Top 10 Worst Casino Games to Play Online

Last Updated January 18, 2025 12:28 pm PST
Worst Casino Games

The worst casino games offer a lousy return-to-player percentage and poor bonus payouts. You can avoid poor online casino payouts by reading our guide. 

We answer the question: “What casino game has the worst odds?” so you can make more informed decisions. Plus, you’ll discover some top online gambling sites where you can avoid the worst casino games. 

#1 – Low-RTP Online Slots

The best online slots offer high returns over the long term and lots of bonus features. It’s important to avoid the worst casino games in the slots lobby to maximize profits. 

Even the top online casinos offer a range of low-RTP slots. The RTP (Return to Player percentage) is the average payout made across millions of spins. The higher the RTP, the better it is for you. 

Most online slots have an RTP of between 94 and 98%. That’s still favorable compared to the 91–92% of some land-based slot machines. Do your research first and check the paytable to find the biggest RTP%. 

2020-Online-Slots-Sequels

Bonus slots are great for triggering free spins or expanding wilds. However, these online slots tend to be quite volatile. That means you could be burning your bankroll before you hit a running streak. 

The top progressive jackpot slots promise massive prizes but watch out for volatility. The common rule is that the more you pay, the bigger your chances of hitting the progressive. These are the worst games to play at the casino if your budget is small. 

Our advice to avoid casino games with the worst odds is to play slots with generous RTPs and low volatility. Take a risk at the higher-variance slots if your budget allows. 

Why not try the best online slots now at SlotsandCasino? Read our SlotsandCasino review to see why it’s A1 for the best returns and bonuses. You can even claim a huge $7,500 welcome bonus when you sign up.

#2 – 6/5 Blackjack

What casino game has the worst odds? Classic blackjack is actually generous with a 0.5% house edge. However, 6/5 Blackjack adds 1.39% to the casino’s house edge. That might sound like a small amount, but here’s what that means to your bottom line.

Let’s say you’re playing for $100 per hand and 30 hands per hour. You’re putting $3000 into action every hour that you play.

You can calculate your expected loss per hour by multiplying the house edge by the amount of action you bring.

Maybe you’re playing a reasonably good blackjack game with perfect basic strategy, and the house edge with all the rules variations in place for this game is only 0.5%. You’re looking at losing, on average, $15 per hour.

Image of a six and ace on a table

That’s not bad for an hour’s entertainment. And standard deviation will help you win during some sessions, too.

But let’s make this one change to the rules and start paying you $120 when you get a blackjack instead of $150. The house edge jumps from 0.5% to 1.89%.

Now, your expected loss per hour is around $57. There’s a big difference between losing $15 per hour and $57 per hour. And that’s the result of one seemingly small rule variation.

My advice is to stick to traditional blackjack. I also recommend the following guide to blackjack strategy, so you know how to increase your chances of winning.

#3 – American Roulette

American Roulette is one of the worst casino games for player returns. Luckily, you can avoid this classic Las Vegas game when you play at the best online casinos. 

So, why is American Roulette the worst game to play at the casino? The wheel features two green pockets (0 and 00) that increases the house edge to 5.26%. 

Now, compare that to the house edge on European Roulette (2.7%) and French Roulette (1.35%). Sure, you have another 35/1 Straight Up bet to aim for in American Roulette. However, the 00 increases the chances of your outside bets losing. 

What effect does that have on your bottom line? Let’s assume you’re betting $100 per spin. And let’s also assume that you’re getting 30 spins per hour. You’re putting $3000 into action every hour.

American Roulette Betting Board

You can multiply the house edge by the amount of action to get an estimate of your expected hourly loss. 2.7% of $3000 is $81. That’s a big loss per hour compared to blackjack, but it’s still WAY better than your expected hourly loss in the American version of the game.

5.26% of $3000 is $157.80. That’s way more than I want to give up per hour for the privilege of playing a game with only one difference—an extra 0 on the wheel.

Not all casinos offer European Roulette. Read our DuckyLuck Casino review to understand why it’s the #1 online spot for low-edge casino games. You can play European Roulette Deluxe or keep things simple with a classic variant. Plus, you can claim a 600% crypto bonus when you open your account.

#4 – Andar Bahar

What casino game has the worst odds, you ask? Well, there are a lot of games out there that do not have intriguing odds. However, they all have some sort of upside that makes them worth playing.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t be the worst games to play at casinos; they just simply wouldn’t exist.

That said, the odds for Andar Bahar aren’t great. It’s a game with limited upside, and your odds of winning are essentially 50%. Your payout can be less than 1:1 in many Andar Bahar games.

It can take a very long time to build up enough bankroll with just even odds. Other casino games might require more decision-making on your end, but they make up for it by offering better odds or a more satisfying payout.

