The short answer
The house edge on a Come bet is 1.41%, exactly the same as the Pass Line, making it one of the most bankroll-friendly bets in the casino.
The full calculation
A Come bet is essentially a Pass Line bet made after the Come-Out roll. It follows the exact same resolution rules. $P(win ext{ on first roll}) = rac{8}{36} = 0.2222$ $P(loss ext{ on first roll}) = rac{4}{36} = 0.1111$ When the bet moves to a point, the weighted probability of winning the point before a 7 is $0.2707$. Total win probability is $0.4929$. $HE = 1 - (2 imes 0.4929) = 0.0142$ This settles at the industry standard 1.41%.
What this means at the table
Professional players use Come bets to cover multiple numbers because it keeps the house edge at its absolute minimum. If you bet $25 on the Come and it moves to the 5, you are paying 35 cents in “expected loss.” If you had “Placed” the 5 for $25 instead, the 4.00% edge would cost you $1.00. The Come bet is how you get more numbers working for you without paying the high tax of Place betting.
Common mistakes around this number
Players often abandon Come bets because they “can’t pick their numbers.” They’d rather bet on the 6 and 8 directly. While Placing the 6/8 is only slightly more expensive (1.52% edge), Placing the 4 or 10 is nearly five times more expensive than getting them via a Come bet. If you want the outside numbers, wait for them to roll via the Come area.
See also
Learn why “Free Odds” makes this bet even better in the Craps Odds Bet guide, or check the Craps Come Bet rules.
In Detail
The come bet’s house edge is low because it is not trying to be flashy. It just walks in, does pass-line math, and lets the center-table fireworks embarrass themselves.
This page is about the long-term cost of come betting. On the surface, that may sound like one small corner of craps, but in a real casino it touches the three things that decide whether a player survives the table: the written rule, the payout, and the way the bet feels when chips are already in action. Craps is dangerous for beginners because a bet can feel smart, social, or lucky while still being badly priced.
The math that matters: Two dice create 36 equally likely ordered combinations. The shape of the game comes from that grid: 7 has 6 combinations, 6 and 8 have 5 each, 5 and 9 have 4 each, 4 and 10 have 3 each, 3 and 11 have 2 each, and 2 and 12 have only 1 each. The base come bet is about 1.41%. Add odds and the blended edge falls: $\frac{\text{loss expectation on come bet}}{\text{come bet}+\text{odds}}$. Expected value is the grown-up way to price a bet: $EV=\sum(P_i\times W_i)-\sum(P_j\times L_j)$. If the payout is smaller than the true probability deserves, the difference is the house edge.
What it means on the felt: Come plus odds is a serious low-edge structure for players who want multiple numbers working. A player who understands this subject does not need to act like a robot. You can still enjoy the noise, the shooter, the stick calls, and the little rush when the dice leave the hand. The point is to know when you are paying for entertainment and when you are making a lower-cost decision.
Casino-floor truth: Craps is built to move. The table crew wants clear bets, fast decisions, and clean payouts. The layout also nudges attention toward action. The safest-looking move is not always the cheapest move, and the loudest bet is almost never the best one. Good craps play is not about predicting the next roll. It is about refusing to overpay for it.
The mistake to avoid: Do not stack come bets faster than your bankroll can breathe. Also, never judge this topic by one lucky hit or one ugly loss. Short sessions are noisy. The math only shows its face over repeated decisions, which is exactly why casinos are patient and players are usually not.