Craps for New Zealanders: Bets, Rules and Odds

Updated October 2026

Licensed

Available in US

Fast payouts

18+ Only

Follow bets from the come-out roll to the point, and compare their conditions and house edge without relying on dice predictions.

How Craps Bets Resolve from the Come-Out Roll to the Point

A Pass Line or Don’t Pass wager is defined by when it is placed and what happens on the come-out roll. The come-out roll begins a new decision for these bets. If the shooter is to roll, a wager on one of those two lines is required. The same roll has opposite consequences for the two sides: an outcome that wins for Pass Line loses for Don’t Pass, and vice versa.

On a come-out roll of 7 or 11, the Pass Line bet wins. The Don’t Pass bet loses. On a roll of 2 or 3, the result reverses: Pass Line loses and Don’t Pass wins. A roll of 12 also loses for Pass Line, but its treatment on Don’t Pass is not uniform across New Zealand online casino rulesets. Some count it as a win; others treat it as a tie. That distinction changes whether the Don’t Pass stake is settled as a win or returned without a win or loss, so the specific ruleset matters.

The come-out roll can also establish a point. The point numbers are 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10. When one of these numbers appears, the Pass Line bet is not decided as it would be by an immediate win or loss on the come-out roll. Instead, the number becomes the point, and the Pass Line bet remains dependent on what is rolled next.

How the point changes the Pass Line condition

Once a point has been established, the Pass Line bet wins if the shooter rolls that same point again before rolling a 7. The order is decisive. A repeat of the point first settles the bet in Pass Line’s favour; a 7 appearing first means the required sequence has not occurred and the Pass Line bet loses. The bet is therefore no longer judged by the come-out outcomes of 7, 11, 2, 3 or 12. Its condition has shifted to a race between the established point and 7.

For instance, if the come-out roll is 6, then 6 is the point. A later 6 before a 7 wins the Pass Line bet. If 7 appears first, the bet loses. The same structure applies when the point is 4, 5, 8, 9 or 10: the relevant number must recur before 7. The exact point matters because it identifies which repeat can settle the bet, but the condition is the same across the listed point numbers.

This creates two stages in a Pass Line decision. First, the come-out roll can settle the bet immediately or establish a point. If it establishes a point, the second stage begins: the shooter must roll that point again before 7 for the bet to win. A point is not itself an automatic win or loss for Pass Line. It changes the condition that governs the unresolved wager.

Best NZ Pokies: Rules, Real-Money Play and RTP

Understand how New Zealand law distinguishes offshore operators from local players, and how RTP, volatility,…

The distinction is useful when comparing the best bets in craps by their actual terms rather than by a label. A bet that can be decided on the come-out roll does not have the same immediate conditions as a Pass Line bet that has moved to a point. The phrase “best craps bet” cannot be answered from the bet name alone: the result depends on the applicable rules and the event that settles the wager. At this stage, the practical question is narrower—what must happen for the particular line bet to win or lose?

Don’t Pass shares the come-out decision but takes the other side of its stated outcomes. A 7 or 11 on the come-out roll loses Don’t Pass; a 2 or 3 wins it; and 12 requires attention to the ruleset because it may be a win or a tie. These are specific to the come-out phase. They should not be casually carried over to the point phase as if every roll were still an opening roll. Once a point is active, the Pass Line condition described above is tied to the point and 7.

The key information to establish before judging a line bet is therefore its phase and its settlement rule. A come-out 7 has one result for Pass Line and the opposite for Don’t Pass. A come-out 2 or 3 reverses that relationship, while 12 may produce different Don’t Pass treatment depending on the rules. If a point number appears, Pass Line moves to a different test: the point must return before 7. These conditions explain what each wager is exposed to; they do not turn a roll into a prediction.

In practice, an accurate reading of the table begins with identifying whether the roll is the come-out roll or follows an established point. Then the result can be matched to the relevant line and phase. This avoids treating all rolls as interchangeable and keeps the settlement logic clear before any comparison of wager value.

