The Best Online Casino Games for Beginners 2025

Best Casino Games for Beginners by Type

We’ve scoured the best online casinos in the US for novice-friendly games. After leaving out games with too many rules, such as craps, we were left with the following:

Baccarat

• What is baccarat? Baccarat is a card game in which two hands compete to see which one gets closest to a total of nine points.

• How do you play baccarat? The only thing you have to do in baccarat is bet on the Dealer or the Banker to get the best total. Alternatively, you can bet on a tie.

• How much can you win? Player and Banker wins are paid at 1:1, while ties pay 8:1.

Why Baccarat is a Beginner-Friendly Casino Game

Baccarat is one of the best online casino games for beginners because it’s easy to understand and the house edge is low. It’s easy to understand because, other than the amount you’re betting, you only have one decision to make, and that is whether to bet on the player, the banker, or a tie. 

In terms of house edge, the casino only has a 1.06% advantage if you bet on the Banker’s hand. If you bet on the Player’s hand, the edge is higher, but it’s still only 1.24%. Finally, for a tie, you’ll face a 14.36% house edge.

• Top Game: Dragon Tiger is a good casino game for beginners because, instead of two starting cards, the Player and the Dealer get one card each. That makes it easier to understand and faster than traditional baccarat.

Blackjack

• What is blackjack? Blackjack is a card game where the player takes on the dealer in a race to get the closest total to 21.

• How do you play blackjack? Once you’ve placed a bet, the dealer gives you two cards and takes two for themselves (one is face down). You can stick with your initial total or take more cards (hit) to try and get as close to 21 as possible without going over (bust).

• How much can you win? Standard wins are paid at 1:1, while blackjack (a picture card + an ace) pays 3:2.

Why Blackjack is a Beginner-Friendly Casino Game

Of all the games to play at a casino for beginners, blackjack is the best in terms of house edge. Even without basic blackjack strategy, the house edge is only 2%. However, if you use a blackjack chart that tells you when to hit, stand, double down, and split, you can reduce the house edge to just 0.5%.

• Top Game: Single-deck blackjack is the best variant you can play at US online casinos because the house edge can be as low as 0.014%.

Roulette

• What is roulette? Roulette is a centuries-old casino game where the objective is to predict where a ball is going to stop on a spinning numbered wheel.

• How do you play roulette? Roulette starts with a spinning wheel. As it’s in motion, you can place bets on the board. Bets range from specific numbers (from 0 to 36) to groups of numbers based on certain qualities, such as the value and color.

• How much can you win? Roulette payouts range from 1:1 to 35:1.

Why Roulette is a Beginner-Friendly Casino Game

Roulette is one of the most popular online casino games for beginners because you can control the amount of risk you’re exposed to. By that, we mean you can make higher and lower risk bets.

The highest risk bet is a single-number wager because you’ve got a 1 in 37 chance of hitting it when you play European Roulette. The payoff for taking more risk is a prize worth 35x (35:1) your bet.

The lowest risk bets are on the outside of the board and cover almost 50% of the numbers in play. For example, “Red” allows you to cover 18 numbers with a single bet. The payouts for outside bets start at even-money (1:1).

• Top Game: Blazing 7s Roulette at Borgata Online Casino is a go-to game for players who want to play for extra payouts. This modern variant has a unique side bet that pays special prizes when the ball lands on 7, 17, or 27.

Keno

• What is keno? Keno is almost identical to lottery draws such as Powerball.

• How do you play keno? Once you’ve set your stake, choose between four and 10 numbers from the gameboard. The prize you win depends on how many of your numbers match those drawn at random.

• How much can you win? Keno jackpots can be worth over 10,000x.

Why Keno is a Beginner-Friendly Casino Game

Despite having a higher house edge than some casino games for beginners, keno is still one of our favorites because it’s incredibly easy to play. As we’ve said, your main task is to select up to 10 numbers. After that, it’s down to fate.

• Top Game: Pixu Gaming’s Lucky 8 is one of the most popular keno games at Borgata Online Casino. Inspired by Asian iconography, the gilded gameboard has 80 numbers to choose from. Match four or more with those drawn at random, and you’ll win prizes topping 12,800x.

Sic Bo

• What is Sic Bo? Sic Bo is similar to roulette, but instead of a numbered wheel, you’re betting on three dice.

• How do you play Sic Bo? Like roulette, you can make general or specific predictions. For example, you can bet the number 1 appearing on at least one of the dice. Alternatively, you can bet on a specific three-dice total.

• How much can you win? Sic Bo payouts range from 1:1 to 180:1, depending on how specific your predictions are.

