There are all kinds of different gamers. Some of us enjoy action-packed games with terrifying sound effects, others enjoy relaxing word puzzles that test our vocabulary, but one particularly large group of gamers enjoys nothing more than casino games. These kinds of games require us to be masters of bankroll management, and some of them will reward logical and solid mathematical decisions above all others. We're going to take a look at the math behind some of the most popular casino games, starting with roulette.

Roulette

Roulette is a game of chance that's very popular in both online and brick-and-mortar casinos because it's easy to learn the rules. You simply place your bet from a pre-determined board of bets and wait to see where in the wheel the ball will land. There are a whole host of winning roulette tips that you should certainly take notice of, but the most important is always choosing European roulette, instead of American. This is because the American roulette wheel has two zero spaces, whilst the European roulette wheel has just one. If the ball lands in the zero space then the house keeps all bets, meaning that, on American roulette, it has one extra chance to win. Working out the house edge is simple; in American roulette, it's 5.26% and in European roulette, it's 2.7%. You get this figure by taking the total number of possibilities, in the case of European roulette 37, dividing 1 by that for 0.2702, and multiplying by 100 to get your 2.7% house edge.

Slots Games

Slots games have all kinds of math involved, but perhaps the most interesting is the random number generator that makes them work. All slot games have to be completely random, or they are left open to exploitation. To ensure their randomness, they use a random number generator, or RNG, to keep the game fair for everybody. The RNG works by taking a seed value, often from arbitrary mouse movements, timings of clicks, or other variables that are impossible to control, and runs it through a complex equation. Once the number is generated from the equation, this affects when the reels will stop spinning. This simple method ensures fair play for everyone and is what is responsible for keeping the RTP or return-to-player ratio stable. Many slot game players will be familiar with this term, as it is the opposite of the house edge that we just talked about regarding roulette.

The house edge is what the house can expect to win each time, whilst the RTP is what the player can expect to get back from their original stake. Most slot games have an RTP of between 90 and 98%, meaning that the house edge is between 2 and 10%. When you're choosing a slot, this is an important factor to consider, as it can help you to keep your bankroll going for longer. Generally speaking, slots with lower volatility will have a higher RTP, but this isn't always the case so keep a lookout.