Craps Odds: The Pass Line Edge and the Cost of Side Bets

A house edge expresses the casino’s mathematical advantage on a wager over time. It is not a prediction of the result of a particular roll, nor does it set a guaranteed loss for an individual session. The useful comparison is between the edge attached to each bet: a smaller figure means less theoretical cost per unit wagered over repeated play, while a larger figure means more.

The Pass Line bet has a house edge of 1.41%. In Bank Craps, the stated figure for the same bet is approximately 1.41%. The Any 7 bet in Bank Craps has an edge of approximately 16.67%. On those figures, the Pass Line is substantially less costly in theoretical terms than Any 7.

That comparison matters because the bets are not interchangeable simply because they use the same dice. Each has its own payout structure and conditions, and the house edge reflects the relationship between those terms and the possible outcomes. A larger payout on a particular result does not by itself make a wager better value; the probability of receiving that payout must also be accounted for. The edge brings those elements together as a measure of the wager’s long-run cost.

Roulette for New Zealand Players: Bets and Odds

Learn how roulette bets pay, how zero affects even-money wagers, and why betting systems cannot…

The practical distinction is between the price of a bet and the chance of a short-term win. A wager with a lower house edge can still lose on the next roll, while a wager with a higher edge can win. Over a single result, the edge does not dictate what happens. Across repeated wagering, however, it provides a more useful basis for comparing the expected cost than the size of an advertised payout or the appeal of a particular outcome.

Side bets and bonus bets typically carry a higher house edge than regular bets. That makes their terms worth separating from the main line wager rather than treating all available options as equivalent. The Any 7 figure illustrates the difference: its approximate 16.67% edge is far above the Pass Line’s 1.41%. A side wager may offer a more direct route to a particular result, but that convenience has a measurable price in the stated comparison.

The figures also put a limit on claims about craps as a whole. The Pass Line edge is relatively low beside the Any 7 edge described here, but those two figures do not rank every wager in every casino game. Whether craps has the best odds in a casino cannot be settled by one favourable bet alone; that would require a like-for-like comparison with the relevant wagers in other games. Within this comparison, the Pass Line has the lower stated house edge.

For wager choice, the calculation is therefore straightforward: compare the edge attached to the specific bet, not the name of the game or the size of a possible payout. The Pass Line figure indicates a lower theoretical cost than Any 7 in Bank Craps. Side and bonus bets deserve particular scrutiny because their edges are typically higher than those of regular bets. That is a difference in price, not a promise about the next result.

A Strategy Built Around Bet Conditions, Not Dice Predictions

A workable craps strategy starts with the conditions attached to each wager. It does not depend on reading a sequence of rolls as a signal. Dice outcomes do not become more predictable because a particular number appeared earlier; the useful distinction is whether a bet is available, what event settles it, and how much is committed before that event occurs.

A Come bet is not available from the opening roll. It can be placed only once a point has been established. After placement, it wins if its point is rolled before a 7. That timing matters: the Come bet adds a wager while the original point is already in play, rather than replacing or restarting the first bet. A rules-based approach therefore checks the table state before adding a Come bet. If no point has been established, the condition for placing it has not been met.

The decision is about exposure, not prediction. Each additional Come bet creates another wager with its own outcome condition. The fact that a point is active does not, by itself, establish that a new bet is favourable. Nor does a run of particular totals alter the stated requirement that the relevant point arrive before 7. A disciplined method can be simple: confirm that the bet is permitted at that stage, identify what settles it, and decide whether the additional stake fits the intended total exposure.

Taking odds is conditional too

Taking odds is an additional wager available only after a Pass Line or Come bet has been made. Its amount is not unlimited: it is capped at a multiple of the original bet. The cap is therefore a rule to confirm for the particular game, not a universal figure that can be assumed across tables.

