Where and How to Play Craps Online

Author Image Author: | Last Updated: August 2024

Craps is one of the rowdiest casino games with low house edge. If you are looking for an excitable casino game with favorable betting options, online craps is the perfect game for you.

In this guide we will discuss how to play craps online, how the house edge varies between bets, and recommend our top selection of best online casinos for craps.

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How to Play Craps Online: The Basics

How to Play Craps Online: The Basics

The objective of craps is to predict the outcome of the dice and bet on it. Both online craps and offline craps are games of chance, so knowing the rules of the game and when to make which wager is essential. The return to player (RTP) of online craps is 98.64% which adds to its popularity.

Craps Rules

Craps rules can be intimidating at first as it is one of the more complex casino games out there. It is important to understand the basic of craps. We’ll break a game of craps into two parts:

  • Come Out Roll
  • The Point

The come out roll is when a new shooter rolls the dice. If the roll is a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, that number becomes the point and we begin the second part. In the first part, craps allows for pass line and don’t pass bets to be made. 

In the point part, the shooter’s goal is to hit the point before rolling a 7. If a 7 is rolled, all pass line bets lose. If the roller hits a point, pass line bets are paid. If the shooter rolls a number other than the point or a 7, the shooter continues to roll until they hit the point or a 7.

To sum it up if a point is set, we want that specific number to roll before a 7. If no point is set, we want a 7 or 11 to roll for a pass line bet while 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 sets the point and a 2, 3, and 12 loses. 

Here is how an online craps game plays out step by step:

Step 01
Bets are Placed

Players bet on if the dice will pass the line (rolling 7 or 11) or if it won’t pass the line (rolling 2, 3, or 12).

Step 02
Roll the Dice

The shooter rolls the dice, also called the come out roll.

Step 03
First Potential Payouts

If the dice lands on a 7 or 11, the pass bets win. If the dice lands on 2, 3, or 12, don’t pass bets win. If the dice lands on any other number, the pass/don’t pass bets remain.

Step 04
Point Established

A point is established if the dice lands on any other number and the game continues until the dice lands on either the point or a 7.

Step 05
Bets are Placed Again

Players can now bet on if the dice will land on a point or other numbers.

Step 06
Shooter Keeps Rolling

The shooter keeps rolling the dice until it lands on either the point or a 7. New bets can be placed with each roll.

Step 07
Round Ends

If the dice lands on the point, all pass bets win. If the dice lands on a 7 before the point, don’t pass bets win. Once the dice hits on either a point or a 7, the round ends.

Prev Step
Next Step

Craps Wagers

Understanding online craps wagers is essential to winning at craps. Craps bets can be confusing at first but they are relatively easy to navigate around if you grasp the basics of it. Here are the most common bets for online craps:

  • Pass Line: Betting on the shooter rolling a 7 or 11 in the come out roll if no point is set. If a point is set, pass line bet wins if the point is hit before a 7.
  • Don’t Pass: Betting on the shooter rolling a 2, 3, or 12 in the come out roll. If a point is set, don’t pass bet wins if a 7 hits before the point.
  • Come: Same as the pass line bet but can only be placed after the come out roll.
  • Don’t Come: Same as the don’t pass bet but can only be places after the come out roll.
  • Place Bet: Betting on 4, 5, 6, 8, or 10 to roll individually even if they aren’t the point. This bet loses is a 7 is rolled before the point
  • Odds: Odds bets can only be made if the player has already made a pass/don’t pass bet. If a player places odds bet on a pass bet it is known as taking the odds. If a player places odds bet on a don’t pass bet, it is known as laying the odds. Placing an odds bet on an existing bet lowers the house edge.
  • Buy: Buy bets follow the structure and rules of the place but with the addition of 5% casino commission.
  • Hardway: Betting on certain combination of numbers to be hit with a roll. Hardway bets are only made on non-come out rolls and are only in play as long as it’s a non-come out roll.
  • Field: A one roll bet that wins if the shooter’s next roll hits 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12. This bet loses if the shooter rolls a 5, 6, 7, or 8.
  • One Roll: A bet that is made on individual numbers to roll. Players can bet on 7, craps (2, 3, or 12), 2, 3, 11, or 12 to roll.

How to Win at Craps

Craps is essentially a game of chance. There is no way the manipulate the outcome of a dice roll, especially when playing online craps. To have a better change at winning a game of online craps, it is essential to know the rules of the game and when to place which wager to make a bet with higher odds. 

Sticking to basic bets to begin with is a good idea. Pass line and don’t pass line bets have lower potential winnings with lower house edges which offer a better chance at long-term success. 

While hardway bets seem attractive because of the higher payouts, they are less favorable and riskier on the long run.

Craps is subject to superstition with players often relying on lucky charms and rituals, the outcome of a dice roll is completely random. It is important to practice bankroll management while staying disciplined is key to having an enjoyable online craps experience.

