Learn to Play Craps Online, Bet by Bet
This guide explains how a round of online craps runs, which bets carry a low house edge and which ones drain a balance quietly. It is written for players in Canada who are new to the layout, or who know the Pass Line and little else.
We cover the come-out roll and the point, live dealer versus RNG tables, and the math behind free odds. The house-edge figures assume standard rules, so check each game’s help screen for variations.
How a round of craps works online
Every round of craps starts with the come-out roll. Before it, you place a line bet: Pass if you are backing the shooter, Don’t Pass if you are betting against. A 7 or 11 wins the Pass Line at once, while 2, 3 or 12 loses it.
Don’t Pass mirrors that result, except that a come-out 12 is a push, which is where the house finds its edge on the dark side.
Any other total, meaning 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10, becomes the point, and the on-screen puck switches from Off to On. The shooter then keeps rolling until the point repeats, which pays the Pass Line, or a 7 lands first: the seven-out, which pays Don’t Pass and ends the round.
Online, no player throws the dice; a mechanical shooter or a certified RNG does it for the whole table.
Why the payouts differ
Two dice give 36 combinations, and 7 is the most frequent total at six ways. A 6 or 8 comes up five ways, a 5 or 9 four ways and a 4 or 10 only three, a ladder that explains nearly every payout on the table.
House edge on the main craps bets
| Bet | Payout | House edge | Our verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pass Line | 1:1 | 1.41% | Default starting bet |
| Don't Pass | 1:1 (12 pushes) | 1.36% | Lowest line edge |
| Free odds | 2:1, 3:2 or 6:5 | 0% | Add whenever offered |
| Place 6 or 8 | 7:6 | 1.52% | Best place bet |
| Field | 1:1, more on 2 and 12 | 2.78% to 5.56% | Check the 12 payout |
Live dealer craps or RNG craps
Online craps comes in two formats, and the choice changes how a session feels far more than how it pays. The core bets carry the same house edge in both, because the dice math is identical.
Evolution runs its Craps as a live table, where a mechanical shooter launches real dice, and as a First Person RNG version. Both include an interactive tutorial and an Easy Mode that trims the layout to the simpler bet spots, which is the gentlest way in for a beginner.
Pace is the practical difference between them.
A live table runs on a timer, typically giving you around 15 seconds to place chips before the next throw. An RNG table waits until you press Roll, so you can stop, check a payout in the help screen and decide without a clock running. In Ontario, the AGCO’s certification rules cover physical dice tables with electronic components as well as RNG software.
Live craps set against First Person RNG craps
The rows below compare the two formats on the points that matter to a beginner. Where neither format has a clear advantage, we marked both.
Live dealer craps | RNG (First Person) craps |
|---|---|
| Real dice launched by a mechanical shooter | Outcome from a certified random number generator |
| Timed betting window, typically around 15 seconds | No timer; you press Roll when ready |
| Tutorial and Easy Mode in Evolution's version | Same tutorial and Easy Mode |
| Chat, dealer and live betting statistics | Solo play with no table atmosphere |
| No free-play mode; every roll uses real money | Demo play offered at some casinos |
| Same core bets and same house edge | Same core bets and same house edge |
Placing your first bets in Canada
Where you can play craps legally depends on the province you are physically in, not the address on your licence. In Ontario, private operators must register with the AGCO and sign an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario, while OLG.ca runs alongside them as the provincial site. Players must be 19 or older and inside Ontario’s borders, which each session confirms through geolocation.
Alberta has opened a comparable market for private operators, with the AGLC as regulator and a minimum age of 18. Most other provinces offer online play through Crown platforms, such as PlayNow in British Columbia, Loto-Québec’s site in Québec and ALC in Atlantic Canada.
Not every lobby carries craps, so check the table games and live casino lists before you register.
A regulated site matters for craps specifically, because the dice outcome is the whole game and its certification is what you are trusting.
From new account to your first roll
These six steps take you from choosing a site to your first odds bet. They assume a provincially regulated operator, because that is where game certification and complaint handling apply.