A specialist affiliate review describes this restriction, but the stated cap can change over time. That makes the operator’s rules for the game being played the relevant reference for the current limit. The practical calculation should use the initial wager and the applicable cap together; the extra odds stake should not be treated as a separate, unrestricted way to increase action.

Roulette Rules for New Zealanders: Wheel Variants

Learn how roulette variants, zero rules, bets and payouts differ. European roulette has 37 pockets…

The order of operations is important. First comes the qualifying Pass Line or Come bet; only then can odds be added. A plan that budgets for odds before the underlying bet exists reverses that condition. Likewise, setting a fixed odds amount without checking the applicable cap can produce a stake the rules do not allow.

A repeatable decision process

The strongest mathematical approach is not a dice system but a consistent way to apply the rules. Before placing an additional wager, establish three things: whether the bet is currently available, which event wins it, and what the maximum permitted addition is. If any of those conditions is unclear, the size of a supposed advantage cannot be calculated reliably.

This framework also puts a limit on what a craps trainer or betting chart can establish. A tool may help display bet states or track amounts, but a sequence of suggested actions does not prove that future rolls can be forecast. The useful test is whether the instructions match the game’s conditions, including when Come bets and odds become available. A system that promises certainty from a dice pattern has moved beyond those rules.

Real-Money Blackjack in New Zealand: Rules and Costs

Explore New Zealand’s online blackjack rules, account-funding and mobile data costs, payout differences, bonus terms,…

For bankroll control, the initial wager and each permitted addition should be counted as separate commitments, then considered together. That does not change how the dice settle the bets. It makes the cost of following a strategy visible before more money is exposed. No bet sequence removes the stated conditions or guarantees a result; the value of a rules-based method is that it makes each decision auditable rather than disguising it as a prediction.

What Craps Apps Can Be Assessed On: Rules Before Features

A craps app is easier to assess when its rules can be followed from one decision to the next. Graphics, sound and screen layout may affect presentation, but they do not establish what a wager requires or when it wins. The first test is whether the game explains the pass-line sequence clearly enough to check each stage.

In craps, a player acting as the shooter must have a bet on either the Pass Line or the Don’t Pass Line. That requirement should be visible before the roll, not buried in an instruction page that leaves the role unclear. The app’s wording should distinguish the shooter’s required line bet from any other choices shown on screen. If those concepts are blended together, the interface makes it harder to tell which conditions govern the roll.

New Zealand Keno Results: Draws, Odds and Payouts

Learn how New Zealand draw results differ from ticket selections, how spot counts relate to…

The next useful check is how the app presents the point. The point numbers are 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10. Once one of those numbers has been established, a Pass Line bet wins if that same point is rolled again before a 7. A rules panel, tutorial or on-screen status indicator can be assessed by whether it makes that order intelligible: point first, then the point must recur before 7. The standard is clarity of the condition, not visual polish.

This gives a practical basis for comparing craps games intended for an iPad or iPhone without treating device compatibility as proof of quality. A larger display may provide more room for rules and bet labels; a smaller display may compress them. Either way, the important question is whether the relevant information remains legible and whether the active point and wager are distinguishable. Those are evaluation criteria, not claims about any particular app’s design.

A rules-first assessment also separates learning tools from products that merely reproduce the appearance of a table. A clear explanation should identify the shooter’s line bet, show which number is the point when applicable, and state what must happen for the Pass Line wager to win. If those details are difficult to locate, the game may still be playable, but its terms are less readily checked. That is a usability cost, not a prediction about how often a bet will win.

For a craps game on an iPad, screen space can make rule labels easier to inspect, but the device itself says nothing about the underlying rules. The same applies to an iPhone: portability is a format characteristic, not evidence that a game explains its wagers well. Comparisons are more meaningful when they focus on the sequence and terminology presented inside the game rather than on the device name.

A sound assessment therefore begins with the pass-line conditions and asks whether the game communicates them consistently. The point must be one of the stated point numbers, and a Pass Line win depends on it returning before 7. When those conditions are understandable in the game’s own presentation, its rules can be evaluated. Features matter only after that basic accounting is clear.

