Comparing risk levels across different types of gambling
1. Key risk parameters
1. RTP (Return to Player) - long-term return percentage.
2. House edge - casino advantage (100% RTP −).
3. Volatility - the frequency and magnitude of winnings.
4. Event Rate is the number of bets per hour.
5. Skill level - from completely random to requiring skill.
6. The emotional factor is the influence of visual/sound effects and live interaction.
2. Slots
RTP: 92–98 % (house edge 2–8 %).
Volatility:
- Low - frequent small winnings, suitable for budget control.
- High - rare large payments, requires a large bankroll.
- Speed: Up to 600 spins/hour
- Skill: None.
- Recommendation: choose slots with RTP ≥ 96% and low/medium volatility, set a strict stop loss and timer.
3. Roulette
RTP:
- European (one zero) ≈ 97.3% (house edge 2.7%).
- American (double zero) ≈ 94.7% (house edge 5.3%).
- Volatility: average, payouts 35:1 for one number, 1:1 for red/black.
- Speed: 40-60 bets/hour (live) or 100 +/hour (electronic).
- Skill: minimal - simplicity of strategies does not affect edge.
- Recommendation: Favor European roulette; limit the number of rounds and control the pace of bets.
4. Blackjack
RTP: with a basic ≈ strategy of 99.5% (house edge 0.5%).
Volatility: low/medium - stable but small bank fluctuations.
Speed: 50-100 hands/hour (live) or slower when playing online.
Skill: Critical - learning basic strategy lowers edge.
Recommendation: study the basic strategy table, practice in demo mode and play slowly.
5. Poker (Against House)
RTP/Edge: depends on the option (e.g. Oasis Poker ≈ 2-3% edge).
Volatility: average, depends on specific rules and variant.
Speed: 30-50 hands/hour.
Skill: high - reading opponents, bank management.
Recommendation: choose low commission poker games ("rake"), practice and control the size of bets.
6. Sports and esports betting
RTP/Edge: bookmaker margin 5-10% (maybe 1-2% when calculated by the best coefficients).
Volatility: depends on the type of bet (head start, express trains give high risk).
Speed: low - hours/days per outcome.
Skill: medium/high - statistics analysis, trend models.
Recommendation: Limit yourself to single bets, avoid express trains, bet only on familiar leagues and markets.
7. Lotteries and bingo
RTP: lotteries ≈ 50-60%; bingo online ≈ 75-90%.
Volatility: very high in lotteries (rare large winnings), bingo - medium/low.
Speed: depends on circulation (lotteries once a week/day; bingo up to 200 times a day).
Skill: none/minimal (card management, number selection).
Recommendation: Treat lotteries like donations; for regular play, opt for bingo with transparent RTP and low tempo.
8. Crypto Casino
RTP and volatility are similar to slots, but crypt rate volatility is added.
Speed: Fast backs and instant payouts.
Skill: None.
Additional risks: technical security of the wallet, lack of legal protection.
Recommendation: keep the "game" wallet with a limit, immediately convert the profit to AUD, use hardware wallets.
Conclusion
Each type of game has a unique risk profile, from completely random fast-paced slots to strategic blackjack and slow sports betting. The choice depends on your bankroll, risk tolerance, time and skills. To play safely, set strict limits, prioritize games with higher RTP and low volatility, develop critical thinking, and control the pace of sessions.