Best Casino Games in Switzerland
Slots, roulette, blackjack or a live table after all? The selection in Swiss online casinos is large, and the differences are bigger than most people think. We compare the games by what counts in the long run: the odds of winning.
Which casino game offers the best odds of winning?
Every casino game pays back a certain share of the stakes in the long run. This payout rate, often abbreviated as RTP, is not a forecast for your evening but a statistical value over millions of rounds. It still tells you something important: how quickly a budget shrinks on average.
The difference between the categories is considerable. Blackjack returns about 99.5 percent when played correctly, an average slot about 96 percent. On a stake of one hundred francs, that is a difference of three and a half francs, and it adds up noticeably over a session.
What makes up the rest is the casino’s house edge. How it arises and why it is mathematically unavoidable is explained in our article on the house edge.
An Overview of All Game Categories
Blackjack
RTP: up to 99.5%
Of all casino games, blackjack has the highest payout rate—but only if you know the basic strategy. Without it, the payout rate drops significantly; with it, blackjack is mathematically the fairest game in the casino.
Poker
RTP: 94.8% / 97.8% / 99.5%
Poker at a Swiss online casino almost always refers to casino poker against the house or video poker. Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Three Card Poker, and Jacks or Better each have their own rules and very different odds. If you choose the right variant, you’ll be playing one of the best games out there.
Roulette
RTP: 94.74% / 97.30% / 98.65%
In roulette, you determine your own level of risk: Red or black pays out frequently but in small amounts, while a single number pays out rarely but in large amounts. The payout rate depends solely on the number of zeros in the wheel. The European version with a single zero is the standard in Swiss casinos and is significantly better than the American version.
Craps
RTP: up to 99.5%
Craps seems complicated, but at its core it’s simple: the Pass Line bet offers some of the best odds in the entire casino. The wide variety of side bets on the table is tempting, but almost all of them offer worse odds. If you stick to the basic bets, you’ll play at very favorable odds.
Baccarat
RTP: 98.94 / 98.76%
Baccarat is easier than it looks: You bet on the Player, the Banker, or a tie; the rest is determined by fixed drawing rules. The bet on the Banker has the best payout rate, just ahead of the bet on the Player. It’s best to avoid betting on a tie.
slots
RTP: 94–98%
Slots are the heart of every casino lobby and, at the same time, the category with the greatest variety. Volatility and the payout rate determine how a gaming session feels, and both are listed under the info icon in every game. If you know what to look for, you’ll find the right game here for every budget.
Live Casino
RTP: 94–98%
In the live casino, real dealers sit at real tables, streamed from the studio. Games follow the same rules as at a physical table. The biggest difference from slot games is the pace: forty rounds per hour instead of several hundred spins.
A Comparison of Casino Games
| Game | Best payout rate | Prior knowledge needed | Pace |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blackjack | 99.5% | basic strategy | medium |
| Video poker | up to 99.5% | reading the paytable | fast |
| Baccarat | 98.94% (Banker) | none | medium |
| Craps | 98.59% (Pass Line) | little | medium |
| Ultimate Texas Hold'em | 97.8% | basic strategy | slow |
| Roulette | 97.30% (single zero) | none | slow |
| Slots | 94 to 97% | none | very fast |
| Game shows | 94 to 96% | none | slow |
Theoretical values with optimal play and standard rules. The actual payout rate depends on the variant and the table rules, and for slots also on the version the casino delivers.
Why the payout rate alone is not enough
One figure that appears in hardly any comparison is more decisive than the payout rate itself: how many rounds you play per hour.
On a slot, several hundred spins per hour are normal. At a live roulette table you get about forty rounds. Even if the slot had the better payout rate, you wager many times more there in the same time, and that is exactly what the house edge acts on.
In numbers, that means: a live table at 97 percent costs you less per hour than a slot at 96 percent, because the pace outweighs the difference many times over. If you want to stretch your budget over a whole evening, you therefore choose the slower game, not the one with the highest figure on the data sheet.
Where the payout rate comes from
This is where two worlds part ways, and it is the reason why you have to look more closely at slots than at table games.
With table games, the payout rate follows from the rules. A roulette wheel with one zero pays back 97.30 percent, one with a double zero only 94.74 percent. Nobody can change that, it is pure probability theory. So you can see the payout rate as soon as you know the variant.
With slots, the game provider sets it, and many games exist in several versions. The same title can pay back 96.5 percent in one casino and 94 in the next, without anything changing in the graphics or mechanics. The casino decides which version runs when it integrates the game.
That is why, with slots, it is worth looking at the provider. You can find out which studios are represented in Swiss lobbies and how they differ under game providers.
Which game suits which type of player
If you are new: Baccarat. You bet on the banker, everything else runs automatically, and the payout rate is still among the best. No decision, no prior knowledge, no mistake possible. Roulette works in a similarly simple way, with the advantage that you choose your risk yourself through the type of bet.
If you like strategy: Blackjack. It is the only common casino game in which your decisions measurably change the payout rate. With basic strategy you reach about 99.5 percent, without it you are well below that.
If you are looking for a thrill: High-volatility slots. Long dry spells, then on rare occasions a big hit. The payout rate is lower, but the range is far greater than in any table game. We show which titles swing particularly widely under high-volatility slots.
If you want atmosphere: Live casino. Real dealers, a real wheel, streamed from the studio. Slower than everything else, and that is exactly what makes it the option that is easiest on your budget.
Which operator best suits your style of play is shown in our overview of the best real money casinos.
Games by Manufacturer
For Reference
FAQ: Casino Games at Swiss Casinos
Which casino game offers the best odds of winning?
Blackjack at about 99.5 percent when using correct basic strategy, followed by video poker with the best paytable and baccarat betting on the banker at 98.94 percent.
What does the payout rate mean?
It indicates what share of the stakes flows back to players in the long run. The value applies over millions of rounds and says nothing about a single evening.
Why do slots have a lower payout rate than table games?
With table games, the payout rate follows from the rules of the game, while with slots the game provider sets it. In addition, many titles exist in several versions with different values.
Which game is suitable for beginners?
Baccarat. No decisions are needed, the rules play out automatically, and the payout rate on the banker bet is still among the best in the casino.
Can I see the payout rate in the game?
For slots, yes: it is listed in the game information under the info icon. For table games it follows from the variant, for example from the number of zeros on the roulette wheel.