A wooden single-zero roulette wheel with red and black pockets

Casino guides

Know the game, know the rules

Three in-depth explainers written for adults who want to understand casino gaming before they visit: the law behind tribal casinos, the math of keno and the real difference between roulette wheels.

Foxwoods Resort Casino on the Mashantucket Pequot reservation, seen above the Connecticut forest

Casino guide · Law & regulation

Tribal casinos in the United States, explained

How the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act works, what class II and class III gaming mean, why tribal-state compacts matter and what changes for you as a visitor.

IGRA (1988) is the federal law behind tribal gaming.
Class III gaming such as slots and blackjack requires a tribal-state compact.
Age limits, smoking policies and exclusion lists can differ from commercial casinos.

Read the guide · 9 min read

A casino floor lit by slot machines and screens, the kind of setting where keno boards and video keno terminals are found

Casino guide · Game math

Keno explained: the draw, the pay tables and the house edge

How a keno draw works, what spots and catches mean, why pay tables matter and why keno’s house edge is among the highest in any casino.

Twenty numbers are drawn from eighty in every game.
Pay tables differ by casino and between live and video keno.
House edges commonly run roughly 20–35%, far higher than most table games.

Read the guide · 8 min read

A polished wooden roulette wheel with red and black numbered pockets and a single green zero

Casino guide · Game math

Roulette wheels compared: single-zero, double-zero and triple-zero

European single-zero, American double-zero and the newer triple-zero wheels compared: house edges of 2.70%, 5.26% and 7.69%, and how to tell them apart.

Single-zero: 2.70%. Double-zero: 5.26%. Triple-zero: 7.69%.
Count the green pockets before you play.
A lower table minimum on a triple-zero wheel can still cost more per hour.

Read the guide · 8 min read

Our guides explain how games and rules work. They do not offer betting systems, tips or ways to win, because none can overcome the house edge.

18+ / 21+

Gambling is entertainment, never income.

Every casino game has a built-in house edge. Set a budget and a time limit before you play, never chase losses, and stop if it stops being fun. Minimum ages depend on the jurisdiction.

National Problem Gambling Helpline (US)1-800-GAMBLER
National Council on Problem Gambling (US)ncpgambling.org
Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling1-888-789-7777
New York HOPEline1-877-8-HOPENY (1-877-846-7369)
South Africa National Responsible Gambling Programme0800 006 008

Responsible gambling resources