The House Edge in Craps

The House Edge in Craps

Online craps is a very diverse game when it comes to the house edge. House edge is the advantage the casino has over the player. With craps, the house edge changes depending on the bet you make. 

A good rule of thumb is to go with the negative bets since the house edge tends to be lower. Pass/don’t come bets have a house edge of 1.41% while don’t pass/don’t come bets have a house edge of 1.36%.

Odds Bets

Odds bets are unique in the way they affect the house edge. The more you bet, the more the house edge decreases. It is essential to be aware of how much you are betting on a single bet. Odds bets pay as follows:

  • For a point of 6 or 8, payback is 6 to 5
  • For a point of 5 or 9, payback is 3 to 2
  • For a point of 4 or 10, payback is 3 to 1

For negative odds, inverse payback (5 to 6 instead of 6 to 5) is available. The house edge decreases as more bets are made on the original wager. Here is how the house edge is affected with each wager:

Odds BetHouse Edge
1x0.8%
2x0.6%
3x0.55%
3x, 4x, 5x0.4%
5x0.3%
10x0.2%
20x0.1%
100x0.02%

Place Bets

Place bets tend to be popular with not so terrible paybacks. However, the house edge increases as the payback increases. Here is a chart showing how the house edge changes:

BetPaybackHouse Edge
Betting on 6 or 87 to 61.52%
Betting on 5 or 97 to 54.0%
Betting on 4 or 199 to 56.67%

Buy Bets

Buy bets are not as popular but a buy bet will give you fair odds. Buy bets are not preferred because of the commission. The house edge on commissioned games is 4.67%. Here is a chart showing the payback of buy bets:

Buy BetPayback
Betting on 6 or 86 to 5
Betting on 5 or 93 to 2
Betting on 4 or 102 to 1

Hardway Bets

Hardway bets are enticing thanks to the high payout chance. The house edge of hardway bets are significantly higher than other craps betting options. Here is how the house edge varies on hardway bets:

BetPaybackHouse Edge
4 the hardway7 to 111.11%
6 the hardway9 to 19.09%
8 the hardway9 to 19.09%
10 the hardway7 to 111.11%

Single Roll Bets

Sing roll bets are popular amongst beginner online craps players for the high-risk, high-reward mentality. The house edge of singe roll bets is the highest across all the craps bets. Here is how you can expect the house edge to change with each single roll bet:

BetPaybackHouse Edge
Betting on 230 to 113.89%
Betting on 315 to 111.11%
Betting on 1115 to 111.11%
Betting on 1230 to 113.89%
Betting on 74 to 116.67%
Betting on Craps (2, 3, 12)7 to 111.11%
FieldEven money, 2 to 1 for 2, 3 to 1 for 32.78%
Tips for How to Play Craps

Tips for How to Play Craps

Here are our top tips for how to play online craps:

Choose an Online Casino

There are numerous online craps casinos available on the internet. However, not all of them are worth signing up. Make sure to check out our recommended casinos to start playing craps online.

Understand the Game

Understanding the games intricacies is very important when it comes to playing online craps. Go over the rules and learn the bets and how they effect the house edge to get a better understanding of online craps.

Manage Your Bankroll

Managing your bankroll is crucial to playing online craps. Set a limit for how much you want to bet and how much you want to win on one session of online craps.

Practice

Make sure to practice your online craps knowledge and strategies with demo games before jumping into playing with real money. You can even practice free craps games at some online casinos to get a handle on it before betting real money. 

Best Online Casinos for Craps

Best Online Casinos for Craps

Finding the best online casino for craps can be a hefty task if you are a beginner. We have reviewed some of the top online casinos and categorized them on what they do best to ensure you find a suitable casino for all your online craps needs.

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Best Craps Casino Overall

High Roller Casino
400% up to $4,000 Welcome Bonus
high roller casino screenshot
Casino Games: Slots, Baccarat, Roulette +1 more Blackjack.
Live Dealer: Yes
Payment Options: Bitcoins, Bitcoin Cash, Cardano +9 more Dogecoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Ripple, Tether, American Express, MasterCard, Visa, Bank Transfer.

High Roller Casino cements its place as the best craps casino online overall thanks to their high quality RNG craps options. They offer two RNG craps games in their library from the software provider giants Nucleus Gaming and Concept Gaming. The online craps games have a very clean layout with information about how to play the game. The betting ranges are very accessible starting from $1 and going up to $500.

High Roller casino offers a handsome 400% up to $4,000 welcome bonus with 35x rollover requirement for new players. Craps do not contribute towards the wagering requirements of this welcome bonus.

  • 750+ casino games
  • Customizable welcome bonuses
  • Robust live dealer lobby
  • 9.75% transaction fee on credit/debit card deposits
  • Smaller crypto bonus than competing online casinos

Best for Classic Craps

Bovada Casino
125% up to $3,750 Welcome Bonus
bovada casino screenshot
Casino Games: Blackjack, Slots, Roulette +3 more Progressive jackpot, Craps, Baccarat.
Live Dealer: Yes
Payment Options: Visa, MasterCard, Bitcoins +6 more Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, Ethereum, Tether, Bank Transfer, Check.

