Craps for New Zealanders: Rules and Bets

Updated October 2026

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Understand how a craps round progresses, how common bets are settled, and what to check when learning with apps or free games.

How a Craps Round Moves from Come-Out to Point

A craps round begins with the come-out roll. The player who throws the dice is called the shooter, and to take that role, the shooter must have a bet on either the Pass Line or the Don’t Pass Line. The dice are then rolled to start the round.

If the come-out roll is 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10, that number becomes the point. The table marks it so everyone can follow what the shooter needs to roll next. The game has moved from the come-out stage to the point stage; the point stays in force until one of the required outcomes ends that sequence.

For a Pass Line bet, the shooter’s task after a point is set is to roll that same number again before rolling a 7. If the point comes first, the Pass Line bet wins. If a 7 comes first, it does not. This order matters: the point is not simply a target that can be hit at any time. It must be repeated before the 7 appears.

That sequence is the basic structure to keep in mind when you are learning how to play craps. First comes the come-out roll; a point may then be established; after that, the Pass Line outcome depends on which arrives first, the point or a 7. Knowing where the round stands helps you understand why a roll has a particular effect, rather than treating each throw as an isolated result.

There is no special player whose presence changes this sequence. A well-known or experienced shooter still has to follow the same progression: qualify to shoot with a line bet, establish a point when the come-out roll produces one, then try to repeat it before a 7. Understanding that structure is a more useful starting point than looking for a celebrated player to imitate.

Pass-Line and Don’t-Pass Bets at the Table

The pass line and don’t-pass line are opposing wagers on the shooter’s opening roll and the rest of the round. A pass-line bet backs the shooter to succeed; a don’t-pass bet backs the opposite outcome. The come-out roll can settle either wager immediately, or leave it in play while the round continues.

If the come-out roll is 7 or 11, a pass-line bet wins and a don’t-pass bet loses. If it is 2 or 3, the result reverses: the pass-line bet loses and the don’t-pass bet wins. A roll of 12 has the same result for the pass line, but its treatment on the don’t-pass line can depend on the ruleset. Some New Zealand online casino versions make 12 a tie, so the don’t-pass wager is returned rather than winning. Check that rule before choosing a table; the name of the bet alone does not tell you how a particular version handles it.

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Other opening totals establish a point. In that case, neither line bet is decided by the come-out roll. The wager stays active as the shooter continues, and the point becomes relevant to whether the pass-line bet can win. This is why the opening roll matters even when it does not produce an immediate payout: it either resolves the line bet or sets the condition that governs the next part of the round.

The difference in the opening result

The contrast is clearest when the dice produce an immediate decision. On 7 or 11, the pass line is favoured by the result and the don’t-pass line is not. On 2 or 3, the don’t-pass line is favoured and the pass line is not. A 12 also defeats the pass line, but may be a push on the don’t-pass line under some New Zealand rulesets.

A push means the bet is neither won nor lost; the stake is returned. That distinction matters because a tie is not the same as a win, even though both avoid losing the don’t-pass stake on that roll. If a table treats 12 as a tie, a player backing the don’t-pass line should not count that result as a successful wager.

The two lines are therefore not simply identical bets with opposite labels. Their outcomes oppose each other on several come-out rolls, but the treatment of 12 can create an exception. When comparing tables or versions of craps, read the displayed rules for that total rather than assuming every don’t-pass bet uses the same convention.

Choosing between the two lines

There is no single answer to what is the best bet in craps without first saying what outcome you want to back and which table rules apply. The pass line suits a player who wants to back the shooter; the don’t-pass line takes the contrary position. Neither description makes one universally preferable. They frame the same round from different sides, and the opening total can immediately decide whether a line bet wins, loses or, in the case of a tied 12 under some rules, is returned.

That makes the come-out rule a practical starting point when you are deciding between these basic wagers. Before placing a bet, establish how the table resolves 7, 11, 2, 3 and 12. The first four totals have clear outcomes for both lines, while 12 is the point to check on the don’t-pass side. If the game does not explain the rule plainly, do not assume that its treatment matches another table you have played.

The word “opposing” also needs care. It describes the direction of the bets, not a promise that one player’s wager will always win whenever the other loses. A tie on the don’t-pass line is one reason the outcomes do not always form a clean win-and-loss pair. The shooter’s roll determines each wager under the table’s rules; choosing the other side does not change the dice result.

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For a new player, the useful comparison is concrete rather than strategic: pass line wins on a come-out 7 or 11 and loses on 2, 3 or 12; don’t-pass loses on 7 or 11 and wins on 2 or 3, with 12 sometimes treated as a tie. Once another total establishes a point, the opening roll has not settled the wager, and the round continues under the point. These rules let you understand what your line bet supports without treating a choice as a system for controlling the result.

