Bitcoin Craps
In a live casino, you cannot miss the Craps tables. This is where all the cheering and excitement comes from. Craps is popular online too, and it is one of the table games you may come across at casinos that accept Bitcoin. Older guides gave two reasons to choose Bitcoin Craps over the dollar versions: anonymous play and “provably fair” rolls. Neither holds up as well as it sounds, and this page explains why.
This article gives you an overview of Bitcoin Craps. First, I have outlined the craps games you are likely to find and the basics of how the game works. Some games are built by casinos themselves, while most come from global software providers such as BetSoft and PlayTech. After that, there is a guide for those who have not yet gambled with Bitcoin on getting started the right way. Finally you will find the pros and cons of playing craps with crypto, how to check a casino’s licence and where to get help.
Craps Games Available at Different Bitcoin Casinos
Craps is a more complex game to code than the simple card games that many small crypto casinos built for themselves. This means that casinos making their own games tend not to offer craps. Instead, many Bitcoin casinos offer Bitcoin dice games, though these are really just bets on a random number between 0 and 100 and have no real relation to craps.
BetSoft makes a well-regarded craps game, found at many online casinos. It has smooth animations, helpful audio and a wide range of craps bets. The sections of the betting layout are highlighted as you move your mouse, and alerts tell you where you can and cannot bet in each round. This makes it ideal for learning the game and a smooth experience for those who already know it.
PlayTech’s craps game is state-of-the-art and looks great too. Again, the bets you can make in the come-out and point rounds are highlighted, showing you what is allowed at each stage. One important warning: copies of PlayTech games have been offered at unlicensed crypto casinos without the developer’s approval. Our earlier advice was to avoid those copies because they could be rigged, and it still stands. Play big-name games only at casinos that are licensed to offer them.
If you are new to the game, the core bet is simple. On the first roll of a round, the come-out roll, a Pass Line bet wins on 7 or 11 and loses on 2, 3 or 12. Any other total becomes the point, and the Pass Line then wins if the point is rolled again before a 7. Most other craps bets are variations on predicting totals, and the proposition bets in the middle of the table carry a much higher house edge than the Pass and Don’t Pass lines.
Getting Started with Bitcoin Craps
If you have not gambled online with Bitcoin before, there are three stages to go through, and the order matters. They are choosing a licensed casino, registering and verifying your account, and making a deposit.
Start with the licence. Pick a casino that is licensed by the gambling regulator in your country and confirm it on that regulator’s public register. The licence decides whether you have any protection, so it comes before the game library or the payment options.
Next, register and verify. Licensed casinos must check your age and identity before you play, usually with a photo ID and sometimes a proof of address. This is a legal requirement that protects minors and makes fraud and money laundering harder. A casino that lets you play craps with nothing more than an e-mail address is not following those rules.
Then deposit. Many licensed casinos do not accept crypto at all; card, bank transfer and e-wallets are far more common. If your casino does accept Bitcoin, you will need a wallet holding coins bought from an exchange. When you click the deposit button, the casino gives you a long string of letters and numbers, the deposit address. Paste it into your wallet and send the amount, checking the address and network carefully, because a crypto payment cannot be reversed.
Withdrawals at a licensed casino follow the rules set out in its terms. The casino may need to complete checks before paying out, and a crypto withdrawal goes back to a wallet address you control.
Pros and Cons of Playing Bitcoin Craps
There is not a huge choice of craps games for Bitcoin players, and the case for playing them with crypto is weaker than older guides suggested.
Anonymity is the first argument usually made: no geographical restrictions and no requests for documents. That only describes sites that are not licensed where you live. They are outside the reach of your country’s regulator, so nobody tests their games, holds them to their terms or handles your complaint if a withdrawal is refused, and your local self-exclusion scheme will not reach them.
Fairness is the second. Many crypto dice games are provably fair, but craps from the big studios usually is not. What gives you peace of mind with craps is a licensed casino whose games have been independently tested under the regulator’s rules.
Costs are the third. Bitcoin is not free to use: the network charges a fee that changes with demand, exchanges charge to buy and sell, and the coin’s price moves while your money is on the table. Card and bank payments at licensed casinos are often cheaper than they look by comparison.
If you enjoy craps, the best place to play is a casino licensed where you live, whatever payment method it uses.
Bitcoin Craps: How to Check a Licence
Online casino games are licensed in some countries and banned in others, and a licence from one country does not make a site legal in another. Search your national regulator’s register for the casino’s company name and web address. Examples are the UK Gambling Commission’s public register and the Malta Gaming Authority’s licensee register. In the US, online casino games are licensed by individual states, so check your state’s regulator.
Crypto is treated with caution by regulators. The UK Gambling Commission has told its licensees that crypto-assets are considered high risk, which is why few licensed casinos accept it and those that do check customers closely.
Playing Bitcoin Craps Responsibly
You must be 18 or over to play craps online, and older where local law sets a higher age. The excitement of a hot table can make a session run longer and bigger than planned, so set a budget and a time limit first and stick to the lower-edge bets.
If gambling is becoming a problem for you or someone close to you, Gambling Therapy offers free, confidential online support in many languages. US players can call the National Problem Gambling Helpline on 1-800-MY-RESET. Your national regulator lists the helpline in your country.
References
- UK Gambling Commission: public register
- UK Gambling Commission: age, ID and financial verification
- UK Gambling Commission: crypto-assets and money laundering risk
- Malta Gaming Authority: licensee register
- Gambling Therapy
- National Council on Problem Gambling (US)
Questions & Answers