Slot Strategies for New Zealanders: A Practical Guide

Learn how to set a session ceiling and size each stake; unlike blackjack systems, this…

Choosing Bets by Their Conditions and House Edge

A craps wager has two separate costs to consider: the conditions that must be met for it to win, and the house edge attached to the bet. The first determines how the wager resolves; the second expresses the casino’s mathematical advantage over repeated play. Neither measure identifies a universally best bet. A wager can have a defined edge and still be a poor fit for someone who does not want its particular conditions.

The Pass Line is a useful reference because its house edge is 1.41%. That figure describes the bet’s long-run mathematical cost, not the result of an individual roll or a promise about a session. The practical choice is therefore not simply to select the smallest-looking number. It is to understand what must happen for the wager to be settled as a win, then weigh that condition against the stated edge.

Come bets add a separate decision point. They are available only once a point has been established, and they win if that point is rolled again before a 7. Their timing matters: a Come bet cannot be made during the opening stage of a round. Its appeal depends on whether that point-dependent condition is acceptable, rather than on any supposed ability to forecast the dice. The bet’s resolution is governed by the sequence of rolls, not by a pattern inferred from earlier ones.

Taking odds is an additional wager, not a substitute for the original Pass or Come bet. An affiliate review describes it as available only after a Pass or Come bet, with the added amount capped at a multiple of that initial wager. The cap is a rule to check in the particular game, not a universal amount to assume. A player considering odds needs to account for both the original bet and the additional exposure; looking at the added wager in isolation hides the total money at risk.

This distinction helps make bet comparisons more concrete. The Pass Line edge gives a measurable basis for evaluating that wager. A Come bet is defined here by when it can be placed and what outcome makes it win; taking odds is defined by its dependency on an earlier bet and a cap. Those are different kinds of information. A condition can be clear without supplying a house-edge figure, and a house-edge figure does not explain every practical restriction.

Roulette Strategies for New Zealand Players Explained

See why Martingale and other progressions cannot change independent spin probabilities, and how table limits…

The best bets in craps are therefore not a fixed shortlist that applies to every playing preference. A rules-based selection starts with the wager’s entry condition, its win condition and the amount of money it adds to the existing position. The Pass Line’s stated edge can be compared on its own terms, while Come and odds wagers require attention to when they become available and how they depend on another bet. Treating those details as part of the price is more useful than treating a familiar bet name as a recommendation.

The calculation ends where the information ends: a known edge can inform a choice, but it does not erase the wager’s conditions or make one option best for every situation.

Dice Rolls, Point Numbers, and What a Dice Set Cannot Prove

In Bank Craps, one player rolls two dice. Once a point has been established, the relevant comparison is between that point appearing again and a seven appearing first. A pass bet wins if the shooter repeats the point before rolling seven. If seven comes first, the point has not been made in time.

The point numbers are 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10. Other totals do not become point numbers under this rule. The list matters because a roll is judged by its total: the dice faces are added together, and that result determines whether the shooter has repeated the point or rolled seven. The same physical pair of dice can produce different totals on different throws; a selected arrangement does not change what counts as a point.

A “best dice roll” is therefore not a roll that can be identified in advance. In a pass bet after a point is set, the useful result is specifically that point appearing before seven. Which total is useful depends on the point already established. A 6 is relevant when the point is 6; it is not a substitute for a point of 9. Seven has the opposite role in this part of the sequence: it ends the opportunity to repeat the point and win the pass bet.

Baccarat Strategy for New Zealanders: A Practical Guide

Learn how baccarat’s fixed dealing rules shape strategy, why Player, Banker and Tie are distinct…

That distinction also sets a limit on claims about a best dice set for craps. A particular way of holding or positioning dice may be described as a technique, but the game rules above do not establish that a set makes a point more likely, delays seven, or improves a bet’s result. A description of hand placement is not evidence of a changed probability. Without a demonstrated effect, treating a set as a method for controlling the outcome would turn appearance into a financial claim.

