To play online craps you place a Pass Line bet, the shooter rolls the dice, and you win on a 7 or 11, lose on 2, 3 or 12, or set a point that must be rolled again before a 7 appears. That single sequence is the whole foundation of the game. Once it clicks, the rest of the table follows.
We tested online craps at Canadian casinos, on desktop and mobile, across both RNG and live dealer formats. Below are the rules, every main bet with its payout and house edge, and what genuinely differs between software and live tables.
In Summary:
- A craps round opens with a come-out roll: 7 or 11 wins a Pass Line bet, 2, 3 or 12 loses it, and any of 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 becomes the point.
- Once a point is set, the shooter rolls until the point repeats (Pass Line wins) or a 7 appears first (Pass Line loses).
- The lowest-edge bets are Don’t Pass and Don’t Come at 1.36%, then Pass Line and Come at 1.41%. Odds bets carry a 0% edge but must sit behind an eligible base bet.
- Place 6 and 8 are 1.52% per bet resolved, while proposition bets run far higher, for example Any 7 at 16.67%. No betting system removes the house edge, so set limits before you start.
How to Play Online Craps: A Five-Step Round
You do not need to understand every box on the table before playing. Start with the Pass Line bet, because it gives you the simplest way to follow a complete round.
1. Place a Pass Line bet
Before the come-out roll, choose your chip value and place your wager on the Pass Line. For example, suppose you bet $10. The shooter then makes the come-out roll.
2. Watch the come-out roll
Three results are possible:
- 7 or 11: your Pass Line bet wins at 1:1.
- 2, 3 or 12: your Pass Line bet loses. These are collectively called craps on the come-out roll.
- 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10: that number becomes the point.
If you bet $10 and the come-out roll is 7, you win $10. If it is 4, the game continues because 4 becomes the point.
3. The point is established
When a point is set, an ON marker appears on that number. Suppose the point is 4. The shooter keeps rolling and your Pass Line bet stays active. It now wins if 4 appears before a 7.
4. The shooter rolls until the point or a 7 appears
If the shooter rolls the point before a 7, the Pass Line bet wins. If a 7 comes first, it loses, which is called sevening out. Other numbers do not settle the bet: if the point is 4 and the shooter rolls 5, 8 or 10, they simply roll again.
5. The bet settles and a new come-out roll begins
Once the point or 7 appears, the Pass Line bet settles: 1:1 if the point came first, a loss if the 7 did. The round then returns to a new come-out roll and a new Pass Line bet can be placed.
The whole example in one line: $10 Pass Line, come-out roll is 4, 4 becomes the point, shooter rolls 5, 8, 6, then rolls 4, Pass Line wins $10. Once that rhythm makes sense, the rest of the table becomes much easier to read.
The Come-Out Roll and Point Phase
A craps round has two stages: the come-out roll and the point phase. The come-out roll either settles the Pass Line bet immediately or sets a point.
| Come-out result | Pass Line result | What happens |
| 7 or 11 | Win | Pays 1:1 and the round ends |
| 2, 3 or 12 | Lose | Pass Line loses and the round ends |
| 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 | Point established | The shooter continues rolling |
The Don’t Pass bet works broadly in the opposite direction, with one key exception: 12 is normally a push rather than a win. Once a point is established, the shooter keeps rolling until the point appears (Pass Line wins) or a 7 appears (Pass Line loses). Other numbers do not settle the bet.
Understanding the Craps Table Layout
Once you understand the Pass Line, the rest of the layout becomes easier to read. Craps is one of several online table games, and its board packs more bets into one view than most.
Pass Line and Don’t Pass Bar
The Pass Line runs around the outside of the layout and must be bet before the come-out roll. The Don’t Pass Bar is its opposite: it wins on 2 or 3 on the come-out, loses on 7 or 11, and pushes on 12, then wins if a 7 appears before the point.
Come and Don’t Come
These mirror Pass and Don’t Pass but are placed after a point has been established. A Come bet effectively gets its own point on the next roll; a Don’t Come bet works in reverse.
Field, Place and Proposition bets
The Field is a one-roll bet on 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 and 12, with 2 and 12 often paying more; check the paytable, as it varies. Place bets cover 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 and win if your number appears before a 7. Proposition bets sit in the centre (Any 7, Any Craps, Hardways) and carry much higher house edges.
Odds
An Odds bet sits behind an eligible Pass, Don’t Pass, Come or Don’t Come bet after a point is set. It pays the true mathematical probability of the point beating a 7, so the Odds portion itself has a 0% house edge.
Craps Bets: Payouts, House Edge and When They Resolve
The table below uses standard craps rules and common payouts. Individual casinos can set different limits or paytables, especially for Field and proposition bets.
| Bet type | Standard payout | House edge | When it resolves |
| Pass Line | 1:1 | 1.41% | Come-out roll or point/7 |
| Don’t Pass | 1:1 | 1.36% | Come-out roll or 7/point |
| Come | 1:1 | 1.41% | Next roll or its point/7 |
| Don’t Come | 1:1 | 1.36% | Next roll or its point/7 |
| Odds | 2:1, 3:2 or 6:5 | 0% | Point or 7 |
| Place 6/8 | 7:6 | 1.52% | 6/8 or 7 |
| Place 5/9 | 7:5 | 4.00% | 5/9 or 7 |
| Place 4/10 | 9:5 | 6.67% | 4/10 or 7 |
| Field | Varies | Varies | Next roll |
| Proposition bets | Varies | Often high | Usually next roll |
The Field edge depends on the 2 and 12 payout: 2:1 on both gives a 5.56% edge, and a higher payout reduces it. Always check the individual table’s paytable.
