Game guide
Online craps at UK casinos: the table, the bets and the odds
The craps table explained: pass line and odds, place and field bets, proposition bets ranked by house edge, dice probabilities and live craps in GB lobbies.
Craps is the casino dice game in which players bet on the result of two dice thrown by a "shooter". At UK-licensed online casinos, craps mostly appears as a live dealer game streamed from a studio, with a few software versions. The craps table carries dozens of bets, from the pass line with a house edge of about 1.41% to one-roll bets where the edge reaches 16.67%, so the most useful skill in a craps casino game is knowing which boxes to leave alone.
The casino games hub gives the basic come-out rule. This page goes through the full craps game: the layout, a round from start to finish, every main bet with its house edge, and the dice odds behind them.
On this page
The craps table layout
- Pass line and Don't Pass bar - the core bets on the shooter winning or losing the round.
- Come and Don't Come - the same bets, started mid-round.
- Odds - an extra bet placed behind a pass, don't pass, come or don't come bet once a point is set. It pays true odds.
- Place numbers - the boxes marked 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10, betting that the number rolls before a 7.
- Field - a one-roll bet on 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12.
- Big 6 and Big 8 - bets that a 6 (or 8) rolls before a 7, paying even money.
- Proposition bets - the centre of the table: any seven, any craps, hardways, 11 ("yo") and similar.
A round of craps, step by step
- Come-out roll. A 7 or 11 wins for the pass line; 2, 3 or 12 ("craps") loses. For Don't Pass the opposite applies, except that 12 is usually a push.
- The point. Any other total (4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10) becomes the point, and a marker shows it on the table.
- Odds. Now you can add an odds bet behind your pass line bet.
- Rolling for the point. The dice keep rolling. If the point comes up before a 7, pass line and odds win. If a 7 comes first ("seven out"), they lose.
- A new round starts with the next come-out roll.
Craps bets ranked by house edge
| Bet | Pays | House edge |
|---|---|---|
| Odds behind pass/come | True odds (2 to 1 on 4/10, 3 to 2 on 5/9, 6 to 5 on 6/8) | 0% |
| Don't Pass / Don't Come | 1 to 1 | 1.36% |
| Pass line / Come | 1 to 1 | 1.41% |
| Place 6 or 8 | 7 to 6 | 1.52% |
| Place 5 or 9 | 7 to 5 | 4.00% |
| Field (2 and 12 pay double) | 1 to 1 | 5.56% (2.78% if 12 pays triple) |
| Place 4 or 10 | 9 to 5 | 6.67% |
| Big 6 / Big 8 | 1 to 1 | 9.09% |
| Hard 6 / Hard 8 | 9 to 1 | 9.09% |
| Hard 4 / Hard 10 | 7 to 1 | 11.11% |
| Any craps (2, 3 or 12) | 7 to 1 | 11.11% |
| Yo (11) | 15 to 1 | 11.11% |
| Any seven | 4 to 1 | 16.67% |
The pattern is clear. A pass line bet with odds behind it is the cheapest way to play, because the odds part carries no house edge at all. Big 6 and Big 8 pay even money on the same event that Place 6 and 8 pay 7 to 6 on, so they cost six times as much for no reason. The centre of the table is where most of the casino's margin comes from. Payouts can vary slightly between online craps games, so confirm them in the help screen.
Dice odds: why 7 matters
Two dice make 36 equally likely combinations, and the totals are not equally likely:
| Total | Ways to roll it | Chance per roll |
|---|---|---|
| 2 or 12 | 1 each | 2.8% |
| 3 or 11 | 2 each | 5.6% |
| 4 or 10 | 3 each | 8.3% |
| 5 or 9 | 4 each | 11.1% |
| 6 or 8 | 5 each | 13.9% |
| 7 | 6 | 16.7% |
Seven is the most common total, which is why it ends most rounds once a point is set. The true odds of a 6 before a 7 are 6 to 5 (six ways against five), exactly what the odds bet pays, while Place 6 pays only 7 to 6.
Live craps and sic bo in GB lobbies
In live craps you do not throw the dice yourself: they are thrown on a studio table, the result is read automatically, and bets are placed on screen during a countdown. Among licensed operators with verified details, Hollywoodbets' live lobby lists Craps from Evolution, Virgin Bet's "Dice & Poker" section lists Craps Live and First Person Craps (a software version), and LuckyMate's live pages describe Craps Live alongside Live Sic Bo.
Sic bo is the three-dice cousin. You bet on totals or combinations: "Small" (4-10) and "Big" (11-17) pay even money but lose on any triple, giving a house edge of about 2.78%. Bets on specific totals, doubles and triples pay much more and usually carry a far higher edge. Virgin Bet lists Super Sic Bo and Lightning Sic Bo, and LuckyMate lists Mega Sic Bo; multiplier versions change the paytable, so read it first.
Free craps and real-money play in Great Britain
Free online craps is a sensible way to learn the layout, which looks complicated until you have seen a few rounds. At a GB-licensed casino, demo games are available only after age verification; game providers sometimes host demos on their own websites. Real-money craps is covered by the GB rules for casino games: software versions must take at least five seconds per game cycle since 17 January 2025, autoplay is banned, and your net position and time played are shown. The £5 and £2 stake limits apply to slots only, so craps tables set their own limits. Dice games often count little or nothing towards bonus wagering, which is capped at 10x from 19 January 2026.
18+ only. Craps rounds can run for many rolls with several bets open at once, so keep track of your total stake. Our responsible gambling page covers limits and support, and the house edge guide explains how edges are calculated.
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 |  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 2 |  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 3 |  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 |
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 craps?
The pass line or don't pass with the maximum odds bet behind it. The odds bet pays true odds with no house edge, and the line bets carry edges of about 1.41% and 1.36%.
What is the odds bet in craps?
An extra bet placed behind a pass, don't pass, come or don't come bet once a point is set. It pays true odds, so it has no house edge.
Who throws the dice in online craps?
In live craps the dice are thrown on a studio table and read automatically; in software craps a random number generator decides the roll. You never throw them yourself.
Is sic bo the same as craps?
No. Sic bo uses three dice and you bet on totals or combinations for a single roll. Small and Big bets have an edge of about 2.78%; most others are much higher.
Can I play free craps online in the UK?
At a GB-licensed casino, demo play is available only after age verification. Live craps tables are real-money only.