Casino Rules: How to Play Every Casino Game in the UK
Casino rules for every main game: how each is dealt, what every bet pays and how much the house keeps over time. These casino game rules follow the common practice at British tables and the Gambling Commission rules for players in Great Britain.
BJ♠︎
BJ♠︎
Card gameCommon UK table rules: 6 decks, S17, no hole card
Blackjack
The rule in one sentence
Beat the dealer’s total without going over 21; the dealer has no choices and must stand on 17 and hit on 16 or lower.
A round in 4 steps
Place a stake in your betting box.
You get two cards face up; the dealer one.
Hit, stand, double or split, up to 21.
Dealer draws to 17 or more; totals compared.
Blackjack (Ace + ten)
3:2
Higher total than dealer
1:1
Insurance
2:1
House edge
0.55%
RL◈︎
RL◈︎
Wheel gameCommon UK table rules: single zero
European Roulette
The rule in one sentence
Predict which numbered, coloured pocket a ball will settle into on a 37-pocket wheel with a single green zero.
A round in 4 steps
Place chips on numbers, colours or groups.
The croupier spins the wheel and the ball.
“No more bets” is called as it slows.
Bets covering the pocket are paid.
Single number
35:1
Split (two numbers)
17:1
Red / Black
1:1
House edge
2.70%
PK▲︎
PK▲︎
Poker against the dealerCommon UK table rules: Ante & Play, Pair Plus
Three Card Poker
The rule in one sentence
Form a higher three-card poker rank than the dealer, whose hand needs at least Queen-high to qualify.
A round in 4 steps
Place an Ante (Pair Plus is optional).
You and the dealer get three cards each.
Fold, or match the Ante with a Play bet.
Dealer needs Queen-high; hands compared.
Ante and Play
1:1
Ante bonus: three of a kind
4:1
Ante bonus: straight flush
5:1
House edge
3.37%
BC✦︎
BC✦︎
Card gameCommon UK table rules: usually 8 decks, fixed tableau
Punto Banco (Baccarat)
The rule in one sentence
Wager on whether the Player or Banker hand total ends closer to 9 under fixed third-card drawing rules where tens and face cards count as zero.
A round in 4 steps
Back Player, Banker or Tie.
Player and Banker hands get two cards.
The tableau decides any third card.
The total nearer 9 is paid.
Player
1:1
Banker (5% commission)
0.95:1
Tie
8:1
House edge
1.06%
CR⚅︎
CR⚅︎
Dice gameCommon UK table rules: odds set by the table, often 3-4-5x
Craps
The rule in one sentence
Back the shooter to roll a 7 or 11 on the come-out roll, or to repeat the point number before rolling a seven.
A round in 4 steps
Bet the Pass Line before the come-out.
A 7 or 11 pays; 2, 3 or 12 loses.
Any other total becomes the point.
Point before a 7 pays; a 7 first loses.
Pass Line
1:1
Odds on 4 or 10
2:1
Odds on 6 or 8
6:5
House edge
1.41%
SL■︎
SL■︎
Slot machineUKGC (online): spin ≥ 2.5 s, no autoplay
Video Slots
The rule in one sentence
Each spin is an independent result from a random number generator, paid when symbols line up on a payline or pay way.
A round in 4 steps
Choose a stake per spin.
Press spin; the RNG fixes the result.
Online, a spin lasts at least 2.5 seconds.
Symbols on a payline pay per the paytable.
RTP
Varies by game
Minimum spin time (online)
2.5 s
Example: £96 back per £100, long run
96%
House edge
Varies
♦︎Table sign decoder
House Rules Decoder: Which Table Costs Less?
Two tables dealing the same game can charge different prices. Set what each table’s printed rule sign says and the decoder shows the approximate house edge for both. A lower house edge means the game keeps less of each pound staked over time; it does not make any single hand or spin more likely to pay.
♦︎ Verdict
Table A is the cheaper table. Its house edge is about 1.77 percentage points lower than Table B's. The biggest single difference is the blackjack payout: 6:5 instead of 3:2.