What a 1.41% house edge actually means
A 1.41% edge does not mean you lose $1.41 on a single $100 Pass Line bet. It is the expected long-run loss across many similar bets, and short-term results vary widely. Faster games expose more money to that edge because you make more bets per hour, which is the real reason online pace matters. For the full picture, see how RTP and house edge differ.
RNG Craps vs Live Dealer Craps
Online craps comes in two forms: RNG craps and live dealer craps. The rules and odds are identical when the same payouts apply; the experience is not.
| Feature | RNG craps | Live dealer craps |
| Dice | Software-generated outcome | Physical dice rolled by a dealer |
| Pace | Usually faster | Usually slower |
| Social element | Limited or absent | Dealer and player interaction |
| Minimum stakes | Often lower | Can be higher |
| Demo play | Often available | Rarely available |
RNG craps uses certified software to generate the result, which is convenient but lets you move through more decisions in less time. Live dealer craps streams physical dice from a real table; you bet through the interface within set betting windows. For the live format specifically, see our live dealer casino guide.
In our testing, live dealer tables ran noticeably slower because of fixed betting windows and dealer procedures, while RNG tables let us play far more rolls per hour. If a fast pace is what tends to pull you into overspending, that RNG speed is the risk to watch, not the odds, which stay the same either way.
Not Every Craps Game Uses the Same Rules
The four different types of craps games you will meet most often are:
- Standard online craps: the closest digital version to casino craps, with the full range of bets. Limits and payouts vary by operator.
- Crapless craps: 2, 3 and 12 become points instead of losing on the come-out. It sounds friendlier but the Pass Line edge is substantially higher, so a gentler name does not mean better odds.
- Simplified craps: fewer betting options (often Pass, Don’t Pass and Field), which makes the interface easier for beginners.
- High- and low-limit craps: same mechanics, different stakes. A higher limit does not improve the dice outcomes, it just needs a larger bankroll.
What You Should Know Before Playing Craps
Once you understand the Pass Line round, you do not need to memorise every bet. Keep these points in mind:
- Learn the Pass Line first: the come-out roll, the point and sevening-out before anything else.
- Favour low-edge bets: Pass, Don’t Pass and Place 6/8 carry lower edges than most.
- Use Odds where you can: the Odds portion has no house edge, but it must sit behind an eligible base bet.
- Be wary of proposition bets: big payouts come with much higher edges.
- Check the paytable: payouts, limits and some rules vary between games.
Do betting systems change the odds?
No. Betting systems change how much you wager, not the probability of the dice. Martingale, Fibonacci and D’Alembert all adjust stakes after wins or losses, but none changes the house edge of the underlying bet. Doubling a $10 bet to $20 after a loss does not make the next roll more likely to win; it just puts more money at risk if the losing run continues. Table limits and your bankroll can also stop a progression dead.
Responsible Gambling
Craps gives the house a mathematical edge on almost every bet, and no system or hot streak changes that. Wager only what you can afford to lose, and set time and loss limits before you start, because online rounds move quickly. Deciding those limits in advance is the whole point of our bankroll management guide. Watch for chasing losses, using money meant for bills, or feeling unable to stop. You can also use self-exclusion tools from approved operators or provincial programs. See our responsible gambling resources for more.
Other Guides for Casino Players
To learn more about games and terminology, you can also browse our full library of casino guides:
How We Tested Online Craps When Creating this Guide
This guide is based on hands-on play at 12 online casinos, following our review methodology. We played both RNG and live dealer craps on desktop (Chrome and Safari), iOS Safari and Android Chrome, checked every payout against documented house-edge maths, and timed bet windows, interface responsiveness and common friction points.
What this guide covers: rules consistency, available bet types, table-layout clarity, demo-mode availability, bet-placement flow and round pace.
What it does not cover: withdrawal times, verification or support, which we assess in our individual casino reviews. We refresh this guide quarterly to reflect platform changes. If you are comparing where to play, you can also see our list of tested craps casinos.
Written and Reviewed By
FAQ
What is the easiest craps bet for a beginner?
The Pass Line bet. You bet before the come-out roll, win on 7 or 11, lose on 2, 3 or 12, then follow the point until it is rolled again or a 7 appears.
What is the difference between Pass and Don't Pass?
The Pass Line wins on 7 or 11 on the come-out, or if the point is rolled before a 7. Don’t Pass works in the opposite direction, with 2 or 3 winning on the come-out and 12 usually a push.
How are Odds bets added online?
After a point is established on an eligible Pass, Don’t Pass, Come or Don’t Come bet, select the Odds option in the betting area and choose your stake, within the table’s limits.
Is online craps based on an RNG or a live table?
Both formats exist. RNG craps uses certified software outcomes; live craps uses physical dice at a streamed table. Available bets and limits can differ, so check the specific table.