The practical test is the result, not the ritual around the throw. The point remains one of the listed totals, and the pass-bet condition remains a race between that total and seven. A dice set cannot redefine either condition. Nor does a previous sequence establish that a particular total is due next: the rule says what happens when a number appears, not which number the dice will produce.

This keeps the terminology precise. The point is a game state, not a special physical arrangement of the dice. A roll is favourable to the pass bet only in relation to the point that has already been set. Claims about a “best” set should be kept separate from that rule-based description unless they can show a reliable, measurable change in the outcome. Until then, the accounting is straightforward: the bet depends on the point arriving before seven, and no named dice arrangement alters that condition.

New Zealand Online Craps: Rules and the Licensing Transition

For online craps in New Zealand, the legal position depends on when a provider began operating and what it does during the licensing transition. The Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 took effect on 1 May 2026, establishing the country’s first domestic licensing framework for online casino gambling. The transition period runs from that date to 1 December 2026; the full licensed system is expected to be operational in 2027.

The Gambling Act 2003 does not permit online casinos to be based in New Zealand. The newer framework creates a route to domestic licensing, rather than making local online casinos lawful under the earlier regime. Before the 2026 Act, offshore online casino services were not licensed or supervised by a New Zealand regulator. Customers who wagered with offshore websites during that period had no domestic government recourse.

The regulators have separate roles

The Department of Internal Affairs is New Zealand’s primary gambling regulator and oversees regulation of the online casino licensing framework. The Gambling Commission handles casino licensing decisions: it hears and determines applications, issues online casino licences and approves changes to licence conditions. These roles are distinct; oversight of the framework and decisions on individual applications are not the same function.

For a provider already serving people in New Zealand before 1 May 2026, the transition provisions allow continued operation until 1 December 2026, subject to the Act’s requirements. That is a temporary arrangement, not a permanent substitute for a licence. A provider that has not applied for a licence must stop conducting online casino gambling in New Zealand by 1 December 2026.

An application does not itself secure continued access to the market beyond the transition. If the Gambling Commission declines an application, the provider must cease all online casino gambling operations in New Zealand and leave the market. Unlicensed operation is expected to become an offence around mid-2027; operators without a licence may face enforcement action and fines of up to NZ$5 million.

Advertising and player-facing implications

Advertising by licensed operators is subject to tight rules, and sponsorships are prohibited. During the transition, providers are prohibited from advertising to people in New Zealand. These restrictions matter independently of whether a site offers craps: a game’s availability is not evidence that its provider holds a licence or has met the transition requirements.

The licensing framework also requires licensed operators to apply stricter age and identity verification systems. The practical comparison for online craps is therefore not a ranking of sites or a prediction of the best roll. It is whether a provider falls within the transitional arrangements, applies for a licence, and receives a decision that allows it to operate under the new regime. A pending application and an approved licence are different regulatory conditions, with different consequences at the end of the transition.

Casino Tips and Tricks for New Zealanders

Explore expected losses, slot RTP, bonus wagering and table rules, alongside the distinction between offshore…

Bank Craps and Street Craps: Who Rolls and Who Takes the Other Side

The main distinction between Bank Craps and Street Craps is who stands opposite the shooter. In Bank Craps, one player rolls two dice against the game. The aim is to roll a point number before a seven appears. The other participants are not the opposing side in that basic structure: the roll is measured against the game’s outcome.

Street Craps changes the relationship between players. They bet against one another rather than against the casino. The dice still determine the outcome, but the wager is set between participants, so one player’s result corresponds to another player’s opposing position. The distinction is not merely a different name for the same table arrangement; it changes who is on the other side of the bet.

