Craps for New Zealanders: Rules and Bets

Updated October 2026

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Follow the come-out roll through the point, compare line bets and house-edge considerations, and check how rules vary by table.

How a Craps Round Moves from Come-Out Roll to Point

A craps round begins with a come-out roll, the first roll made to set the round’s direction. The player who rolls is called the shooter. To take that role, the shooter must have a Pass Line or Don’t Pass Line bet in place. The dice are then rolled, and the result determines whether the round ends immediately or a point is set.

On the come-out roll, a 7 or 11 wins for Pass Line bets and loses for Don’t Pass Line bets. A 2 or 3 has the opposite result: Pass Line bets lose and Don’t Pass Line bets win. A 12 also makes Pass Line bets lose, though some New Zealand online casino rules treat it as a tie for Don’t Pass rather than a win. That difference is worth checking in the rules for the table you are using.

If the come-out roll is 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10, that number becomes the point. The round does not end on that roll. The shooter continues, and the central objective for a Pass Line bet is to see the point appear again before a 7. If the point is rolled first, the Pass Line bet wins. If a 7 appears first, it loses.

This sequence is the foundation of craps: the come-out roll either settles the line bets at once or establishes a number that must be rolled again. Keeping track of whether the table is still on the come-out or has a point makes the action easier to follow. The shooter’s role is to roll the dice within that sequence, not to select which number appears. So a reputation as the world’s best craps player cannot change the rules or guarantee a particular result; understanding the round is more useful than treating any player as a source of certainty.

Pass Line, Don’t Pass and the Bets That Follow

The Pass Line and Don’t Pass bets are the two main ways to take a position on a craps round. A Pass Line bet backs the shooter to complete the point; a Don’t Pass bet takes the opposing side of that outcome. The names describe the bets’ relationship to the shooter, not a promise about what the dice will do.

A Pass Line wager is in place for the come-out roll. If that roll is 7 or 11, the bet wins; if it is 2, 3 or 12, it loses. When the roll establishes a point, the wager remains active. The pass bet wins if the shooter rolls that point again before a 7 appears. The relevant outcome is therefore not just the first roll: once a point is set, the bet depends on which of those two results comes first.

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Don’t Pass reverses the come-out outcomes for those listed rolls: it loses on 7 or 11 and wins on 2, 3 or 12. Some New Zealand online casino rulesets treat a 12 on the come-out as a tie rather than a win for Don’t Pass, so check the rules shown for the table you are using. After the come-out, the bet is tied to the point-and-seven contest too, but from the opposite side of the Pass Line bet.

That distinction matters when comparing what people mean by the “best” bet on a craps table. The two line bets depend on different outcomes, especially on the come-out roll. Neither name indicates a way to control the roll. If you are choosing between them, first make sure you understand which result each wager backs and how the table settles a 12.

Come bets follow the point

A Come bet is not available at the start of a round: it can be placed only after a point has been established. It then works as a separate wager on a later roll. If the point is rolled before a 7, the Come bet wins. Its outcome depends on that point-versus-seven sequence, rather than on the come-out result that began the round.

This makes a Come bet different from adding another Pass Line wager at the start. The original line bet is already attached to the round’s established point; the Come bet enters later and has its own result to follow. Keeping those wagers distinct helps you track what each one is waiting for. A win or loss on one does not change the result the other needs.

Odds are attached to an existing bet

Taking odds is an additional wager made only after a Pass Line or Come bet has been placed. It is not a stand-alone bet: it depends on the underlying line or Come bet and follows that bet’s outcome. A specialist affiliate review describes odds as capped at a multiple of the original wager, but that is a source-specific description, not a rule to assume applies at every table. Check the game’s own rules for the terms and limits that govern its odds wager.

The order is important: first there must be a qualifying Pass Line or Come bet, then an odds wager may be available. The odds amount is also linked to the initial bet rather than being an unrelated stake. That relationship is why the table’s stated rules matter when you are deciding what you can add and how the wagers will be settled.