If you are playing online, the rules shown for that particular game matter as much as the familiar names on the betting layout. Look specifically for the don’t-pass treatment of 12 and for the explanation of what happens when the come-out roll establishes a point. Those details define the wager you are making; they are not minor variations in wording. A sound comparison of the pass line and don’t-pass line begins with those outcomes, not with the assumption that one must be the best choice for every player.

What Come Bets and Taking Odds Actually Do

A come bet is an additional way to bet once the table has established a point. It is not available on the opening roll of a round: wait until a point is in play, then place the bet in the come area. Its result depends on the point and the seven. If the point is rolled before a seven, the come bet wins; if a seven comes first, it does not.

That timing matters. A come bet does not replace the pass-line bet or change the point already established for the round. It is a separate wager whose outcome is tied to the roll sequence after the point is set. Keeping the two bets distinct makes it easier to follow which wager is being decided by a roll.

Taking odds is different from placing another basic line bet. It means adding a further wager after you have already made a pass-line or come bet. The added odds wager is therefore conditional on having that underlying bet in place; it cannot be placed on its own under the rules described in an affiliate review.

That review also describes the odds stake as limited to a multiple of the original bet. The important practical point is that the added amount is not necessarily unlimited, and the limit is expressed in relation to the initial wager. Because this detail comes from an affiliate review rather than an established New Zealand-wide rule, do not assume its stated limit applies at every table or game. Read the rules displayed for the specific game before adding odds.

The order is straightforward: make the qualifying pass or come bet first, then decide whether to add odds if the game permits it. For a come bet, the initial wager must also meet the timing condition: a point must already have been established. If you are unsure whether an additional wager has been accepted, check the table display before the next roll rather than assuming it is active.

These mechanics do not identify a universally best bet. They explain what you are putting money on and when you may add to it. A come bet gives you a separate wager that can win if the point arrives before seven; taking odds adds a further stake to an existing pass or come bet, subject to the applicable cap. Neither term changes the need to know which bet is active and what roll settles it.

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When comparing craps bets, keep the initial wager and any added odds stake mentally separate. The original bet establishes the wager to which the odds are attached; the odds are not a substitute for it. This distinction is useful at a busy table, where a chip placed in the wrong area may represent a different bet. The game’s own rules determine the precise handling, so confirm the placement before play continues.

House Edge: What the Craps Odds Can and Cannot Tell You

House edge is a way to compare the built-in cost of different bets. It describes the casino’s theoretical advantage across repeated play, not a fee taken from every wager and not a prediction of what will happen in a particular round. A bet with a lower house edge can still lose, and a bet with a higher one can still win. The figure is useful for comparing rules and choices; it cannot tell you whether your next roll will be favourable.

The Pass Line is listed with a house edge of 1.41%. For Bank Craps, the Pass Line figure is approximately 1.41% as well. These figures describe the same kind of line bet in the context of the game; they are not a promise that a player will lose that share of every amount wagered. Short sessions can produce results far from the theoretical average, in either direction.

The contrast with the Any 7 bet is substantial. In Bank Craps, its house edge is approximately 16.67%. That makes it a much more costly choice in theoretical terms than the Pass Line. The difference is a reminder that the presence of the same dice does not make every bet equally favourable to the player. The wager’s rules determine its mathematical cost.

If you are comparing the best odds on craps, the Pass Line’s lower stated edge is a relevant point of reference, but it is not the whole decision. The phrase “best odds” can also be used to mean a bet that pays more when it wins, or a bet a player simply prefers. Those meanings are not interchangeable. A larger payout does not, by itself, make a wager better value: the chance of winning and the payout together determine the house edge.

The same caution applies to broad claims that craps has the best odds in a casino. The figures here support a narrower conclusion: the Pass Line has a low stated house edge compared with the Any 7 bet in Bank Craps. They do not establish that every craps wager is favourable, or that craps as a whole outranks every other casino game. A comparison is only as useful as the specific bets and rules being compared.

Side bets and bonus bets typically carry a higher house edge than regular bets. Their names or extra features do not change that underlying cost. If a table or game presents such an option, look for its stated terms rather than assuming it shares the Pass Line’s figure. A headline payout can attract attention; the house edge is the more useful measure of the wager’s long-run price.

House-edge figures also need the right scale of interpretation. They summarise a theoretical relationship over repeated outcomes, while an individual session is shaped by a small sequence of rolls. A low edge does not ensure that you will finish ahead, and it does not remove the possibility of losing the entire amount you choose to wager. Nor does a high edge mean that a particular bet must lose immediately. It means the bet is less favourable to the player over time under the stated rules.

So, when weighing craps odds, compare like with like: identify the bet, check which rules apply, and use the house edge as a measure of relative cost—not as a forecast. The Pass Line’s 1.41% figure and the Any 7 bet’s approximately 16.67% figure show why the bet matters as much as the game. Neither number can turn chance into certainty.