That difference also shapes what “the best way to play” can mean. In Bank Craps, the relevant question is how a wager relates to the game’s rules. In Street Craps, the terms between the people betting matter as well as the roll. There is no single play style implied by the format alone: the structure identifies the counterparty, not a winning method.

A strong craps player cannot control whether the dice produce a point number before seven. In Bank Craps, that sequence determines the stated objective; in Street Craps, it supplies the result on which opposing wagers depend. Skill at understanding the arrangement is therefore distinct from the ability to predict a roll. Treating a player’s confidence, reputation, or preferred routine as evidence that a particular outcome is more likely would confuse presentation with the bet’s actual conditions.

Baccarat for Real Money in New Zealand: Costs and Rules

Compare Player, Banker and Tie bets, follow payout calculations and hand rules, and see why…

For a comparison, the useful starting point is simple: Bank Craps places one roller against the game, while Street Craps places bettors against each other. The first describes a game-facing wager; the second describes a person-facing one. Neither label, by itself, establishes that a player has an advantage or that one format is universally preferable. The counterpart to the bet—and the rules governing its result—are the material differences.

Free Craps Games: Read the Simplified Rules Before Comparing Play

A free craps game is not defined by the absence of a cash wager alone. Its stated rules determine what counts as a win or loss, so a simplified version should be assessed on its own terms rather than treated as interchangeable with Bank Craps.

In the Simplified Craps version described here, a roll of 7 or 11 is a win, while 2, 3 or 12 is a loss. Those outcomes provide a clear rule comparison: the listed totals are assigned directly to winning or losing results. The description does not establish the result for other totals, so those cannot be classified from this ruleset alone.

That distinction matters when comparing free play. A familiar label does not guarantee familiar conditions. Before treating a game as a practice version of another format, its rules need to state how each relevant outcome is handled. If only some totals are defined, the missing outcomes remain unresolved; filling them in from memory would amount to comparing different rule sets as though they were the same.

The win-and-loss wording is also narrower than a full account of play. It does not specify a payout structure, a sequence of later rolls, or how a round ends after an unlisted total. Those details should not be assumed. For a comparison, the usable information is the stated mapping: 7 and 11 win; 2, 3 and 12 lose.

Real-Money Slots in New Zealand: Access and Rules

Learn how New Zealand players access offshore online slots, where local online casinos stand, and…

This makes the term “free” a poor substitute for a rules description. It says nothing by itself about whether a game follows standard Bank Craps conditions or uses simplified outcomes. Nor does a simplified result table establish that a game is suitable for learning every part of craps. It can demonstrate the particular win-and-loss assignments it states, and no more.

A comparison between free craps games is therefore meaningful only when their outcome rules are set alongside one another. Where the rules cover different totals or leave outcomes unspecified, the difference should remain visible rather than being smoothed over. The rule set, not the free-play label, determines what the game actually teaches.

Online Casino Craps: What the Pass Line Edge Does—and Does Not—Tell You

For Bank Craps, the Pass Line house edge is approximately 1.41%. This is a measure of the wager’s theoretical cost across repeated play, expressed as a share of the amount staked. It is not a forecast of the result of an individual roll or session: actual outcomes can differ substantially from the long-run expectation.

That figure gives a narrow basis for assessing the Pass Line wager itself. It does not establish that an online casino offers better rules, clearer terms, or a more suitable version of craps. Nor does it identify which casino is best for online play in New Zealand. A house-edge figure cannot stand in for those separate assessments.

The number also applies specifically to Bank Craps Pass Line bets. It should not be treated as the edge for every wager, every craps variant, or every online game labelled craps. The wager and rules must match before the figure is relevant.

A low stated edge can help compare the mathematical cost of like-for-like bets, but it does not remove the casino’s advantage or guarantee a favourable result. Choosing a provider on this percentage alone would therefore overstate what the number proves. No named online casino can be identified as the best choice for New Zealand players on the basis of this Pass Line figure.

Responsible Gambling

Written by the editors at Casino Slots Tips NZ.