- Step 1
Confirm your province's regulated options first
Check the regulator's list for your province, such as iGaming Ontario's operator directory or the AGLC registry in Alberta. A familiar brand name alone does not confirm approval. - Step 2
Open and verify your account
Registration asks for your name, date of birth and address, and KYC checks follow. Completing identity verification at the start avoids a hold later, when you request your first withdrawal. - Step 3
Set deposit and time limits
Regulated sites in Ontario and Alberta must offer deposit and time limits. Set them before your first deposit, while the amount is still a decision rather than a reaction. - Step 4
Open the game in Easy Mode
Find craps under table games or live casino, then switch on Easy Mode if the version offers it. Run the built-in tutorial once so the puck, the point and the bet spots make sense. - Step 5
Place a Pass or Don't Pass bet
Put the table minimum on the Pass Line or Don't Pass before the come-out roll. A 7, 11, 2, 3 or 12 settles it at once; any other total sets the point. - Step 6
Add odds once the point is set
With the puck On, place odds behind your line bet. Odds on 4 or 10 pay 2:1, on 5 or 9 pay 3:2, and on 6 or 8 pay 6:5, with no house edge.
Using free odds to lower the edge
The free odds bet is the reason craps ranks among the cheaper casino games for a disciplined player. It pays exactly what the dice probability justifies, so the casino takes nothing from it.
Say you place $10 on the Pass Line and the come-out lands on 6. You add $10 in odds, and if the 6 repeats before a 7, the line pays $10 and the odds pay $12, for $22 of profit on $20 at risk.
Odds dilute the edge on your total action.
With 1x odds, the combined edge on a Pass Line bet falls from 1.41% to about 0.85%, and at 3x it reaches 0.47%. The dollar cost of the line bet does not change, however: odds only add stake at zero edge, so a larger total bet still brings larger swings. The maximum multiple also varies by game and operator, so read the limits panel before planning around 3x.
Don’t Pass players lay odds instead, risking $20 to win $10 against a 4 or 10. The price is fair; it simply feels expensive.
Craps bets and habits to avoid
The centre of the craps layout is where the house edge climbs into double digits. Any Seven pays 4:1 against true odds of 5:1, a 16.67% edge, and Any Craps carries 11.11%.
Hardways look generous at 9:1 on hard 6 or 8, yet the edge is 9.09%, more than six times the Pass Line.
Big 6 and Big 8 deserve a separate warning.
They win on the same rolls as a Place bet on 6 or 8 but pay even money instead of 7:6, which lifts the edge from 1.52% to 9.09% for an identical outcome. Hard Rock Bet’s US data showed the Field as the most frequently placed craps bet, ahead of the Pass Line, which suggests many players pick bets by how often they win rather than by price.
Betting systems such as the Martingale change only how much you stake, never the edge, and table maximums cut a doubling run short.
Related Terms
Questions about playing craps online
Is online craps legal in Canada?
Legality depends on your province: Ontario and Alberta license private operators, while most other provinces offer online play through Crown platforms. You must be physically inside the province.
What is the minimum age to play craps online?
The minimum age is 19 in Ontario and most provinces, and 18 in Alberta, Manitoba and Québec, and regulated sites confirm it through KYC checks.
Which craps bet has the lowest house edge?
The free odds bet has no house edge at all. Among standalone bets, Don’t Pass is lowest at 1.36%, just ahead of the Pass Line at 1.41%.
What happens if a 7 is rolled after the point?
That roll is a seven-out, so Pass Line and Come bets lose while Don’t Pass and Don’t Come bets win. A new come-out roll follows.
Are the dice real in live dealer craps?
In Evolution’s live Craps, a mechanical shooter throws physical dice for every roll. RNG versions use a certified random number generator instead.
Is the Field a good bet for beginners?
It wins often but costs more than it looks: 2.78% when 12 pays 3:1 and 5.56% when it pays 2:1, against 1.41% on the Pass Line.
Can a betting system beat craps?
A system such as the Martingale changes how much you stake, never the house edge on each bet. Table maximums also stop a doubling run before it recovers a long losing streak.
More about online casinos
What we check first in any craps help file is the Field payout on 12. At 3:1 the edge sits at 2.78%; at 2:1 it doubles to 5.56%. The same bet name can hide two very different prices, and the layout rarely says which one you are getting.