Which Games Make Casinos the Most Money?

If you are a gambler, of course you know that casinos love to see you come in. Not because they are thrilled to see your smiling face, but they are thrilled to have you spend some money. Casinos in the United States get about $6 billion dollars each year in revenue.

Within the casino, there are different odds of winning, depending on the game you are playing. Because each game has different odds, you have different chances of winning. If you have a favorite game, of course you should keep on playing it if it makes you happy. However, why not get some information about which games make more money for casinos than any other one? If you are not sure which games make the casino the most money, keep reading. We have some information and tips for you about whom games are moneymakers for the casino, and what you can do to improve your odds.

Games that Pay Off the Most for Casinos

Slots

slots

By far, the biggest moneymaker for the casino is slot machines. It is estimated that of the $6 billion made in revenue from casinos each year, nearly 4 billion were made on the slot machines. The average slot revenue per machine stands at around $80,000 each year, and around $300 per day. While you might think that dollar slots would bring in more money for the casinos than penny slots, the reverse is actually true. Penny slots are the most successful casino game in the United States at $3.2 billion. Dollar slots had revenue of $516 million in 2017.

Slot machines are used by casinos to attract those gamblers who do not gamble often, or who are beginning gamblers. This is because most likely new players do not understand that they only have about a 1 in 50 million chance of winning a jackpot. Smaller jackpots, around $600 or less, have better odds (1 in 262,144) than those slots with larger jackpots of over a million dollars. Because the odds are so long, slot machines try to divert player’s attention with loud music and lights.

Wheel of Fortune Casino Game

The Big 6 (Wheel of Fortune)

After slots in general, the next game that makes a lot of revenue for the casino is the Wheel of Fortune Casino Game. The game is made to look a bit like the famous TV game, and is part game and part slot. The odds of you winning a Wheel of Fortune game stands at 11.2%, although it can be as high as 24%. Many people like the Wheel of Fortune Game, also called the Big Six Wheel, because it is fairly simple to play and understand. You “spin” the Wheel, and whatever piece of the pie the wheel lands on is the prize you win. No long strategies to figure out or etiquette to note. You merely spin to win.

There are about 12,000 Wheel of Fortune machines on casino floors. Experts estimate that each machine generates about $3.6 million dollars a year. This represents a total of $1.3 billion. It could be said that the Wheel of Fortune game is truly a moneymaker for the casinos.

Other Profitable Games

While slot machines are over and above the most profitable games in casino gambling, there are other games that are also very profitable, which offer better odds than slot machines or Wheel of Fortune games.

Blackjack

A Word about Blackjack

The game of blackjack is the most popular card game at casinos. The game rakes in over $1.2 billion dollars each year. Blackjack is usually played between a dealer and a group of players. It can also be played with one player and one dealer. Blackjack is a relatively simple game to play, which is one reason why it is so popular. In blackjack, the game is won when either the player or the dealer either gets 21 exactly, or gets close to 21 without going over. The odds for a player winning a hand of blackjack are .13%, which means that player’s odds are much better than those odds at the slot machines.

Baccarat

baccarat

The game of baccarat has odds of 44% for the player, which is some of the best odds of casino games. Even with those odds, baccarat is a very successful game at casinos, with revenues of $1.15 billion per year. Baccarat is an interesting game in which people are allowed to bet on a player’s hand or a dealer’s hand without playing themselves. People can bet on the player’s hand to win, the dealer’s hand to win, or that both will tie, although the odds for a tie favor the house. Baccarat, made famous by several James Bond movies, has several different forms and is played around the world.

Craps

craps

Craps is a dice game that is also among some of the favorite games at a casino. Usually, players make bets against the dealer, but in some cases, they can make bets against each other. The players in craps are betting on the outcome of the dice rolls. Two six-sided dice are rolled. Some of the numbers are automatically in the dealer’s favor, while other numbers are in the player’s either favor or are neutral. There are strict rules in craps when other players are allowed to bet and when the bets are no longer allowed in the round. The odds of winning craps stand on .60%, which are not bad odds for a casino player. The game of craps earns casinos $394 million per year. This figure is not nearly as big as other games at the casino, but it still represents a nice revenue pull for casinos.

Roulette

Roulette

Roulette is also a popular game at casinos, pulling in revenues of $367 million a year. Roulette is one of the oldest casino games. Roulette games can be traced to casinos in Europe in the 17th century. Roulette can be played American or European style. The game is fairly simple to learn. The croupier spins the wheel, which is numbered from 1-36, with either a zero (European) or 0 and 00 (American) on the board as well. Numbers on the roulette wheel are either red or black. Players are allowed to place bets on one number, one color or a row of numbers. The odds of playing roulette are 2.7% for players.

So, What Are The Worst Revenue Games for a Casino?

Pai Gow Poker

All of the games discussed have huge payouts for the casinos, especially slot machines, which are more lucrative than any other game played at the casino. Unbelievably, there are only a few games that are not very profitable for casinos. Of all the games played at a casino, Pai Gow Poker is the least profitable game at casinos. This may be because not many casinos offer Pai Gow Poker as an option. The form of poker only raked in $12 million in 2017. Pai Gow has been a game played in China for hundreds of years, but it uses dominoes, not cards. Pai Gow Poker was created in the early 1980s by a Chinese-American man who wanted to introduce his favorite childhood game to casino players. The odds of winning a hand of Pai Gow Poker are about .95%, which is about the same as other types of poker. Although the game of Pai Gow Poker is popular among Asians, many American players do not like it, because it is slower than the average poker game.

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