Bovada Casino has been in operation since 2011 and continues to supply players with a great gambling experience, be it with online slots, blackjack, and roulette, or online sports betting.

  • Promotions that are specific to sportsbook, casino, poker room, and racebook
  • A full-service poker room with a downloadable desktop app
  • Ability to deposit using PayPal, Zelle, Venmo, and CashApp via MatchPay
  • Confusing information around credit/debit card fees
  • A limited racebook – no greyhound racing and only select wagers

Best Online Craps Casino for Beginners

BetUS Casino
125% up to $2,625 Welcome Bonus
betus screenshot
Casino Games: Slots, Video poker, Blackjack +3 more Baccarat, Craps, Live dealer.
Live Dealer: Yes
Payment Options: Visa, MasterCard, American Express +5 more Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, Ethereum, Bank Transfer, Check.

BetUs takes its place as the best online craps casino for beginners because it is very simple to use. BetUS is relatively easy to navigate around with a user-friendly interface and easy sign process.

They have 3 RNG craps games in their library and all of them can be played on demo mode. This way, beginners can practice playing craps without spending any real money. The betting for BetUS’s RNG craps starts form $1 and goes up to $100 which is suitable for both low rollers and high rollers.

  • Several different welcome bonus options including a 200% crypto bonus
  • 300+ casino games, including slots and live-dealer
  • Sports Betting options include: pro football, college football, live betting and more
  • Same-day payouts up to $5000
  • Limited time (14 days) to clear bonus playthrough requirements
  • Money you wager on casino games does not count towards the loyalty program
  • BetUS is not available in Washington state
Comparing Online Craps Casinos

Comparing Online Craps Casinos

Here is a brief comparison between our selection of the best online casinos for craps:

CasinoWelcome BonusMinimum DepositRollover RequirementsRead Our Review
High Roller Casino400% up to $4,000$25035xRead Our Review
Bovada125% up to $3,750$1025xRead Our Review
BetUs100% up to $2,500$10030xRead Our Review
How We Evaluate Online Craps Casinos

How We Evaluate Online Craps Casinos

Evaluating online casinos is a lengthy process involving various tests to make sure an online casino meets out standards before we can recommend it to you. Our experts meticulously test online craps casinos to make sure we only recommend the best sites. Visit our how we rank page to have a more in depth look into our evaluation process.

Here is a brief look into the specific criteria we consider when evaluating online craps casinos:

computer-gears

Desktop and Mobile Craps

Our online craps casinos offer a seamless experience between the desktop and mobile versions of their craps games. Our experts make sure our recommended craps casinos are fully optimized for mobile users.

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High-quality software providers

We only recommend online craps casinos that are partnered with high quality software providers. It is important for an online casino to offer a diverse set of high-quality online craps games.

computer-gears

Generous bonuses and promotions

An online craps casino should offer generous bonuses and promotions for both newcomers and existing players. We read through the terms and conditions of each bonus and promotion to make sure there are no hidden terms.

computer-gears

Helpful customer service

It is essential for an online casino to offer top notch customer service. Our experts conduct various tests on the live chat and email support to ensure the customer service delivers fast and helpful responses.

Responsible Gambling

Responsible Gambling

Just like any other form of betting, betting on online craps can quickly transform from a fun hobby to an addiction. It is essential to recognize the signs of a gambling addiction in order to treat it. You can learn more about identifying the signs of gambling addiction and find various resources to get external help on our gambling addiction page.

If you’re struggling with gambling addiction, these resources are here to help:

  • National Problem Gambling Helpline – Phone line and mobile text and chat services. Available in all 50 states, Canada, and the Virgin Islands. 1-800-522-4700
  • Gamblers Anonymous – This national organization helps people connect with local GA groups or virtual meetings. Use their hotline directory to find a hotline in your state.
  • SAMHSA’s National Helpline – This helpline is run by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and can help connect you to local treatment, support groups, and other community organizations. 1-800-487-4889. 
Summary

Summary

Craps is an exciting game with many interesting betting opportunities. This rowdy casino game has had a great transition into the online casino scene. Our comprehensive guide aims to provide a great learning environment for both beginners and casual players looking to learn how to play craps online.

In this guide we have discussed how to play craps online, the interesting rules and various bets you can make on online craps, explored how the house edge changes based on the bets made as well as tips for playing craps online. We have also recommended the best online casinos for craps.

Author Avatar
About the Author

Isaac E. Payne is an experienced technical blogger, creative writer, and lead content manager at GamblingSites.org. As a published author, he enjoys finding interesting and exciting ways to cover any topic. In his four years on the team, he has covered online gambling and sports betting and excelled at reviewing casino sites. In his free time, he enjoys playing blackjack and reading science fiction.