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In practical terms, keep the bets’ roles separate: the Pass Line or Don’t Pass wager takes a position on the round, a Come bet starts a further wager after a point exists, and odds add to an eligible Pass Line or Come bet. Asking what the best craps bet is has no useful answer until you know which roll or sequence you want your wager to depend on.

Which Craps Bets Carry the Lowest House Edge?

The house edge is a measure of the casino’s mathematical advantage in a wager over repeated play. It is not a prediction of what will happen in a particular round: a bet can win, lose or push according to its rules, while the edge describes its long-run cost. For comparing craps bets, that distinction matters more than the size of a possible payout.

Among the two Bank Craps bets considered here, the Pass Line has the lower house edge. Its edge is 1.41%. The Any 7 bet has an approximate edge of 16.67%. That is a substantial difference in the mathematical price of the wagers, even though both are made on the same game.

What the figures tell you

A 1.41% house edge means the Pass Line wager gives the casino a small mathematical advantage over time. It does not mean that the casino keeps that share of every individual bet, or that you will lose a predictable amount in a session. Short-term results can differ sharply from the long-run expectation.

The Any 7 figure is much higher: approximately 16.67%. In practical terms, that makes it a considerably more costly wager by house-edge comparison. A bet may look appealing because it focuses on a single outcome or offers an attractive payout, but neither feature by itself tells you whether the wager is favourable. The edge accounts for the relationship between the possible outcomes and the way the bet pays.

These percentages are not odds of winning a round. The house edge measures the casino’s advantage across the wager as a whole; it should not be read as the chance that your next bet will lose. Nor does a lower edge make a bet certain to win. It describes relative mathematical cost, not a route to a particular result.

The comparison is useful because the figures refer to two different wagers within Bank Craps. It does not establish that craps as a whole has the best odds of any casino game. A claim like that would require comparable figures for other games and bets, measured on the same basis. The numbers above support a narrower conclusion: the Pass Line has a much lower house edge than Any 7.

Why the bet matters more than the game’s reputation

Craps is sometimes discussed as though the game itself has one fixed house edge. It does not. The mathematical cost depends on which wager you choose, and side bets can have a very different edge from a regular bet. A low-edge main wager does not make every bet on the table equally economical.

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That distinction can be easy to miss when several bets are visible at once. They may all be part of the same game, but they do not necessarily offer the same relationship between risk and return. The Pass Line’s 1.41% edge and Any 7’s approximate 16.67% edge show how far apart two wagers can be. A bet’s name, placement or apparent simplicity does not substitute for its house-edge figure.

Side bets and bonus bets typically carry a higher house edge than regular bets. That is a useful general warning when assessing an offer or an additional wager, but it should not be mistaken for a precise figure applying to every side or bonus bet. The relevant comparison depends on the particular bet and its rules. Where a specific edge is not available, a larger-looking payout alone cannot show that the wager is better value.

This is also why “best” needs a clear meaning. If you mean the lowest mathematical cost among the two figures above, the Pass Line is the lower-edge choice. If you mean the bet most likely to win a single round, the biggest possible payout, or the option that suits a particular style of play, house edge alone does not answer that question. Those are different measures and should not be collapsed into one label.

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Reading “best odds” carefully

A lower house edge is often a sensible starting point when you want to compare the cost of bets, but it is not a promise of profit. The edge is a mathematical property of the wager, not a forecast for your own results. You can lose on a low-edge bet and win on a high-edge one; the difference is what the rules imply over repeated outcomes, not what must happen next.

It also helps to separate house edge from payout language. A large potential return can attract attention, yet the wager may still be expensive if the payout and the chance of the relevant outcomes do not balance favourably. Conversely, a modest-looking payout does not by itself tell you that a bet is poor value. The house edge gives a more direct comparison of the casino’s mathematical advantage, provided the figures relate to the exact bets being compared.