Table A£0.55kept per £100 staked
Table B£2.32kept per £100 staked
Approximate, basic strategy assumed. Blackjack figures add published rule-effect estimates11 (source) to a no-hole-card table as dealt in UK casinos; the UK reference table is 6 decks, 3:2, dealer stands on soft 17, double after split, no surrender. La partage applies to even-money bets only. Short sessions vary widely; the edge is what the rules take over many rounds.
♠︎Game rules
Game Rules: How to Play Each Casino Game
Six games cover most of the tables and machines in a British casino: blackjack, roulette, three card poker, baccarat, craps and slots. These casino game rules give the core rule first, then how a round runs, what each bet pays and the one rule or decision that changes the house edge. If you are learning how to play casino games, start with the blackjack guide, where the casino rules are short and the house edge is one of the lowest.
♠︎Section 01 · Blackjack
Blackjack: How a Hand Is Played and When the Dealer Draws
Blackjack is played against the dealer, not the other players: the aim is a higher total than the dealer’s without going over 21. In British casinos the dealer usually takes no second card until every player has acted, and stands on all 17s.
Read moreShow less about blackjack rules
Every seat plays its own independent hand against the house bank. In British casinos the game is usually dealt from a six-deck shoe of standard 52-card decks. Cards two to ten count at face value; Jack, Queen and King count as ten; an Ace counts as 1 or 11, whichever helps the hand without taking it over 21.
The house edge comes from the order of play. The player must decide to hit, stand, double down or split before the dealer completes their hand. A player who goes over 21 loses the stake at once, even if the dealer goes on to bust in the same round. Played to basic strategy, a standard UK shoe game carries a house edge of about 0.5%.12 (source)
How British Tables Deal
Each player gets two cards face up and the dealer one. The dealer does not take a second card until every player at the table has finished their turn.
Dealer Stands on 17
The dealer has no choices. The dealer draws until reaching 17 or more and must stand on any 17, hard or soft.
Doubling and Splitting
Doubling down is usually allowed on two-card totals of 9, 10 or 11. Pairs may be split once; split Aces normally receive one card each.
European Roulette: The Wheel, the Bets and the Zero
European roulette uses a wheel of 37 pockets: the numbers 1 to 36 and a single green zero. A single number pays 35 to 1 against true odds of 36 to 1, and that missing unit is the whole 2.70% house edge.
Read moreShow less about roulette rules
Most British tables use the single-zero wheel. Its numbers alternate red and black around the wheel, separated by one green 0. American wheels add a double zero (00), which raises the house edge to 5.26%; they are less common in British venues.
The edge comes from the gap between true odds and payout odds. A straight-up bet on one number has a 1 in 37 chance. A fair price would be 36 to 1; the table pays 35 to 1. That one missing unit gives the 2.70% edge (1/37 = 2.7027%).
Even-money bets (red or black, odd or even, high or low) cover 18 numbers each. When the ball lands on zero they all lose under standard rules, so they carry the same 2.70% edge as the inside bets.
Straight-Up Payout (35:1)
Covers one pocket, with a 2.70% chance of coming up. The gap between the 35:1 payout and the 36:1 fair price is the casino’s margin.
Split & Street Bets
A split covers two neighbouring numbers and pays 17:1. A street covers a row of three and pays 11:1. Both keep the same 2.70% margin.
French Rules: La Partage
On some UK tables, even-money bets lose only half the stake when zero comes up. That halves the edge on those bets to 1.35%.
A dealer works out payouts in seconds. Pick the right amount for each situation below; every answer shows the calculation, so the payout tables above stick.
Scenario 1: Roulette straight-up betRoulette Math
A player places a £25 Straight-Up wager on Number 17 Black. The ball drops cleanly into pocket 17. What is the total cash payout handed to the player, excluding their returned original stake?
▲︎Section 03 · Three Card Poker
Three Card Poker: Hand Rankings and Dealer Qualification
Each player plays a three-card hand against the dealer, who needs at least Queen-high to qualify. In three-card hands a straight beats a flush, because straights are the rarer hand.
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Three Card Poker is dealt from a single deck, shuffled after every round. With only three cards per hand the probabilities differ from five-card poker: of the 22,100 possible hands, 720 are straights and 1,096 are flushes. The full ranking from the top is straight flush, three of a kind, straight, flush, pair, high card.
