Understanding the Odds

Before you play, know how the games work and the odds of winning and losing so you can set limits on the amount you are prepared to bet - and potentially lose. The odds of winning vary from one game to the next and often depend on a number of factors. Visit the links below for information on the odds or click here for more information on how to play our games.

Lottery Game Odds

Casino Game Odds

Casino games are based on the concept of randomness or chance, which means that all outcomes, wins and losses, are unpredictable. When you gamble you can hope to win; it is statistically possible and it does happen, but the odds always favour the house.

Baccarat

The rules of play in Baccarat produce a small, yet measurable advantage for the house for both player and banker bets, and a steep jump in advantage for tie bets (14.3%). The banker will win 50.68% of all non-tie hands and the player 49.32%.

Blackjack

The house advantage in Blackjack varies from a high of 1.9% to a low of 0.54% if you are employing 'basic blackjack strategy'.

Roulette

Casinos in B.C. currently use an ‘American’ roulette wheel which consists of 38 numbered slots: numbers 1 to 36, a zero, and a double zero. The house edge on all bets is 1/19, or 5.26%, except for one bet. The exception is the 0-00-1-2-3 combination, which carries a house edge of 7.89%.

Craps

Knowing the mathematical odds of the dice achieving a certain outcome is the essence of the game. The house has an advantage from a low with a Pass Line bet of 0.382% to a high of 16.7% (odds of rolling a 2 or a 12).

Slot Machines

On average, slots in BC pay out 92% of all money wagered. The payout rate is based on the life of a machine however, not on one playing session. Over the life of a slot machine, or put another way, after millions and millions of spins, the laws of probability will allow a few players to win, cause some to lose, and allow others to walk away even. But in the short term, anything can happen. For more information, download the brochure Slot Machines: Facts about winning and losing

Bingo Game Odds

The odds of winning bingo are based on several factors, which include the type of pattern played during a game, the number of players, how many cards are in play during any given game, and the maximum number of balls that can be drawn to win the jackpot. Typically, bingo venues payout 57% to 65% of all money wagered.