Andar Bahar Table

Andar Bahar can also be played rapidly, which can get you in trouble if you aren’t paying attention to your bankroll.

You never know when a bad streak will come, and it will be twice as devastating if you have your head in the clouds.

If you’re looking for the casino games with the worst odds, I’d say Andar Bahar is one to put on the list. You can read our guide to Andar Bahar if you’re still curious and want to play for free online. 

However, a better alternative to play online is classic blackjack. It’s a no-frills casino card game with 3/2 payouts on blackjack and a house edge as low as 0.5%. 

Still curious about Andar Bahar? Play it now at Bovada and claim a 250% welcome bonus when you join.

#5 – Tri Card Poker

One of the worst online casino games is Tri Card Poker, otherwise known as 3 Card Poker. The game is fast and furious. However, the house edge is over 2% if you don’t play optimal strategy. 

In addition to the playing speed, Tri Card Poker can be difficult to win. There are two different wagers, with the first being the ante and the second being the raise. You can’t win without raising, so you essentially have to bet twice.

reveal three card poker

Not only that, but you don’t always win back your raise. That happens when the dealer doesn’t qualify, or they qualify, and either their hand or the player’s hand is better. It’s hard enough to win as is, but these rules limit your upside.

Want to learn more about great casino poker games? Try our TrustDice review to discover more about the casino’s alternative card games.

#6 – Big Six

Big Six is a casino wheel game that may offer big payouts but also a lousy house edge. It’s commonly played in the live casino with a human dealer handling the wheel. 

You select numbers to bet on and win a payout if the wheel lands on your segment. You can win up to 40/1 if you hit a specific section. However, betting on colors or odd/even numbers pays just 1/1. 

The best of the bad bets in this game is the $1 wager. The house edge for that bet is only 11.11%. That’s twice as high as the house edge in American Roulette, already a member of our worst casino games list. 

The bad news is that is the BEST house edge in Big Six. In fact, the house edge jumps to 22.22% if you bet on the $5 or $20 sections. Those sorts of returns are found in games like Keno. 

Looking to avoid the worst casino games with a bonus wheel? Read our guide to online casino wheel games where we highlight the top alternatives. 

Try European Roulette with a low house edge or play the Dream Catcher live game show with a real presenter! Dream Catcher offers bigger payouts due to its various multipliers. You can add nearly 16% to your payouts if you bag a wheel multiplier. 

Live Dealer Dream Catcher

Check out our Wild Casino review to find the lowdown on their range of big wheel games like Wheel of Fortune. The casino boasts a full range of live casino games from great developers, like VOV. Avoid the poor odds of Big Six and improve your long-term profits. 

We recommend testing out the best Wild Casino games with better returns. You can also claim a juicy sign-up bonus to play live wheel games with when you join.

#7 – War

War is one of the worst casino games to play online. However, its simple gameplay continues to attract gamblers at many casinos. 

In the casino game version, you and the dealer compete by comparing cards. But if you have to go to War in the event of a push, you only win your original bet, even though you have to place an additional bet to go to War in the first place.

The game not only has a relatively high house edge, but it also plays incredibly quickly. Unlike blackjack, there are few decisions to be made. 

And you’re looking at half as many cards per hand. So, seeing 200 hands per hour isn’t unheard of or even hard to pull off when playing Casino War.

Casino War Tie

The house edge in Casino War is 2–2.5%, but there’s a side bet where you can wager on whether you will go to war on a given hand. The house edge on that bet is lousy. The payoff is only 10/1, but the odds of actually going to war on a given hand are 12/1.

War is similar to games like roulette and slots. You have no opportunity to make any kind of decision that will help you win more often. 

I avoid War because it’s just a boring game with a lousy house edge. I recommend online blackjack with a lower house edge and better playing decisions. 

#8 – Sic Bo

What games have the worst odds in the casino? Sic Bo might be close with its gigantic house edge on riskier bets. 

Sic Bo was made popular in Macau casinos. However, the dice game is gaining popularity online. You can now play RNG Sic Bo games or try live dealer Sic Bo with real dice. 

In Sic Bo, the dice are rolled randomly by the dealer or computer. You simply bet on the outcome of the rolls. 

There are a bewildering number of bets in Sic Bo. However, the house edge is only as low as 2.78% for even the most likely outcome. That’s still higher than the house edge in European Roulette. 

You can bet “small” or “big” in Sic Bo. A small bet is a wager that the total on the 3 dice is anywhere from 4 to 10. A big bet is a wager that the total on the three dice is anywhere from 11 to 17.

sicbo dragons

This bet pays off at even odds, but the house edge is 2.78%. This is actually one of the best bets on the table.

You can also bet on specific totals. You might bet that you’ll see a total of 4 or a total of 17. If you do, that bet pays off at 50/1+.