The player places an Ante, looks at the three cards, and then either folds (losing the Ante) or places a Play bet equal to the Ante. If the dealer does not qualify with Queen-high or better, the Ante pays 1 to 1 and the Play bet is returned.
When to Play and When to Fold
The simple strategy is to play any hand of Queen-6-4 or better and fold anything lower. Folding more or less often than that raises the house edge above 3.37%.13 (source)
Ante Bonus Schedule
With an Ante and Play bet in place, a straight pays an Ante bonus of 1:1, three of a kind 4:1 and a straight flush 5:1, whatever the dealer holds.
Pair Plus Side Bet
Pair Plus is a separate bet that pays on a pair or better in your own hand. Its house edge depends on the pay table printed on the layout.
In punto banco you back the Player hand, the Banker hand or a Tie, and nobody makes drawing decisions: a fixed table decides every third card. The hand closer to 9 wins, with tens and court cards counting as zero.
Read moreShow less about baccarat rules
In British casinos baccarat is usually played as punto banco. Unlike the older chemin de fer, where players chose whether to draw, punto banco is fully fixed: once the cards leave the shoe, the tableau decides everything.
Hand totals drop the tens digit: an 8 and a 9 make 17, which counts as 7. Aces count as 1. A two-card total of 8 or 9 on either side is a “natural” and ends the round. Otherwise the Player hand draws on 0 to 5 and stands on 6 or 7, and the Banker hand draws or stands according to a grid based on the Player’s third card.
The 5% Banker Commission
Because the Banker hand acts second, it wins 50.68% of rounds that are not tied. A 5% commission on Banker wins offsets that, leaving a 1.06% house edge.14 (source)
Backing the Player
The Player bet pays even money with no commission. It wins 49.32% of rounds that are not tied, which gives a house edge of 1.24%.
The Tie Bet
A tie pays 8 to 1, but the true odds are about 9.5 to 1 against. That gap gives the Tie bet a house edge of 14.36%, the highest on the table.
The Pass Line wins on a 7 or 11 on the first roll and loses on 2, 3 or 12. Any other total becomes the point, which has to be rolled again before a 7 for the bet to pay.
Read moreShow less about craps rules
Two six-sided dice give 36 possible combinations. Seven is the most frequent total, with six combinations (1-6, 2-5, 3-4, 4-3, 5-2, 6-1), so it comes up once every six rolls on average. Every craps bet is priced from this distribution.
The come-out roll settles the Pass Line at once on 7 or 11 (eight combinations, a win) and on 2, 3 or 12 (four combinations, a loss). Any of 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 becomes the point. The shooter keeps rolling until the point repeats (Pass Line wins) or a 7 appears (“seven out”, Pass Line loses).
Craps also has one of the very few bets with no house edge: the free odds bet. Once a point is set, a player can add an odds bet behind the Pass Line that pays at true odds: 2:1 on 4 and 10, 3:2 on 5 and 9, 6:5 on 6 and 8. It can only be placed on top of a Pass Line bet, so the combined bet still carries a small edge.
Go deeper:Craps rules in full, with every bet on the layout and its house edge.
■︎Section 06 · Slots
Video Slots: Return to Player (RTP) and the Random Number Generator
Every slot spin is decided by a random number generator the moment you press spin; the reels only display the result. The long-run return is the RTP: a game with a 96% RTP keeps about £4 of every £100 staked over time.
Read moreShow less about slot rules
Slot machines have no memory, whether they are cabinets in a venue or games online. A spin that follows a long run without a win is no more likely to pay than any other. The reel animation shows a result that was fixed when the spin began.
Unlike table games, a slot’s margin is set by the game studio through the weighting of its symbols, so the house edge varies from game to game. It is published as the Return to Player (RTP), usually in the game’s information panel. Online slots offered in Great Britain also follow their own Gambling Commission rules on spin speed, autoplay and stake size, set out in the rules section below.
Yes, “casino” is also a card game. Casino, often spelled Cassino, is a fishing game for two to four players in which cards are captured from the table by matching or adding up ranks. It is played for points, with no house and no stakes.
Read moreShow less about the card game Cassino
The game shares its name with the venue, which causes some confusion at the card table and off it. It dates from late eighteenth-century London and is played with a standard 52-card pack, and the casino card game rules below are the common two-player version.
