Online casino games fall into a few clear groups that differ in pace, rules and maths. This guide covers the main types – slots and jackpots, table games, video poker, live casino and game shows, crash and instant games, and scratch cards – with a short explanation of how each works and where to read more.
Knowing the differences makes it easier to pick games that suit your style and your budget.
Slots are the largest game group. A random number generator decides each spin, and wins come from symbol combinations on the reels. The range runs from classic fruit machines to modern video slots with bonus rounds, Megaways or bonus buys, and the key differences between games are RTP and volatility. The big studios have deep libraries: our catalogue holds more than 600 Pragmatic Play slots and more than 450 from Play'n GO.
Jackpot games add a separate prize on top of normal wins, either fixed or progressive. A progressive jackpot grows as part of every bet feeds the pot, and network jackpots shared across many casinos can grow very large. The chance of winning one is small, and part of the game's RTP goes to the pot. Our catalogue has hundreds of jackpot games.
In roulette the ball decides and you bet on numbers or outside bets; European roulette has a 2.70% house edge. In blackjack your decisions matter, and with basic strategy the edge is typically around half a per cent. In baccarat you simply back Player, Banker or a tie, and the Banker bet carries an edge of about 1.06%. RNG table games let you play at your own pace.
Video poker sits between table games and slots: five cards, choose what to hold, draw once, and the hand is paid from a paytable. Full-pay Jacks or Better is one of the highest-returning casino games with optimal play, listed at 99.54% in our catalogue, but your card choices decide how close you get.
In the live casino a real dealer runs the game from a studio and you bet on screen. There are live roulette, blackjack and baccarat tables in large numbers: hundreds of live blackjack tables in our catalogue and more than 200 each of live roulette and live baccarat. Game shows are more entertainment-led live games where a host spins, for example, a big money wheel, sometimes with bonus stages. We have dozens of them, and their RTP can be lower than at classic tables: Crazy Time is listed at 96.08% in our catalogue, against 97.30% for European live roulette.
Instant games last seconds. In crash games a multiplier climbs until it crashes and you must cash out first; in Plinko a ball drops through pegs into a multiplier slot; in Mines-style games you reveal tiles while avoiding mines. Your choices change the risk, not the RTP. Online scratch cards work like paper ones: the result is set when you buy the card, so the order you scratch makes no difference, and RTP varies from card to card.
Online casino games split into groups by who or what decides the result. In slots and instant games a random number generator decides and you set the pace. Table games such as roulette, blackjack and baccarat follow rules that have barely changed in decades, and they come in both RNG and live versions. In the live casino and in game shows the result comes from a real wheel or real cards, with a dealer running the game from a studio.
When you look for the best casino games, first decide what you want from a game: a fast pace, simple rules, small swings or the chance to influence the result with your own decisions. The best casino game is therefore a personal choice. The most objective measure is RTP, which shows the long-run price of a game, and the second useful fact is volatility, which shows how hard results swing. For a general picture you can also look at what other players choose most: the most popular slots have their own category.
The main types are slots, jackpot games, table games such as roulette, blackjack and baccarat, video poker, live tables and game shows, crash and instant games, and scratch cards.
Roulette and baccarat have simple rules, and slots only need a stake. Blackjack and video poker take a little learning but reward correct decisions with a better return.
It depends on what you are looking for. The lowest house edge is in blackjack and full-pay video poker, while for slots the choice comes down to RTP, volatility and theme. You can start your comparison with the guide to the best casino games.
Blackjack and full-pay video poker have an edge below one per cent with optimal play. The baccarat Banker bet is about 1.06% and European roulette 2.70%.
In RNG games a random number generator decides the result and you play at your own pace. In live games a real dealer runs the game from a studio at a fixed pace.