For Bank Craps, the Pass Line figure gives you a useful reference point for a regular wager. The Any 7 figure illustrates why a side bet should not be assumed to share the same cost simply because it appears alongside the main bets. When comparing options, check the wager name and the version of craps, then look for the edge attached to that specific bet. A figure for one wager cannot safely be carried over to another.

The practical takeaway is comparative rather than predictive: the Pass Line’s 1.41% house edge is far below the Any 7 bet’s approximate 16.67%. Side bets and bonus bets typically cost more mathematically than regular bets, so a conspicuous payout or extra feature is not, on its own, evidence of better value. House edge helps you judge the price of a wager; it cannot tell you how an individual round will end.

A Strategy Built Around the Rules, Not a Guaranteed System

A useful craps strategy is less a sequence of moves than a way to make each decision with the rules in view. No betting pattern can determine what the dice will show or guarantee a winning session. You can, however, decide which outcomes your wagers depend on, when you are willing to add a bet, and when to stop adding exposure.

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If you want to roll as the shooter, you must have a Pass Line or Don’t Pass bet. That makes the line wager part of the decision to take the shooter’s role, not an optional extra you can skip while rolling. Before placing it, consider whether you are comfortable with the bet’s outcome conditions. A strategy based on choosing wagers deliberately is more meaningful than one built around changing bet sizes after a win or loss.

Keep the point in view

Once a point has been established, a Pass Line bet wins if the shooter rolls that same point again before rolling a seven. A seven first means the Pass Line bet loses. The relevant point numbers are 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10, but knowing them does not make any one of them more likely to appear on demand.

This gives you a practical way to think about the main bet: it is tied to a particular point-versus-seven contest, not to a general impression that the shooter is “hot.” You can follow whether the point has been made or a seven has ended the round, then assess any further wager on its own terms. A previous result does not change the conditions of the next bet.

The Don’t Pass Line takes the opposing side of the main line bet, so choosing between the two is a question of which outcome you want your wager to depend on. It is not a way to remove uncertainty. If you are unsure what a bet wins or loses on, pausing before placing it is a sounder decision than relying on a system’s label.

Add bets only when their conditions are clear

Come bets are available only after a point has been set. A Come bet then depends on its own number being rolled before a seven. In practical terms, placing one adds another outcome to track alongside the original line bet. If you prefer a simpler round, you can leave it out; adding a wager is not required to make the existing bet work.

Odds are also an additional choice, not a separate shortcut to a win. They can be taken only behind a Pass Line or Come bet, and their permitted size is limited in relation to the original wager. A specialist review describes that cap as a multiple of the initial bet, but this should not be treated as a fixed rule across every game. Check the rules for the specific table or game before assuming what is allowed.

A disciplined approach is to decide beforehand whether you will add Come bets or odds, and to understand the conditions attached to each. That does not improve the dice; it helps prevent a wager from being placed simply because the round has continued. If a rule is unclear, do not fill the gap with a remembered rule from another table.

Treat a system as a plan, not a prediction

A mathematical approach can organise choices: select a line bet, decide whether to add a Come bet after a point is established, and check the rules before taking odds. It cannot make an unfavourable roll favourable or turn a sequence of past results into a promise about the next one. Systems that call for raising or recovering bets still leave the underlying outcomes uncertain.

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A trainer can help you practise recognising when a bet is available and what it depends on. Its usefulness is in learning the decision points, not in proving that a particular betting pattern will win. Keep the distinction clear: a strategy can govern your choices, while the roll determines the result.

What a Dice Set Can—and Cannot—Tell You About a Roll

In Bank Craps, one player rolls two dice. The central contest is whether a point number appears before a seven. A dice set—the way the dice are positioned before a throw—may look like a choice that can influence that contest. It does not, by itself, tell you which total will come up.

The distinction is between arranging dice and controlling their movement. A chosen starting face pattern is visible before the throw; the final result depends on how both dice move and land. Unless a player can reliably control those movements, selecting a particular arrangement is not a dependable way to call a result. A set may be part of someone’s routine, but the routine is not evidence that the next roll is predictable.