Players capture cards laid out on the table with a card from their hand that matches a table card in rank, or equals the sum of several table cards. At the end of the deal, points go to the player with the most cards (3 points), the most spades (1 point), the 10 of diamonds, “Big Casino” (2 points), the 2 of spades, “Little Casino” (1 point), and each Ace (1 point each).
Both words come from the Italian casino, a small country house or pavilion for social gatherings. The card game has no bank and no house edge; it is a test of memory and mental arithmetic. Our full guide to the casino card game rules covers building, trailing and sweeps.
Rules in the Room: A Guide to ID, Chips and Table Etiquette
You must be 18 to enter a casino in Great Britain,6 (source) and Gambling Commission guidance asks casinos to check the age of anyone who looks under 25.5 (source) Bring photo ID, such as a passport or a photo driving licence; many casinos register visitors on a first visit.
Read moreShow less about ID, chips and etiquette
Beyond the age limit, each venue sets its own entry rules, such as registration, membership and dress code, so they vary by venue. A casino’s own website lists what it asks for before a first visit.
Stakes are placed with chips bought at the cash desk or at the table between rounds. Chips are normally accepted only by the casino that issued them. At the table, bets go down before the dealer calls “no more bets”, cards dealt face up are not touched in shoe games, and house rules on mobile phones at the table vary by venue.
Rules in Great Britain: What the Gambling Commission Sets
The Gambling Commission licenses every casino and online site that serves players in Great Britain, under the Gambling Act 2005. Its rules set the pace of online slots, cap online slot stakes and ban gambling on credit cards. Northern Ireland is not covered by that Act and has its own gambling law.
Read moreShow less about gambling rules in Great Britain
The same body licenses land-based casinos and online sites, and every licensee has to meet its technical and social-responsibility standards. A game offered online to a player in Great Britain follows these rules, wherever the operator is based.1 (source) Northern Ireland has its own gambling law, the Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (Northern Ireland) Order 1985, and these GB online rules do not automatically apply there.7 (source)
Since 31 October 2021, each online slot spin must last at least 2.5 seconds, autoplay and quick-spin features are not allowed, and a spin that returns the same as the stake or less may not be celebrated with sounds or graphics that suggest a win.2 (source) A single online slot spin is capped at £5 for adults aged 25 and over (since 9 April 2025) and at £2 for players aged 18 to 24 (since 21 May 2025).3 (source)
Credit cards cannot be used to gamble,4 (source) every licensed online operator has to take part in GAMSTOP, the free self-exclusion scheme (since 31 March 2020),8 (source) and new customers have their age and identity checked before they can deposit or play. Free, confidential help is available from GambleAware9 (source) and from the National Gambling Helpline run by GamCare on 0808 8020 133, free and open 24 hours a day.10 (source)
Blackjack played to basic strategy and the Banker bet in baccarat cost the least, at about 0.5% and 1.06% of each stake over time. American roulette and many slots cost the most. Even the cheapest of these, blackjack at about 0.5%, still costs about 5p per £10 hand on average.
House edge by game for the common UK variant. Approximate long-run figures, basic strategy assumed; individual slot games publish their own RTP.
