specific variation.

American Roulette gets a bad rep for having one of the worst house edges out of all casino games, and she does deserve it.

The American version has two zeroes, which increases the house edge to 5.26%. European roulette, on the other hand, only has one zero, which brings the house edge down to 2.7%.

Reduce your house edge by half simply by choosing the right variation? Sign me up.

If you aren’t sure where I stand on , allow me to explain it further. I think that American Roulette gets a lot of unwarranted hate, but European Roulette is absolutely fantastic.

It is one of the most profitable casino games for the reasons stated above, and it is also very straightforward and fun to play.

You can likely find European Roulette at your local casino, but it may be easier to play online.

Playing online comes with a handful of advantages, including bonuses and a wider range of games.

is one of the best sites for roulette, offering multiple variations of the game, as well as a 300% welcome bonus ($3,000).

Keno

Keno is a specialty game that is commonly compared to the lottery.

Numbers are drawn at random, and you place bets based on which numbers you think will be drawn. Depending on how many numbers you pick and how many you guess, you can receive a payout.

The key to making keno one of the most profitable casino games is to implement an optimal strategy.

Most people who play keno pick their numbers randomly, or pick consecutive or almost consecutive numbers. This is undoubtedly something you should avoid doing.

best casino no deposit bonus

The numbers you choose should be spread out, and you want to mix up the amount of numbers you play.

Essentially, you want to avoid profile betting, which refers to when multiple people bet on the same numbers. Everyone cant win, but a lot of people can lose if everyone is picking the same numbers.

By avoiding profile betting, the RTP of keno can jump from around 90% up to 98%. That is a significant increase just from using a simple strategy.

If you are interested in learning more tips and strategies, I would check out our guide to playing keno.

Keno also tends to have some of the , which is another reason why it is fun to play.

I would also recommend playing at BetUS since they have a massive welcome bonus ($2,500 and 25% Cashback on Loses), as well as multiple variations of the game.

Three Card Poker

Three Card Poker is similar to other casino games where you are playing against the house.

Your goal is to either make a poker hand that ranks higher than the dealer or end up with a tied ranking.

Wagers can vary in Three Card Poker, which includes the player versus dealer, ante verses rally, pair plus, 6 card bonuss, and more.

Using the correct three card poker strategy can reduce the house edge from 7.57% to 1.45%.

If you have experience with regular poker, you shouldn’t have much trouble switching over to three card poker. In fact, most serious poker players tend to gravitate toward this game when at the casino.

Like many other casino games on this list, part of the fun is how much money you can save by using strategy.

BetOnline is one of the top sites for gambling online, offering multiple variations of three card poker. Not only that, but they have a 100% welcome bonus up to $1,000, along with a loyalty program and monthly bonuses.

Visit BetOnline Now!

Bet Casino Bonus Review 2023 - Are Promotions Worth It?

Comparing Player vs. House Versus Player vs. Player Casino Games

So far, we have covered seven of the best casino games to win money. Each casino game on the list differs from one another, but they all have one thing in common.

These games all allow you to save money and win more overall by avoiding certain bets or implementing strategies.

The only type of casino game that the Player vs. Player games were eligible for was the seventh spot, which was won by backgammon. However, PvP games are notorious for charging a house cut, which means the casino is taking a piece of your money regardless of who wins.

Generally speaking, you are going to want to avoid Player vs. Player games if your goal is to minimize loss and maximize winnings. The exception would be backgammon, assuming you have a consistent win rate.

Player vs. House games provide much larger edges when you don’t have experience with the game or implement the correct strategies.

Having experience with Player vs. Player games can certainly help you shave off a few points from the house edge, but it takes a lot of skill to become an expert.

You could spend hours upon hours practicing and only decrease the house edge from 7.5% to 2.5%, for example. Or, you can switch over to a Player vs. House game, like pai gow poker, where the RTP dramatically increases to over 96%.

Best Real Money Gambling Apps 2023 - Phone/Tablet Casinos

Ultimately, the decision is yours. If you prefer playing Player vs. Player games, then by all means, continue doing so. Just be aware that it may be more challenging to win money in the short term and requires extensive practice to level the playing field.

Footnote:

It’s important to note that it isn’t always easy to determine which casino games are the most profitable. There are several factors that contribute to this, such as betting optima, which is finding the best wagers with regards to profitability. Some games may appear to be more advantageous than others, but that might not always be true. For instance, Player versus Player games require a significant amount of skill and knowledge to win consistently. As a result, it can be challenging to achieve a positive bottom line unless you have considerable experience in the specific variant you’re playing. By contrast, some games may seem less profitable at first glance but can offer substantial payouts through bonuses or progressive jackpots. Additionally, personal preferences and playing styles can also influence which games are deemed the most lucrative. Ultimately, the best casino games to win money will vary from one individual to another, depending on their skills, goals, and preferences.

Best Online Poker Sites Ranked & Reviewed (2023)

Kevin Roberts, previously published as Mark Brown, is a freelance writer with a strong background in sports journalism. He's written for numerous publications, including The Sportster, SB Nation, FindBetterSticks, Life Tip Nation, and more. He's also an avid sports bettor, with an advanced degree in Sports Management from Fordham University. When he's not writing about sports, you can likely find him following his favorite teams, the New York Giants and Knicks, around the Big Apple.