Betting, poker, crypto or casino is the best way to win?

We compared the four most popular forms of gambling on a mathematical basis.

Perhaps none of our readers will be shocked by the following thesis: whatever gambling one chooses to do, one is essentially starting from a disadvantage. In sports betting we have learned that if the odds are 2 times the probability of it happening is not 50%, but if we are talking about poker or casino games, we are still at a slight disadvantage against the house. But let’s see how big this handicap is and which form of gambling is the most profitable.

Sports Betting

It’s hard to give a perfect market average, as the number of bookmakers varies with the number of bookmakers, sports and leagues, but if we say that the average margin in the sports betting industry is 6%, we probably won’t miss the mark.

This includes 3-5% for a Premier League, of course, but it also includes 8-9% for an ITF tennis tournament, so it really is just an estimated average. So it means that on a high average, the betting shops’ profit is 6 for every 100 EUR bets placed. Of course, this could be polemicised, as there are completely different bookies operating on the markets, with different bonuses, margins and limits, so we have only looked at the industry standard in strictly numerical terms.

There are of course exceptions when you are not playing against the bookmakers, but against other players. In such cases the broker exchange partner of course takes his own profit. The best and largest exchange department is Betfair.

Poker

Poker is a slightly different industry from sports betting in that you don’t play against the house, but against other players, and your money doesn’t go to the bookie, who acts as a middleman in the process. The profit of poker rooms (apart from the fact that most rooms are both sportsbooks and casinos) comes from the so-called rake, which is determined as a percentage of the amount of money put into the hands.There are, of course, many other factors to take into account here too, so we’ll just give a broad outline, but there are opportunities for rakeback and other bonuses that can further increase the potential winnings for players. You can find out about the best promotions and offers on our partner site, Rake Race.

Based on their estimates, the average margin (or more correctly, rake) in this industry is 4-5%, meaning that for every €100 wagered, €95 goes to the players and €5 goes to the room.

Casino

Of all the industries, the casino is perhaps the most diverse, with an endless array of game types, often offering millions in bonuses and jackpot prizes. The house advantage is there, of course, but you get slightly different numbers than in the above two cases, and we’ll explain why later.

In the case of casinos, it is not uncommon to see margins of up to 1-2%, which are mainly present on slot machines. But there are also casino rooms with a margin of less than 1%, i.e. for every EUR 100 wagered, the room’s profit is around EUR 0.5 in the long run. The reason for this is, in short, the maths that allows the room to win in the long run, not the player.

A very popular game is, for example, roulette, where you can distinguish between European and American roulette, depending on how many 0’s there are on the table. European roulette works on a 2.7% margin with its single 0, which means that whatever strategy you use (black only, even only, 1-18 only, single row only, single number only, etc.), in the long run, 100 EUR will return you 97.3 EUR on a mathematical basis. In American roulette it’s 5.26%, so if you have to choose between the two, don’t dither too much.

Crypto

Crypto is a surprising exception to the list, which makes it difficult to put it in the same category as the others. Asan expert explains to Topsters, the industry standard here is a margin of just 0.1%, but there are some sites where not only do the providers not make a profit, but they even make a profit, because they are useful to the exchange.

In the case of crypto, providers profit from data rather than revenue per transaction, as knowing where ‘takers’ place their buy or sell orders can be a huge advantage.

Does this mean that playing casino and crypto is the best way to make money?

Casino gambling is perhaps the biggest exception to this list, as it is a truly classic form of gambling, devoid of any knowledge or potential to increase the odds. In the other industries, you have more discretion, as odds change, cards can be discarded at any time, and trades can be easily busted.

That’s why in casino games, operators can afford to pay higher payouts, as the profits end up with them one way or another.

Fortunately, this is not the case in other types of gambling. That said, casino gambling isn’t always a bad choice either, as there are plenty of betting shops that like to steer their players in this direction, often offering huge deposit bonuses or free, risk-free spins. It’s definitely a good idea to take advantage of these, as you can increase your chances of winning and also get a taste of what it’s like to have fun in an online casino.

Strictly looking at margins and payouts only, crypto is the best on a mathematical basis, but let’s be quick to add that it may or may not require the most extensive knowledge and expertise.

But it really is a universal truth that whatever you start doing, whatever you want to win at, the work you put in will pay off sooner or later, but it’s a lifelong learning process in any industry…