The craps odds bet

What the craps odds bet is

Nearly every casino bet pays a little less than its true chance would justify, and that shortfall is the house edge. The odds bet in craps is the famous exception. Once a point is on, you can back your line bet with more money, and the casino pays that extra stake at exactly fair odds. Over the long run it neither makes nor loses money on it.

You will also see it called 'free odds', which is a nickname, not a promise: you still stake real money and can lose it. Our glossary entry on free odds covers the term. The Wizard of Odds craps table (opens in a new tab) lists the odds bet with a house edge of zero, and standard game maths confirms it, as the next sections show.

There is a catch built in. It is only available alongside a line bet that does carry an edge, and only once a point exists. You can't walk up and bet odds alone.

Craps odds bet payouts for each point

Taking odds is the pass and come side: you back the point to repeat before a 7. Laying odds is the don't pass and don't come side: you back the 7 to arrive first. Each payout mirrors the true ratio of the ways to roll a 7 (six) against the ways to roll the point.

Take a point of 4. It can be rolled 3 ways and 7 can be rolled 6 ways, so the 4 wins 3 times in 9. Paying 2 to 1 means 3 wins of £20 against 6 losses of £10: +£60 and −£60. The average is zero, which is what a 0% edge means.

Worked examples in pounds

Taking odds on the pass line

You bet £10 on the pass line and the point is 6. You add £20 odds. If the 6 repeats before a 7, the pass bet pays £10 and the odds pay 6 to 5 on £20, which is £24, so you collect £34 profit. If the 7 comes first, you lose both, £30 in total.

Laying odds on don't pass

You bet £10 on the don't pass bet and the point is 4. You lay £20 odds at 1 to 2. If the 7 arrives first you win £10 on the flat bet and £10 on the odds. If the 4 repeats you lose £30. The don't side wins 2 times in 3 here, which is why you must risk more to win less.

How odds change the combined house edge

The pass line costs 1.41%, which works out at 7 in 495 of each stake. A point is set two times in three. So if you always add odds equal to a set multiple of your pass bet, the money you put in action rises, while the average loss stays fixed at the pass line's cost. Dividing one by the other gives the combined edge.

Read the third column carefully. The average loss doesn't move at all. The lower percentage comes from spreading the same cost over more money, not from saving you anything. This is why the odds bet is best seen as the cheapest way to raise your stake, not as a way to cut losses. Our expected value page explains the formula.

Bigger swings: the real price of taking odds

If the average stays the same, what changes? Spread. With £10 on the pass line only, one losing hand costs £10. With 5x odds, a seven out on a point of 6 costs £60. The chance of losing that hand is unchanged, at 6 in 11 for a point of 6, but each loss is six times bigger.

That makes heavy odds a variance decision. A small budget can be wiped out by a short run of seven outs, even though each bet is mathematically fair. If your budget is £100, a £10 pass bet with 5x odds can put £60 at risk on one hand, which is more than half your bankroll.

A helpful rule of thumb: decide the most you are willing to lose on a single hand, then set your line bet and odds so the total stays within it.

How to take or lay odds online

1. Make a line bet: pass or don't pass before the come-out, or come or don't come after a point is set.
2. Wait for a point. For the line bets this is the come-out result; for come bets it is the number your chip moves to.
3. Click the area directly behind your pass or don't pass chip, or the chip on its come number, and add your odds stake.
4. Check the maximum shown in the game rules; the table won't accept more odds than its limit.
5. Let the dice decide. You can usually reduce or remove odds at any time, unlike the flat line bet.

Odds limits and table rules

Casinos cap the odds bet because it makes them nothing. Land-based tables often advertise a multiple of the line bet, and some vary it by point. Online, both RNG and live craps set their own maximums, and some may offer a fixed limit instead of a multiple. We don't list figures for individual games because they vary, so check the game's rules or help screen.

Come bet odds also have a quirk: at many tables they are off on a new come-out roll unless you say otherwise. The come bet craps page explains what happens to them if a 7 lands at that moment.

Craps odds bet myths and betting systems

• Myth: maximum odds makes craps a profitable game. The line bet still carries its edge, so expected results stay negative.
• Myth: 'free' odds means no risk. The odds stake loses whenever the line bet loses.
• Myth: a progression on the odds bet changes things. No staking system turns a negative game positive.

The Wizard of Odds betting systems analysis (opens in a new tab) ran a craps simulation in which a Martingale player, doubling after each loss, went broke in 19.65% of sessions, while the loss as a share of money bet matched flat betting. That is the pattern for every system: it changes the shape of results, never the edge. Our Martingale system page walks through why.

Craps odds compared with other bets

The cheapest way to play craps strategy for your budget is a line bet with whatever odds you can comfortably afford, while avoiding the costly craps proposition bets in the centre of the layout.

Craps odds at UK online casinos

Licensed UK casinos run RNG games that use tested random outcome software, and live tables that use real dice. Since 17 January 2025, autoplay is banned on all online casino games, and games other than slots must allow at least 5 seconds per game cycle, so you place each odds bet yourself. The £2 and £5 slot stake limits don't apply to craps, where table limits do the job instead. You can read more on our UK rules for live casino page.

Winnings aren't taxed for UK players, and you can't use a credit card to fund play. If you want to learn the rhythm first, demo games still require your age to be verified.

Where to play craps with odds bets

Our partner offers are slot-led, not craps offers, and table and live games are often excluded or count for less, so check the casino's game lobby for craps and read the bonus terms. 18+ and terms apply.

• Casumo: 50% bonus up to £100 on a £20+ first deposit, opt-in required; wager the bonus 10x within 7 days with a £5 maximum bet, and game restrictions apply.
• 10bet: 100% match up to £25 if you pick the casino bonus at sign-up and deposit within 7 days; wager it 10x on slots within 3 days, with £1,000 maximum bonus winnings. Skrill and Neteller excluded.
• Coral: bet £10 on slots, get 100 free spins (10p each, selected games), accepted within 48 hours and valid 7 days, no wagering on spin winnings.

Set limits first and keep the odds stake inside your budget. Free, confidential help is available from GamCare (opens in a new tab) and the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133.

18+. Every casino game has a built-in house edge, so over time you should expect to lose what you stake. Set a budget before you play and stop when it’s gone: safer gambling tools and support. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.