However, the house edge on these riskier bets increases to around 15–29%. That’s nearly as high as the house edge on some craps bets. 

Sic Bo is interesting to look at, and it’s really popular in Macau. There’s no strategy other than choosing the bets with the lowest house edge, but even then, the odds aren’t great.

You can still check out our rundown of the best Sic Bo tricks if you are curious about this game. It might be one of the worst casino games for payouts but it’s perfect for dice fans. 

Alternatively, we recommend hitting the online craps tables. You can play safe and enjoy low house edge close to 0% on some wagers. Check out our top unwritten craps rules to start off on the right foot. 

9. Video Poker

On the face of it, video poker isn’t one of the worst casino games at all. There are lots of variants to play online and it’s easy to learn. 

However, you can certainly maximize payouts by choosing the best video poker tables to play. Some video poker games have a high house edge if you choose the wrong titles. 

The full pay version of Jacks or Better is also called 9/6 Jacks or Better. The 9 and the 6 refer to the payouts for the full house and the flush. A full house pays off at 9/1, and a flush pays off at 6/1.

Multi-Hand-Video-Poker-Screenshot

If you can find a full pay version of the game and play with optimal strategy, the payback percentage is 99.54%. That means the house edge is only 0.46%, making the game comparable to blackjack.

However, many Jacks or Better games don’t offer these kinds of payouts. You can find 8/5, 7/5, and 6/5 versions of Jacks or Better. The house edge skyrockets as the payoffs for these two hands go down.

Here’s a comparison:

  • 8/5 Job – House edge – 2.7% (Same as European Roulette.)
  • 7/5 Job – House edge – 3.9%
  • 6/5 Job – House edge – 5% (Only slightly better than American Roulette.)

The best thing you can do as a video poker player is specialize in certain games and learn how to spot the better pay tables. If you’re discriminating about which games you play, video poker IS one of the best bets in the casino.

Looking for a good alternative to video poker? Simple low-stakes online blackjack is great for a low house edge. That’s especially true if you avoid the side bets and Insurance. 

10. Teen Patti Pro

What is the worst game to play in a casino? Teen Patti might come close due to its high house edge and lousy payouts. 

You can play online Teen Patti at many of our best-rated casinos. However, it’s important to understand what makes this one of the worst casino games for payouts. 

Many online casinos, such as DuckyLuck and Café Casino, offer a mix of Teen Patti variants. Rival Gaming’s classic Teen Patti variation offers an RTP of 97.20%. That’s still lower than online blackjack, however. The game is accompanied by classical Indian music as you play. 

The rules of Teen Patti are simple to learn. You can also browse our top Teen Patti tips to get an advantage over the casino. 

You play solo against the computer in Teen Patti. In a similar way to the English game, Three-Card Brag, you can “see” your cards or place a blind bet. 

Slots.lv Teen Patti Pro

Once dealt, you decide whether to keep your hand or fold. In that regards, Teen Patti is very similar to Casino Three-Card Poker. 

After betting, hands are revealed and the player with the best hand wins based on the wagers. In classic Teen Patti, you win 25/1 for a Trio (three of a kind) or 45/1 if you win it blind. 

Variations like Teen Patti Pro from Qora Gaming offer bigger payouts up to 440/1 for a Royal Flush. You bet on which 3-card hand will be stronger, or bet the tie. 

The side bets are poor in Teen Patti Pro. You only get paid 5.65/1 if you bet on a Player Pair or Dealer Pair. The payouts for a Player/Dealer Flush are an equally bad 18.5/1. 

We suggest blackjack as a solid alternative card game to Teen Patti. The house edge is as low as 0.5%, much lower than the 2.80% you find in online Teen Patti. 

Why not check out our Café Casino review and unearth information about the site’s many blackjack games. Café Casino spreads 15 computerized blackjack games plus VIP Live Blackjack.

Finding Good Games at Casinos

What casino games have the worst odds? In our opinion, the worst casino games are Sic Bo and low-RTP slots with poor long-term returns. 

You can try out the best online casino games to play for free or real money. All of our trusted casinos offer a choice of games at a range of low-high stakes. In addition, you can play online casino games for free at many online gambling sites. Simply load the game in your browser and try risk-free. You can then deposit and claim a welcome bonus when you’re comfortable.

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Jon
Young
Content Specialist
Articles
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Jon Young has been in and around the gambling industry for 20 years as a writer, reporter, and editor. The English journalist has covered everything from casinos and slots to sports betting and poker, and everything in between. Jon is a former editor of World Poker Tour magazine and Bluff Europe, two of the largest poker magazines of the past 20 years.
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  1. Walter ayala October 26, 2019 at 11:43 am

    Thank you for the insight. I appreciate the direct sensibility to your thought process.

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