How does online craps work and what are the simplest bets for someone playing for the first time?

Craps has a reputation for being the loudest, most chaotic table in any casino — and online it can look just as bewildering at first glance. But strip away the noise and the game has a genuinely simple spine. Master that, and the rest is optional.

The basic structure: come-out roll and the point

The game is played with two dice, and players bet on the outcome of each roll. Every new round begins with a come-out roll. Before the shooter rolls, players place their bets on the outcome of that first roll — choosing to bet with the shooter by making a Pass Line bet, or against the shooter with a Don't Pass Line bet.

If the shooter rolls a 7 or 11 on the come-out, it's a "natural" and Pass Line bettors win. If 2, 3, or 12 is rolled, it's "craps" and Pass Line bettors lose. Any other number — 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 — becomes the "point." If the point number is rolled again before a 7, Pass Line bettors win; if a 7 comes first, they lose. The shooter keeps rolling until they roll a 7, or "seven out," at which point the dice move to the next player and a new round begins.

The three bets worth knowing first

Online craps tables offer a lot of wagering options, but players can choose from more than 10 types of wagers — and many of them lean heavily in favour of the house, more so than in many other casino games. For a first session, ignore most of them. These three are where to start:

• Pass Line — The most straightforward bet in craps. It's placed before the come-out roll, and if you win, it pays out at even money (1 to 1). The house edge on the Pass Line is 1.41% — one of the lowest in any casino game.
• Don't Pass — The opposite of a Pass Line bet, made by placing chips in the "Don't Pass" bar. This bet loses if a 7 or 11 is rolled on the come-out, and wins if 2 or 3 is rolled. A roll of 12 is a "push" — no one wins or loses. The house edge here is marginally lower than the Pass Line, though you'll be rooting against the shooter, which can feel awkward at a live table.
• Odds bet — Once a point is established, you can place an additional bet behind your Pass Line chip. Odds bets are among the best in craps because they pay out at true odds, meaning there is no house edge — the casino takes its edge only on the original Pass Line bet. To take odds, you must already have a Pass Line or Come bet in play. The size of odds bets you're allowed to place varies by operator, so check the table rules before you sit down.

What to avoid early on

One useful rule of thumb: bets on the outside portion of the table generally feature better odds than those in the middle, which is why they're the most popular among new players. The centre of the table is where the proposition bets live — single-roll wagers on specific dice combinations. For some of those bets, the house edge can go as high as 16.67%. The higher the payout looks, the lower the true odds — meaning you're more likely to lose than win.

Craps is a game of chance. There's no skill involved and therefore no strategy that will help you win — each outcome is completely independent of the last. Anyone selling a "craps system" is selling something that doesn't work. If you ever feel like you need a break or want to set limits on your play, Ontario's regulated operators support deposit and session limits; ConnexOntario (1-866-531-2600) is there if gambling stops being fun.

Playing online in Ottawa

For Ottawa players, online craps is available through operators registered under iGaming Ontario and regulated by the AGCO. A quick way to confirm you're on a legitimate site: look for both the iGaming Ontario logo and the BetGuard logo on the operator's page — their presence signals the site is managed by iGaming Ontario and regulated by the AGCO. The full, current list of registered operators lives at the iGaming Ontario registry. You must be 19+ to play.

Online craps typically comes in two formats: RNG (software-based, where you click to roll) and live dealer, where a real croupier runs the table via video stream. Both follow the same rules. For a first-timer, the RNG version is worth trying first — the pace is entirely under your control, and most platforms let you hover over the betting areas to see what each section does before you commit a chip.