That matters when you are looking for the best dice set for craps or trying to identify the best dice roll in craps. There is no arrangement that can be treated as a sure route to a point, a seven, or a win. A particular set might be presented as a technique, but that claim should not be confused with a rule of Bank Craps or a guarantee about the outcome. The game’s objective remains the point-and-seven contest, not the use of a supposedly privileged dice position.

It is also useful to separate a desired result from a favourable-sounding label. Players may call one total “best” in a particular situation because it suits a bet they have made. That does not make it the best result for every wager, nor does it make the total more likely to appear because the dice began in a chosen position. The result has meaning in relation to the rules and the bet, not because a set gives it special status.

If you are assessing advice about dice control, look for a clear distinction between a repeatable physical method and a claim that a certain set predicts outcomes. An explanation of where the dice start is not proof that the roll can be directed. Nor does a confident demonstration establish that the same result can be reproduced under ordinary play.

A practical way to approach the dice is to treat their position as descriptive, not predictive. You can observe how a roll fits the point-and-seven objective, but the arrangement beforehand cannot tell you what the dice will show. That keeps the focus on the actual rules of Bank Craps and avoids mistaking a ritual for reliable information.

Craps Apps: Check the Rules Before You Play

An iPhone or iPad craps app can look familiar while using rules that differ from the version you expect. Before treating it as a guide to craps, check how the app describes a round, what each roll does, and whether its rules are available before you start. A clear explanation is more useful than polished graphics if you are trying to understand what the game will count as a win or loss.

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One concrete point to check is the come-out result. In the described Simplified Craps version, a roll of 7 or 11 wins, while 2, 3 or 12 loses. Those outcomes are specific to that version. If an app uses them, it should say so plainly; do not assume that its labels or presentation match Bank Craps or another ruleset. If the rules are not stated, the screen alone may not tell you which version you are playing.

Read the rules, not just the controls

On an iPhone, small screens can make help text and bet labels harder to inspect. On an iPad, a larger display may show more information at once, but that does not make the underlying rules clearer. In either case, look for an accessible rules page that explains the roll outcomes and the way the app handles a round. Check whether you can revisit those details without restarting or making a selection.

Pay attention to terminology. If the app uses a term such as “come-out roll,” it should explain what that means in its own game. Buttons and animations can indicate that something happened, but they are not a substitute for an account of why a bet won or lost. A useful app lets you connect the displayed result to the stated rule.

Also check what the app is asking you to do. Some apps may be designed for learning or entertainment, while others may include wagering features. Read the description and the in-app information rather than inferring the app’s purpose from its name or images. Review any payment, account, privacy or age-related information before proceeding, and do not assume that an app’s presence on a device store establishes that its rules or wagering arrangements suit you.

A sensible way to assess a candidate for an iPhone or iPad is to compare its written rules with what the game actually displays. If the stated Simplified Craps rule says that 7 and 11 win and 2, 3 and 12 lose, the outcome display should follow that rule. If the explanation and the result appear inconsistent, stop and check the rules before relying on the app to teach you.

There is no useful basis here for naming a single best craps app for iPad or iPhone. The practical distinction is whether an app clearly identifies its version and explains its outcomes. Treat missing or vague rules as a reason not to rely on it, rather than as a detail to guess around.

Free Craps Games Are Practice, Not a Different Bet

A free craps game can help you learn to read the table’s outcomes without putting money at stake. Its value is practical: you can follow what happens after a roll and see whether the game has applied its rules as you expected. It does not show that a real-money wager will produce the same experience or result.

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Start by checking the rules shown in the game. On a come-out roll, a 7 or 11 makes a Pass Line bet a winner and a Don’t Pass bet a loser. A 2, 3 or 12 has the opposite result for those bets, though some New Zealand online casino rules treat 12 as a tie on Don’t Pass. Following these outcomes in free play can make it easier to understand what the screen is showing before you consider any wager.

