What is Craps?
Craps is a dice game built around a single core question: what will the shooter roll next? Two dice, a betting layout, and a set of rules that take about ten minutes to learn - yet craps rewards players who study the odds. Online craps brings the same gameplay to your browser or mobile device, with a random number generator handling the dice and a clean interface replacing the busy felt of a land-based table.
Unlike most table games, craps gives you a wide range of bets to choose from on every round. Some carry a house edge under 1.5%. Others sit above 10%. Knowing which are which is the difference between playing smart and burning through your bankroll.
How Online Craps Works
Each round starts with a come-out roll. The shooter - in online craps that is always you - throws both dice. Three outcomes are possible on the come-out:
- Natural (7 or 11): Pass Line bets win immediately, Don't Pass bets lose.
- Craps (2, 3, or 12): Pass Line bets lose. Don't Pass bets win on 2 or 3, and push (tie) on 12.
- Point (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10): The number is marked as the point. The round continues.
Once a point is established, the shooter keeps rolling. If the point number appears again before a 7, Pass Line bets win. If a 7 appears first - called a seven-out - Pass Line bets lose and the round ends. Don't Pass bets work the opposite way throughout.
The Main Bets Explained
Pass Line and Don't Pass
These are the two foundational bets. The Pass Line wins when the come-out roll is 7 or 11, and wins again if the point repeats. The Don't Pass is the mirror: you are effectively betting with the house against the shooter. The Pass Line carries a house edge of 1.41%. Don't Pass sits slightly lower at 1.36%. Both are good starting points for new players.
Come and Don't Come
Come and Don't Come bets work exactly like Pass and Don't Pass, but you place them after the point has already been set. A Come bet wins on the next roll of 7 or 11, loses on 2, 3, or 12, and otherwise establishes its own personal point. This lets you have multiple active bets running at the same time. Don't Come mirrors the same structure in reverse.
Free Odds - The Best Bet in the Casino
Behind your Pass, Don't Pass, Come, or Don't Come bet, you can place an additional Odds bet once a point is set. This is the only bet in a standard casino with zero house edge - it pays true mathematical odds with no margin baked in. Online craps tables typically offer between 2x and 10x odds, meaning you can bet two to ten times your original stake. The more odds you take, the lower the combined house edge on your total position.
For example, with 3-4-5x odds (a common maximum), the house edge on the combined Pass + Odds position drops to around 0.37%. That is very low for any casino game.
Odds bets pay as follows:
- Point of 4 or 10: pays 2:1
- Point of 5 or 9: pays 3:2
- Point of 6 or 8: pays 6:5
Place Bets
Place bets let you bet directly on 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 without waiting for a come-out roll. You win if your chosen number rolls before a 7. The house edge varies by number: placing the 6 or 8 costs just 1.52%, placing the 5 or 9 costs 4%, and placing the 4 or 10 costs 6.67%. Stick to 6 and 8 if you use Place bets at all.
Big 6 and Big 8
These bets win if a 6 or 8 rolls before a 7 - identical in outcome to placing the 6 or 8. The difference is the payout: Big 6/8 pays even money while a Place bet on 6 or 8 pays 7:6. The house edge on Big 6/8 is 9.09%. Avoid them.
Proposition Bets
Proposition bets are single-roll wagers on specific outcomes: Any 7 (house edge 16.67%), Any Craps (11.11%), and the hardways. They appear in the centre of the layout, pay big, and carry some of the worst odds at any table. The only reason to mention them is so you know to leave them alone.
House Edge Summary
A quick reference to the main bets and their house edges:
- Pass Line / Come: 1.41%
- Don't Pass / Don't Come: 1.36%
- Free Odds: 0% (true odds payout)
- Place 6 or 8: 1.52%
- Place 5 or 9: 4.00%
- Place 4 or 10: 6.67%
- Big 6 / Big 8: 9.09%
- Any 7: 16.67%
Online Craps Strategy
Craps is a negative-expectation game - the house always has an edge somewhere. Strategy is about minimising that edge over the long run rather than chasing guaranteed wins.
Keep it simple. A Pass Line bet backed with maximum Free Odds is one of the best-value plays available across all casino table games. You do not need Come bets, Place bets, or anything in the proposition section to play a solid session.
Set a session budget and stick to units. Craps can move quickly online. Deciding in advance how many units you are willing to lose in a session stops a bad run from becoming a disaster.
Do not press after losses. The Martingale system - doubling your bet after each loss - looks logical but leads to large bets chasing losses with no improvement in house edge. Table limits and bankroll size both work against it over time.
Avoid the centre of the table. The proposition bets in the middle of the craps layout exist because they are profitable for the casino, not the player. Staying on the outside bets - Pass, Don't Pass, Come, Don't Come, and Odds - keeps the house edge under 1.5%.
Playing Craps at Online Casinos
Software versions of craps from providers such as Microgaming, Playtech, and Evolution Gaming are available at most UK online casinos. RNG craps runs on a certified random number generator, meaning each roll is independent and the published house edges hold over large sample sizes.
Live dealer craps tables are also available at some casinos. Evolution's Craps Live game streams a physical table with real dice, adding the social element of a land-based game. Bet limits tend to be higher on live tables than on RNG versions.
Related table games worth exploring: Blackjack and Baccarat also carry low house edges with straightforward rules.
Where to Play Craps
We're currently updating our casino list for Craps. In the meantime, browse our full casino reviews or check out current free spins offers.