Game guide
Baccarat online in 2026: punto banco rules, odds and live baccarat
Punto banco explained: how a hand is dealt, why the banker bet pays commission, the house edge on each bet and how live baccarat works at GB casinos.
Baccarat is a casino card game in which you bet on which of two hands, the player or the banker, will finish closer to nine, or on a tie. The version offered at online casinos in Great Britain is punto banco: neither you nor the dealer makes any decisions, the drawing rules are fixed, and the only real choice is which bet to place. The banker bet has the lowest house edge even after its 5% commission; the tie bet has by far the highest.
This page is about the baccarat casino game, not the French crystal house of the same name. It covers how a hand plays out, the odds on each bet, the main live baccarat formats and the GB rules that apply.
On this page
How a hand of punto banco is dealt
Two cards go to the Player hand and two to the Banker hand. Cards 2-9 count at face value, tens and picture cards count zero and aces count one. Only the last digit of the total matters, so 7 plus 8 makes 15, which counts as 5.
- If either hand totals 8 or 9 on the first two cards (a "natural"), both stand and the hand is settled.
- Otherwise the Player hand draws a third card on 0-5 and stands on 6 or 7.
- The Banker hand then follows a fixed table: it draws on 0-2, and on 3-6 it draws or stands depending on the Player's third card. It stands on 7.
You never need to memorise the drawing table, because the game applies it automatically. It explains why the banker hand wins slightly more often: it acts second, with more information.
The three bets and their odds
The figures below are for the common eight-deck game with a 5% commission on banker wins and a tie paying 8 to 1.
| Bet | Pays | Approximate house edge |
|---|---|---|
| Banker | 1 to 1, less 5% commission | 1.06% |
| Player | 1 to 1 | 1.24% |
| Tie | 8 to 1 | About 14.4% |
That makes baccarat one of the lower-edge games in a casino lobby, close to blackjack played with good strategy and well below most slots. Some tables pay the tie at 9 to 1, which lowers its edge but leaves it far worse than the other two bets. "No commission" tables remove the 5% but pay only half on a banker win with a total of 6, which keeps the edge in the same range. Check the rules panel for which version you are at.
Side bets and multiplier tables
Most live tables add side bets such as Player Pair, Banker Pair or bets on the size of the winning margin. They pay more and carry a higher edge than the main bets. Multiplier formats like Lightning Baccarat from Evolution add random multipliers to some cards, paid for by a fee on each main bet; the rules screen shows how that changes the payouts. Hollywoodbets and LuckyMate both list Lightning Baccarat in their live lobbies.
Live baccarat online
Live baccarat streams real cards and a dealer, often with a "squeeze" in which cards are revealed slowly. Because nobody makes decisions, live tables can take any number of players on the same hand. The main studios in GB lobbies are Evolution, Pragmatic Play Live and Playtech Live. Virgin Bet, Bella Casino and Pub Casino list live baccarat, and Hollywoodbets shows stake ranges on each lobby tile. Our live dealer casinos page compares sites by their live offering, and Lottomart and BetMGM both list baccarat in their navigation.
Two related games appear nearby. Dragon Tiger is a faster one-card cousin: each side gets a single card and the higher card wins. Chemin de fer and baccarat banque, where players do make decisions, are rarely offered online in Great Britain.
Patterns, scorecards and systems
Live tables show "roads", scorecards of previous results. They are a record, not a forecast: the shoe has no memory in any practical sense, and no staking system changes the house edge on the bet you choose. The most reliable decision in baccarat is the simplest one: stay with banker or player and avoid the tie.
Free baccarat and practice
Baccarat online free versions are useful mainly to get used to the screen layout and side bets, since the game itself needs no strategy. At a GB-licensed casino, demo play is available only after your age has been verified, so free baccarat sits inside a verified account rather than on an open page.
GB rules that apply to baccarat
- No slot stake cap. The £5 and £2 limits apply to online slots only; baccarat tables set their own limits.
