Free tool
Casino trip cost calculator
Pick a game, your usual bet and how long you plan to play. The calculator shows what that costs on average, so you can bring a budget that fits.
Your session
Adjust the assumptions
6 decks, 3 to 2 blackjack, double after split, perfect basic strategy (Wizard of Odds blackjack calculator: 0.616%). Mistakes cost more.
This is the long run average: the house keeps about $0.62 of every $100 bet. On a single night you can easily lose the whole budget or walk out ahead, so bring only what you are happy to spend.
How the calculation works
Every casino game is priced into its payouts. The house edge is the share of each bet the casino keeps on average, so the average cost of a session is simple: your bet, times the number of bets you make in an hour, times the hours you play, times the house edge.
For example, 3 hours of $25 blackjack at 70 hands an hour is 210 hands and $5,250 in total bets. At a 0.62% house edge that is about $32.55 on average. The same 3 hours at a double zero roulette table, 38 spins an hour at $25, averages about $149.91.
House edge and pace by game
| Game | House edge | Per hour | Average cost an hour at $25 | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackjack, dealer stands on soft 17 | 0.4% | 70 hands | $7.00 | wizardofodds.com |
| Blackjack, dealer hits soft 17 | 0.62% | 70 hands | $10.85 | wizardofodds.com |
| Baccarat, betting banker | 1.06% | 72 hands | $19.08 | wizardofodds.com |
| Baccarat, betting player | 1.24% | 72 hands | $22.32 | wizardofodds.com |
| Blackjack paying 6 to 5 | 1.98% | 70 hands | $34.65 | wizardofodds.com |
| Roulette, single zero | 2.7% | 35 spins | $23.63 | wizardofodds.com |
| Pai gow poker (house banked) | 2.72% | 34 hands | $23.12 | wizardofodds.com |
| Roulette, double zero (American) | 5.26% | 38 spins | $49.97 | wizardofodds.com |
| Slots, Las Vegas Strip average | 7.83% | 800 spins | $1,566.00 | gaming.nv.gov |
| Penny slots, Las Vegas Strip average | 10.79% | 800 spins | $2,158.00 | gaming.nv.gov |
Pace figures come from the Wizard of Odds game speed table. A crowded table deals you fewer hands an hour, which lowers the hourly cost, so adjust the pace to the table you sit at. Slot figures are for the Las Vegas Strip in 2025, from the Nevada Gaming Control Board; Nevada reports what its machines keep, while tribal casinos in California and Texas do not publish theirs.
Card rooms work differently
Los Angeles card rooms can't take the other side of your bet. Under California law they charge a flat collection fee on every hand, set before the deal, and the banker's seat goes to a player dealer, which in most rooms is a licensed third party banking company. Pick the card room option above and enter the fee and the number of hands the table deals, both of which the floor staff can tell you. For poker, see the poker odds calculator.
Setting a budget that works
Decide on a number you are happy to spend before you leave home, bring it in cash, and stop when it is gone. The average cost tells you roughly how long that money should last at your chosen stakes; the swings mean it can go much faster. Lower stakes and slower games stretch a budget more than any betting system can. If you are chasing losses or spending more than you planned, free and confidential help is available around the clock. For the games themselves, the blackjack strategy chart gets you to the lowest edge on the table.
Common questions
How much do you lose per hour playing blackjack?
On average about $10.85 an hour at $25 a hand, going by 70 hands an hour and a 0.62% house edge for a 6 deck game where the dealer hits soft 17 and you play perfect basic strategy. Where the dealer stands on soft 17 it drops to about $7.00; at a 6 to 5 table it rises to about $34.65.
Which casino game costs the least to play?
Of the games in this calculator, blackjack played with basic strategy has the lowest house edge (0.4% to 0.62%), followed by the banker bet in baccarat (1.06%). Double zero roulette keeps 5.26% and Strip slots kept 7.83% of all money played in 2025.
Why do slots cost so much more per hour?
Speed and hold. A busy slot player can make 800 spins an hour against about 70 hands of blackjack, and machines keep far more of each bet. At $1 a spin, 800 spins at the Strip average of 7.83% comes to about $62.64 an hour.
Do California card rooms have a house edge?
The card room itself can't bank games in California. It charges a flat collection fee on each hand, set before the deal, so your cost is the fee times the hands you play. Poker rooms charge a rake or a time fee instead. Ask the floor what the table charges.
Does a house edge mean I will lose that exact amount?
No. It is the average over a very long run. On a single evening results swing widely in both directions, and it is common to lose far more than the average or to walk out ahead. Treat the figure as the price of the entertainment and budget for the swings on top.
More free tools
All tools- Casinos near meEnter a ZIP code or share your location to see every venue in this guide by distance, with what's open right now.
- Casinos open nowWhich card rooms and casinos are open at this moment, which never close, and which will still be open at 3 am.
- 18 and over casinosWhere you can gamble at 18 near Los Angeles, checked casino by casino against each venue's own rules.
- Poker odds calculatorYour chance of winning a Texas Hold'em hand against up to eight opponents, before the flop or on any board.
- Blackjack basic strategyThe right play for every hand, as a chart, a quick lookup and a practice drill.