A useful free craps game is one that makes the current stage and the result of each roll clear. Keep track of whether the game is on a come-out roll, what each outcome does to the displayed bets, and whether its rules explain an exception such as the treatment of 12. If the game does not make those points clear, it may be poor practice material, regardless of how polished it looks.

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Free play has limits. It can help you get familiar with the sequence of play and the way a particular version displays outcomes. It cannot establish how you will react when money is involved, verify the terms of another game, or demonstrate that a betting approach will be profitable. A run of wins or losses in free play is not evidence that a later run will follow the same pattern.

So, when choosing among free craps games, focus on clarity and rule visibility rather than treating a favourable run as a recommendation. Free play is a way to practise reading a round, not a different kind of wager and not a forecast of real-money results.

Craps Formats: Bank, Street and Simplified

“Craps” can describe different ways of playing, so the name alone does not tell you who is taking the other side of a wager or which outcomes matter. Bank Craps, Street Craps and Simplified Craps have distinct structures. Knowing the difference is more useful than treating one roll as universally “best”: its significance depends on the rules in play.

Bank Craps

In Bank Craps, one player is the shooter and rolls two dice. The central aim is to roll a point number before a seven appears. The shooter is playing within a banked format, rather than wagering directly against another player as in Street Craps.

That structure helps explain why Bank Craps is associated with a casino setting: the house provides the game, while players make wagers on its outcomes. The shooter’s role does not make the dice predictable. A roll matters according to the game’s rules, not because a particular player has taken control of the dice.

Street Craps

Street Craps changes the relationship between players. They wager against one another instead of placing bets against the casino. The dice still determine the outcome, but the opposing side of a wager is another participant.

That difference matters when you compare versions. In a banked game, the casino is the counterparty; in Street Craps, players negotiate or take opposing positions among themselves. The label does not, by itself, describe every local rule or settle how a particular group organises its wagers. You need the rules of the specific game to know what each roll means.

Simplified Craps

Simplified Craps can reduce the outcome structure. In the version described here, a roll of 7 or 11 wins, while 2, 3 or 12 loses. Those stated outcomes are enough to distinguish it from Bank Craps, where the point-and-seven objective shapes the play.

The word “simplified” should not be taken as a guarantee that every game using that label follows identical rules. Before playing, check which totals count as wins or losses and whether the version establishes a point. A change in those details changes how you interpret a roll.

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These formats are not interchangeable, and a favourable result in one does not establish what the same dice total would mean in another. If you are comparing ways to play craps in New Zealand, first identify the format and its stated rules; the name alone cannot tell you whether the game is banked, player-to-player or based on a simplified set of outcomes.

New Zealand’s Online Casino Rules and the 2026 Transition

New Zealand’s online casino rules are changing under the Online Casino Gambling Act 2026, which came into force on 1 May 2026. The Gambling Act 2003 did not permit online casinos to be based in New Zealand. Before the new Act, offshore online casino gambling was not licensed or supervised by a New Zealand regulator, and customers had no domestic government recourse.

The Department of Internal Affairs remains New Zealand’s primary gambling regulator and oversees the online casino licensing framework. The Gambling Commission hears and decides casino licensing applications, issues online casino licences and approves changes to licence conditions.

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The transition runs from 1 May to 1 December 2026. Providers that were already serving people in New Zealand before the start of that period may continue operating until 1 December, subject to the Act’s transitional provisions. They must cease online casino gambling in New Zealand by that date if they have not applied for a licence. A provider whose application is declined must stop those operations and leave the market. Unlicensed operation is expected to become an offence around mid-2027, and operators without a licence may face enforcement and fines of up to NZ$5 million.

Advertising is restricted during the transition. Licensed operators may advertise only under tight rules, and sponsorships are prohibited. Licensed operators must also introduce stricter age and identity checks. These requirements affect how services can operate; they do not establish that any particular site is licensed or suitable for playing craps. The full licensed regime is not expected to be operational until 2027.

Responsible Gambling

Prepared by the Casino Experts NZ editorial staff.