Why Sic Bo is a Beginner-Friendly Casino Game

Sic Bo might not be the first thing you think of when it comes to beginner-friendly games, but it deserves a place in our list because, like roulette, you can control risk.

If you’re a complete newbie who doesn’t want to risk a lot, go for lower-risk bets such as a number to appear on one of the three dice. From there, you can gradually progress to higher risk bets as you get comfortable with the game.

• Top Game: Speed Super Sic Bo is a great variant to try if you’re new to this game. In addition to a minimum bet of $1, Speed Super Sic Bo is a live dealer game, so there’s a real person on hand to guide you through the betting process.

Video Poker

• What is video poker? Video poker is a digital card game where you need to make a ranked hand, such as a straight, to win prizes.

• How do you play video poker? Anyone who’s played 5-Card Draw will know how to play video poker. After placing a bet, you’ll receive five cards. You then have the option to hold or exchange as many cards as you like. Finally, if you’ve made a ranked poker hand after the draw, you win a prize.

• How much can you win? Video poker payouts range from 5x for a pair to 4,000x when you make a royal flush.

Why Video Poker is a Beginner-Friendly Casino Game

The rules of video poker are easy to learn, which is why it’s one of the best games to play at casinos for beginners. As long as you know the ranking of poker hands, you can make educated guesses as to which cards are best to hold and exchange.

The difficult aspect of video poker is strategy. Even though it won’t take you long to master the fundamentals of video poker strategy, it’s something else you need to learn. So, if you are looking for beginner casino games, we’d recommend trying other options on our list before video poker.  

• Top Game: Golden Nugget Online Casino’s Game King Jackpot Video Poker is perfect for newbies because it’s got nine variants to choose from. It also has a 99.61% return to player (RTP), and an 800x jackpot you can win with a bet of just $0.01.

Slots

• What are slots? Slots are a combination of symbols and spinning reels capable of releasing prizes worth significantly more than your stake.

• How do you play slots? Set your desired stake, tap the spin button, and wait. That’s all you have to do.

• How much can you win? Slots can have fixed payouts topping 10,000x your bet as well as progressive jackpots worth over $1 million.

Why Slots Are Beginner-Friendly Casino Games

The beauty of slots is their simplicity, but that’s not why we think they’re the best online casino games for beginners. The two reasons we recommend them to newbies are payout potential and diversity.

The average online slot has a jackpot worth many times your stake. For example, if you play Divine Fortune Black, you can win prizes worth 20,000x from as little as $0.20 per spin.

When it comes to themes, features, and bonuses, slots trump all other casino games in terms of diversity. To say there’s something for everyone is an understatement.

• Top Game: One of the best online slots for beginners is Bison Fury. This North American-themed wilderness adventure has a simple structure and an attractive progressive jackpot worth over $1 million.

Online Casino Beginner Tips

We’ve got a comprehensive guide to online casino beginner tips you should read if you’re a newbie.

That guide explains the thought processes pro players use, as well as some useful tips for popular games.

Before you head off and read that guide, here’s a preview of some of its best casino beginner tips:

1. Choose games with a few simple rules and high RTP values. The latter point is the more important because RTP values tell you how much you stand to win, in theory, over the long run.

2. Claim as many online casino bonuses as possible. Casino games are incredibly fun, but they’re unpredictable. Bonuses provide a level of certainty because you always get rewards (such as site credit and free spins) when you comply with the terms and conditions.

3. Watch out for the gambler's fallacy. Beginners often fall for the gambler’s fallacy, which assumes that past results impact future outcomes in games such as roulette. They don’t. Therefore, you shouldn’t waste time looking for patterns because you won’t find anything useful.

Why Trust Us?

Our experts have been in the casino business for more than 20 years. From the early days when online casinos offered little more than a few slots and some table games, we’ve seen the industry evolve into an entertainment empire.

Being in the business this long means we draw on vast amounts of experience when we’re reviewing casinos. We know what’s worked for the last two decades, we know the pitfalls you should avoid, and we know how operators have adapted to suit modern tastes.

Above all else, we care. We’re fans of online casino games, and we want you to love them just as much as we do. That’s why we only recommend safe, reputable online casinos licensed by approved regulators.

Here’s more information on how we rate online sportsbooks and casinos.

Responsible Gambling

Never play with money you can’t afford to lose. It’s that simple. The best casino games for beginners allow you to play for less than a dollar. This allows you to make small bets that won’t put you under too much financial pressure.

To learn more about managing risk, reward, and your emotions, check out our responsible gambling center.