Game
Common UK variant
House edge
What lowers it
Bet to avoid
Row details
♠︎Blackjack
6-deck shoe, dealer stands on 17, no hole card
0.55%
Playing to a basic strategy chart
Insurance side bet
Common UK variant
6-deck shoe, dealer stands on 17, no hole card
What lowers it
Playing to a basic strategy chart
Bet to avoid
Insurance side bet
✦︎Baccarat (Banker)
8-deck punto banco, 5% commission
1.06%
Backing Banker
Tie (14.36% edge)
Common UK variant
8-deck punto banco, 5% commission
What lowers it
Backing Banker
Bet to avoid
Tie (14.36% edge)
✦︎Baccarat (Player)
8-deck punto banco, no commission
1.24%
Switching to Banker
Pair side bets
Common UK variant
8-deck punto banco, no commission
What lowers it
Switching to Banker
Bet to avoid
Pair side bets
⚅︎Craps (Pass Line)
Pass line with 3-4-5x odds
1.41%
Adding the full free odds bet (combined 0.37%)
Any 7 (16.67% edge)
Common UK variant
Pass line with 3-4-5x odds
What lowers it
Adding the full free odds bet (combined 0.37%)
Bet to avoid
Any 7 (16.67% edge)
◈︎European roulette
Single zero, 37 pockets
2.70%
Tables with la partage (1.35% on even-money bets)
Double-zero wheels
Common UK variant
Single zero, 37 pockets
What lowers it
Tables with la partage (1.35% on even-money bets)
Bet to avoid
Double-zero wheels
▲︎Three Card Poker
Ante and Play, standard pay table
3.37%
Playing Queen-6-4 or better, folding the rest
Pair Plus on a low pay table
Common UK variant
Ante and Play, standard pay table
What lowers it
Playing Queen-6-4 or better, folding the rest
Bet to avoid
Pair Plus on a low pay table
◈︎American roulette
Double zero, 38 pockets
5.26%
Choosing a single-zero wheel instead
Top line 0-00-1-2-3 (7.89% edge)
Common UK variant
Double zero, 38 pockets
What lowers it
Choosing a single-zero wheel instead
Bet to avoid
Top line 0-00-1-2-3 (7.89% edge)
■︎Video slots
Online and venue slots, RTP set per game
Varies by game
Checking the published RTP before playing
Games that do not show their RTP
Common UK variant
Online and venue slots, RTP set per game
What lowers it
Checking the published RTP before playing
Bet to avoid
Games that do not show their RTP
⚖︎Section 11 · Where to play
Where to Play in the UK: Licensed Operators
These five casinos hold UK Gambling Commission licences and are listed in order of our score. Every row shows the welcome offer in the same six fields, so wagering and time limits can be compared directly.
1
bet365
Our score: 9.0/10
UKGC licence 55149 · Hillside (UK Gaming) ENC
Offer
Up to 500 free spins
Type
Free spins
Free spins
Up to 500
Wagering
None (wager-free)
Time limit
7 days per prize
Min deposit
£10
15+ blackjack and 25+ roulette games, 180+ live tables
New customers. Min deposit £10 (lifetime). Up to 500 free spins over 10 selections in 20 days, wager-free. Prizes valid 7 days. Game restrictions apply. Full T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly. GambleAware.org 18+
2
BetMGM
Our score: 8.8/10
UKGC licence 39198 · LeoVegas Gaming PLC
Offer
200 free spins
Type
Free spins
Free spins
200 (Big Bass Splash)
Wagering
None on spin winnings
Time limit
3 days
Min deposit
£10
15+ blackjack and 20+ roulette games, 290+ live tables
New customers. Opt in, deposit and stake £10 within 7 days. 200 free spins (10p) on Big Bass Splash, valid 3 days, winnings wager-free. Full T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly. GambleAware.org 18+
3
LeoVegas
Our score: 8.4/10
UKGC licence 39198 · LeoVegas Gaming PLC
Offer
50 free spins
Type
Free spins
Free spins
50 (Big Bass Splash)
Wagering
None on spin winnings
Time limit
3 days
Min deposit
£10
25+ blackjack and 40+ roulette games, 200+ live tables
New customers. Opt in, deposit and stake £10 within 7 days. 50 free spins on Big Bass Splash, valid 3 days, winnings wager-free. Max bet £0.10. Full T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly. GambleAware.org 18+
4
William Hill
Our score: 7.3/10
UKGC licence 39225 · WHG (International) Limited
Offer
200 free spins
Type
Free spins
Free spins
200 (Big Bass Splash)
Wagering
None on spin winnings
Time limit
72 hours
Min deposit
£10
10+ blackjack and 10+ roulette games, 160+ live tables
New UK customers. Code BBS200, deposit and stake £10 on slots. 200 free spins (10p), valid 72 hours, winnings wager-free up to £30. PayPal and Paysafecard excluded. Full T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly. GambleAware.org 18+
5
888casino
Our score: 6.9/10
UKGC licence 39028 · 888 UK Limited
Offer
100% up to £100
Type
Deposit match
Free spins
None
Wagering
10x bonus
Time limit
5 days to wager
Min deposit
£10
5+ blackjack and 10+ roulette games, 240+ live tables
Fastest listed withdrawal: Apple Pay, 1 day
Pays out to Apple Pay, Visa, Mastercard, Wire Transfer
New customers, GBP accounts. Min deposit £10. 100% up to £100, claim within 48 hours. 10x wagering on selected slots within 5 days. Max win £100. Full T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly. GambleAware.org 18+
Read moreShow less about how these casinos are listed
Every operator listed holds a UK Gambling Commission remote licence. That licence requires age and identity checks before play, taking part in GAMSTOP and the option to set deposit limits. The score weighs four things: how light the welcome-offer terms are (35%), the depth of blackjack, roulette and live tables (30%), the fastest listed withdrawal (20%) and the choice of payout methods (15%). Two more licensed casinos and the full scoring are on the UK casino comparison.