- Five-second minimum per game cycle for RNG casino games other than slots, since 17 January 2025.
- No autoplay or turbo, and a running display of net position and time played.
- Bonus play. Table and live games are often excluded from bonus wagering or count at a reduced rate. Wagering on bonus funds is capped at 10x from 19 January 2026; check the game-contribution rules in each offer.
For other table games see our online blackjack and online roulette guides.
18+ only. A low house edge still means the casino keeps a share over time. Our responsible gambling page explains deposit limits, time-outs and free support.
UK-licensed casinos, ranked by our score
Order = score out of 10. Every operator holds a Gambling Commission licence.
| # | Casino | Score | Welcome offer and significant terms | Payments | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place 1 |  Bella CasinoRank Interactive (Gibraltar) Limited | Score: 7.9 out of 10, good | 100 bonus spins on Kong 3 Even Bigger Bonus when you deposit and stake £10 Significant terms New players; min deposit £10 (Paysafecard excluded) and £10 stake on Kong 3 Even Bigger Bonus; 10x wagering; max win £200 |
| Visit Bella Casino (opens the operator site in a new tab)Read the review: Bella Casino |
| Place 2 |  Pub CasinoL & L Europe Limited | Score: 7.4 out of 10, good | 50 cash spins on Octobeer Fortunes after depositing and wagering £10 Significant terms Deposit and wager £10; activate before depositing; spins £0.20 each, winnings paid as cash, no max cash out; Skrill deposits excluded; spins expire in 48 hours |
| Visit Pub Casino (opens the operator site in a new tab)Read the review: Pub Casino |
| Place 3 |  LuckyMateAnakatech Interactive Limited | Score: 7.4 out of 10, good | 50 bonus spins on Big Bass Splash when you bet £10 on slots Code MATE50 Significant terms £10 min deposit; £10 in slot bets; 50 spins at £0.10 (£5 total); x1 wagering, £1 max bet contribution; £100 max cashout from winnings; 7-day expiry; selected payment methods only | Not listed | Visit LuckyMate (opens the operator site in a new tab)Read the review: LuckyMate |
| Place 4 |  HollywoodbetsHollywoodbets International UK Limited | Score: 7.3 out of 10, good | No welcome offer listed in the terms we read. | Not listed | Visit Hollywoodbets (opens the operator site in a new tab)Read the review: Hollywoodbets |
| Place 5 |  Virgin BetVirgin Bet Limited | Score: 6.3 out of 10, fair | No welcome offer listed in the terms we read. | Not listed | Visit Virgin Bet (opens the operator site in a new tab)Read the review: Virgin Bet |
| Place 6 |  LottomartMaple International Ventures Limited | Score: 7.1 out of 10, good | New customer prize wheel: win up to 500 bonus spins Significant terms New players, opt-in; min £10 cash stakes on slots; wheel used and spins claimed within 4 days; spins played within 24 hours; free spin winnings paid as cash (no wagering); max 1 claim | Not listed | Visit Lottomart (opens the operator site in a new tab)Read the review: Lottomart |
| Place 7 |  BetMGMLeoVegas Gaming PLC | Score: 6.5 out of 10, good | No welcome offer listed in the terms we read. |
| Visit BetMGM (opens the operator site in a new tab)Read the review: BetMGM |
Ad We may earn a commission if you open an account through links on this page; it does not change our scores or the order of operators. How we score · Advertising disclosure
Questions readers ask
What is the best bet in baccarat?
The banker bet has the lowest house edge, about 1.06% in a standard eight-deck game, even after the 5% commission. The player bet is close behind, and the tie bet is much worse.
Is punto banco the same as baccarat?
Punto banco is the version of baccarat played in casinos and online in Great Britain. The drawing rules are fixed, so players only choose a bet.
Why is there commission on banker wins?
The banker hand acts second and wins slightly more often. The 5% commission keeps a house edge on that bet.
Can I play baccarat for free in the UK?
Licensed casinos must verify your age before you play free or demo games, so free baccarat requires a verified account.