Popular Casino Games Including Lottery
House edge, skill and bonus rules for slots, roulette, craps, video poker and lotto
Popular Casino Games, Including Lottery
Slots, roulette, craps and video poker are favourites in every land-based casino. Online casino sites carry the same games. Many also offer online lottery betting.
One example is william hill’s irish lotto, where you can place bets on the Irish Lotto draw. You can find more options on our lotto page.
This guide explains each game, its house edge and how it treats bonuses. It also covers the Irish National Lottery and how its operator has changed.
Popular Casino Games at a Glance
| Game | Typical house edge | Skill needed | Bonus contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slots | Varies, often 3% to 8% | None | Usually 100% |
| European roulette | 2.70% | None | Often low or excluded |
| Craps | 1.41% on the pass line | Low | Often low or excluded |
| Video poker | As low as 0.46% with best play | High | Often reduced |
| Blackjack | Under 1% with basic strategy | Medium | Often reduced |
| Baccarat | 1.06% on the banker bet | None | Often low or excluded |
Figures are typical and depend on the exact rules and pay table. Always check the game rules at your casino. Bonus contribution rates also vary, so read the terms.
Slots
Slots make up the backbone of the business. They bring in most player traffic, both online and in land-based casinos.
Operators like slots for good reasons. They cost little to run and need no dealers. A few floor staff can watch hundreds of machines. A land-based slot also fits into a small space.
Players like slots for different reasons. Themes and modern slot graphics make them entertaining. Free spins and bonus rounds add variety.
Slots are also welcome in most bonus offers. They usually count in full towards wagering. Most other games count for less.
The house edge on slots varies a lot. Check the return to player (RTP) in the game information panel before you play.
Roulette
Roulette has been a staple of respectable casinos for a very long time. Its wheel offers some bets with a low house edge. The European wheel carries 2.70%, while the American wheel carries 5.26%.
The game also lets you spread your stake across many numbers. That makes it possible to turn over large sums with little risk. For this reason, few online casinos allow roulette to count towards bonus redemption.
If you want to use a bonus, check whether roulette counts. Often it does not. Read our guide on why roulette remains so popular for the odds on each wheel.
Craps
Craps is the best-known dice game in casinos. Its rules look complex at first, but the core idea is simple. It is popular at live casinos and online.
The first roll of a round is the come-out roll. A 7 or 11 wins on the pass line. A 2, 3 or 12 loses. Any other number becomes the point.
Once a point is set, the shooter keeps rolling. If the point comes up again before a 7, pass line bets win. If a 7 comes first, they lose.
The pass line has a house edge of 1.41%. The don’t pass bet is slightly lower at 1.36%. Many casinos also offer odds bets, which carry no house edge.
Many other craps bets carry a much higher edge. Beginners should stick to the pass line and the odds bet.
Video Poker
Video poker is a special case. It blends the look of a slot with the decisions of poker. You choose which cards to hold and which to discard.
This makes skill count. With the best strategy, a full-pay game of Jacks or Better returns about 99.5%. That is a house edge of roughly 0.5%.
Some rarer pay tables can even return slightly more than 100% with perfect play. These games are rare, and casinos often limit how they count towards bonuses.
Most games, however, pay less than the full-pay version. Always check the pay table before you play.
Learn the strategy for your chosen game. A strategy chart can lift your return by several percentage points.
Blackjack and Baccarat
Two other card games deserve a mention. Blackjack rewards basic strategy. With good play, the house edge often drops below 1%.
Baccarat asks for no strategy at all. You bet on the banker, the player or a tie. The banker bet carries a house edge of 1.06%. Read more in our guide on how to play baccarat.
Lottery Betting Online
Lottery betting is a different product from casino games. Lotto betting usually means wagering on the result of an official draw. The draw itself is run by a separate lottery operator.
This is different from buying an official lottery ticket. Rules vary by country, so check what is legal where you live.
Always check the current markets and rules on the bookmaker’s site before you bet.
Who runs the Irish National Lottery?
Premier Lotteries Ireland (PLI) holds the licence to run the Irish National Lottery. It took over the licence in November 2014, under the National Lottery Act 2013. The licence runs for 20 years, until 2034.
Our earlier text said that a consortium including Camelot and An Post won the bid. Reports on the 2023 sale name An Post, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan and the An Post Pension Fund as the former owners of PLI.
In July 2023, French operator FDJ agreed to buy PLI for €350 million, subject to regulatory approval. We could not confirm the completion of that deal from the sources we checked.
Understanding the House Edge
The house edge is the average share of each bet that the casino keeps over time. A 2% edge means the casino keeps R2 of every R100 staked, on average.
It does not tell you what will happen in one session. You can win or lose well beyond the average in a short time. Over thousands of bets, however, results move towards the edge.
Two things shape your real cost. The first is the house edge. The second is how fast you bet. A slow game with a 2% edge can cost less per hour than a fast game with a 1% edge.
This is why bet speed matters. Slots and video poker deal many hands per hour. Live tables are slower. Think about both numbers when you pick a game.
A quick example
Say you bet R20 per spin on a slot with a 4% edge, at 600 spins an hour. You stake R12,000 in that hour. The average cost is about R480.
Now bet R20 per hand at blackjack with a 0.5% edge, at 60 hands an hour. You stake R1,200. The average cost is about R6. The slower game costs far less per hour.
Which Game Should You Choose?
Match the game to your goals.
- Easy fun: slots, with no skill needed.
- Low house edge: video poker, blackjack or the banker bet at baccarat.
- Social play: craps or live roulette.
- Bonus clearing: slots, since they usually count in full.
- Draw-based bets: lotto, where results depend on an official draw.
Whatever you choose, set a budget first. Even the lowest house edge still favours the casino over time.
Popular Casino Games Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Many games for every taste | Every game has a house edge |
| Some games reward skill | Bonuses limit which games count |
| Play online or live | Easy access can lead to overspending |
| Lottery betting adds variety | Legal status of lotto betting varies by country |
Popular Casino Games FAQs
What are the most popular casino games?
Slots, roulette, craps, video poker, blackjack and baccarat are the main favourites.
Which casino game has the lowest house edge?
Video poker with best play can drop to about 0.5%.
Why do bonuses exclude roulette?
It lets players spread bets with little risk, so many casinos limit it.
How does craps work?
A 7 or 11 on the come-out roll wins, while 2, 3 or 12 loses. Other numbers become the point.
Can skill improve video poker?
Yes. Correct strategy lifts your return noticeably.
Who runs the Irish National Lottery?
Premier Lotteries Ireland holds the licence until 2034.
Is lotto betting the same as buying a ticket?
No. Lotto betting wagers on a draw’s result without buying an official ticket.
Do slots count towards bonus wagering?
Usually yes, and often in full.
Is online lottery betting legal?
It depends on your country, so check local rules.
How can I gamble responsibly?
Set a budget and a time limit, and use the casino’s limit tools.
Please gamble responsibly. Only play with money you can afford to lose, and use deposit limits if you need them.
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