✦︎How we check
How We Check and Verify Casino Rules
The casino rules on this page are checked against published rule sets and the regulator’s technical standards. Every house edge is worked out by calculation from the payouts and the number of possible outcomes, not taken from casino marketing.
Read moreShow less about how the rules are checked
Rule sets. The casino game rules here are written for someone learning how to play casino games at a British table. Table procedures, such as the number of decks, when the dealer draws and what each bet pays, are compared with the rules published for each game and with the Gambling Commission’s technical standards for online games. Where UK casinos differ from one another, the page gives the common UK version and names the variation.
Calculations. The house edges for blackjack, baccarat, roulette, craps and three card poker follow from the payouts and the count of possible outcomes, and they are compared with the published figures in the references below. The blackjack decoder adds standard published estimates for each rule change.
Operator scores. Only casinos with a current Gambling Commission licence are listed. Each is scored on four published criteria: how light its welcome-offer terms are, the depth of its blackjack, roulette and live tables, its fastest listed withdrawal and its choice of payout methods. A score is an editorial judgement, never a promise of any result.
?FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions on UK Casino Rules
The questions readers ask most, answered briefly: strategy and the house edge, the dealer’s soft 17 rule, green zero, the Tie bet, payments and slot spin speed.
Does following a strategy chart remove the house edge?
+
No. No strategy removes the house edge or the risk of losing. In blackjack, basic strategy lowers the house edge to about 0.5% in a standard UK shoe game, but the casino keeps its advantage over many rounds. Strategy lowers the price of playing; it never turns the odds in the player’s favour.
Why does the dealer stand on soft 17 in British casinos?
+
British casinos commonly use the rule that the dealer stands on all 17s. Hitting soft 17 lets the dealer improve weak hands and adds about 0.22 percentage points to the house edge, so standing on all 17s is the better rule for the player.
What happens if the roulette ball lands on green zero?
+
On a standard European wheel, all even-money bets (red or black, odd or even, 1–18 or 19–36) and all dozens and columns lose when the ball lands on 0. Under la partage, even-money bets lose only half the stake; under en prison, the stake is held for the next spin.
Why is the Tie bet in baccarat considered a poor bet?
+
A Tie pays 8 to 1, but the true odds of a tie are about 9.5 to 1 against. That gap gives the bet a house edge of 14.36%, against 1.06% on Banker and 1.24% on Player.
Are credit cards accepted for gambling in Great Britain?
+
No. Since 14 April 2020 the Gambling Commission has banned gambling on credit cards in Great Britain, online and in venues. Debit cards, bank transfers and e-wallets funded by debit card are allowed.
What is the minimum spin time for online slots in Britain?
+
Since 31 October 2021, online slots offered to players in Great Britain must take at least 2.5 seconds per spin. Quick-spin features that shorten this, and autoplay, are not allowed.
What is the difference between true odds and payout odds?
+
True odds are the ratio of outcomes that lose a bet to outcomes that win it. Payout odds are what the casino actually pays when the bet wins. The gap between the two is what creates the house edge.
Does the traditional card game ‘Cassino’ involve gambling?
+
No. Cassino is a fishing card game played for points by capturing cards from the table. There is no bank and no stake.
♣︎Sources
Sources
The rules and figures on this page rest on the documents below, grouped by type. Each entry names its publisher and the date it was last checked; the small numbers in the text link here.