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A Disciplined Approach to Craps Decisions

A useful craps strategy begins with knowing what each decision depends on, not with a sequence of bets advertised as a system. The point is central to that distinction. It is 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10, and a pass bet wins if the shooter rolls that point again before rolling 7. Once you understand that condition, you can tell what must happen for the bet to succeed, rather than relying on a slogan or a betting pattern.

Before placing a bet, identify the stage of the round and the outcome your wager needs. A point-based bet is not judged in the same way as a bet made before a point is established. If you lose track of which stage you are watching, it is easy to treat a bet as though it had the same conditions throughout the round. It does not. Pause and check the table’s wording whenever you are unsure what your wager is waiting for.

A disciplined player also separates a decision from its result. A bet can lose even when you understood its conditions correctly; a win does not prove that the decision was sound. That matters because a short run of results can tempt you to change your plan after every roll. A written rule for when you will bet, and when you will sit out, can make it easier to avoid decisions driven only by frustration or excitement. It cannot make a particular roll more likely.

Taking odds is another decision that requires checking the table rules rather than assuming the same limit everywhere. A specialist review describes an odds wager as available only after a pass or come bet, with its size capped at a multiple of the original wager. That describes the kind of restriction a player may encounter; it should not be mistaken for a universal cap. Read the rules shown for the specific table before deciding whether the added wager fits your plan.

The practical question is not simply whether an extra wager is permitted. Ask whether you understand which initial bet it is attached to, what outcome settles it, and what cap the table applies. If any part is unclear, waiting is a more informed decision than guessing. The cap affects how much can be placed in relation to the original bet, but it does not change the point or the condition that determines whether the pass bet wins.

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Be wary of systems that present a progression of wagers as a way to recover losses or turn a losing run around. Changing the size or order of bets does not rewrite the conditions of a roll. A plan can help organise your choices and keep them within a limit you have set for yourself, but no betting pattern can promise a win. If a system’s explanation depends on treating previous rolls as a reason the next outcome must go a certain way, that is a claim to question, not a rule of craps.

A mathematical approach is most useful when it clarifies the wager: what must happen, when it can be placed, and what restriction applies. It is less useful when the label “mathematical” is used to imply certainty. The point gives you a concrete condition to follow; the odds cap gives you a table rule to verify. Neither supplies a winning formula. Decisions made with those details in view are better informed, even though the outcome remains uncertain.

Craps Apps and iPad Play: Check the Rules Before You Play

When choosing a craps game for an iPad or iPhone, the useful question is not simply whether the screen looks like a table. You need to be able to tell what a roll means, which bet is being judged, and whether the rules shown match the rules you expect. The same checks apply whether you are playing on a tablet or a phone.

Start with the come-out roll, the first roll of a new round. If you have a pass-line bet, a 7 or 11 wins; for a don’t-pass bet, either result loses. A roll of 2 or 3 makes the pass-line bet lose and the don’t-pass bet win. A roll of 12 has that same result in some rulesets, but some New Zealand online casino rules treat it as a tie for the don’t-pass bet. That distinction matters: a tie is not a win, and it is not a loss.

A clear explanation of the 12 rule is therefore more useful than a polished animation. If you are comparing craps games for iPad, look for wording that tells you how the don’t-pass bet is settled on that roll. Do not assume that every version uses the same treatment. The result can change how you understand the bet even though the dice show the same total.

Recognising the point

If the come-out roll is 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10, that number becomes the point. A pass-line bet wins if the shooter rolls that point again before rolling 7. If 7 appears first, the pass-line bet loses. Recognising those two possible outcomes helps you follow the round after the opening roll, rather than treating every roll as a separate result.

When assessing an app or playing on an iPad, check that the point remains identifiable after it has been established. You should be able to distinguish the point from the next roll and see whether the result is being compared with the point or with 7. That is a rules check, not a prediction about what the next roll will be.

It is also worth separating the outcome from the bet. A roll does not have one universal meaning for every player: the same come-out 7 wins a pass-line bet but loses a don’t-pass bet. Read the settlement for the bet you selected, not just the label attached to the dice result. This helps prevent a familiar total from being mistaken for a win when it is a loss for that particular wager.

For someone looking for the best craps game for an iPad, understanding these rules is a more practical starting point than judging a game by appearance alone. Check that the explanation distinguishes the come-out outcomes, makes the point numbers clear, and shows the pass-line result when the point or 7 appears. If the rules are hard to follow, the screen may leave you unsure why a bet settled as it did.

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These checks do not require you to predict or control a roll. They let you read the result accurately and notice when a ruleset handles the 12 differently. Before placing a bet, make sure you know which line you chose and how that version settles the outcome in front of you.

Dice, Rolls, and the Differences Between Craps Variants

The dice do not have the same role in every version of craps. Before comparing a roll or considering which dice to use, check which ruleset is being played: a result that wins in one version may lose in another. The name “craps” covers more than one arrangement of players and outcomes.

In Bank Craps, one player rolls two dice. The central contest is between a point number and seven: the shooter needs the point to appear before seven. The important result is therefore not simply a particular face on one die, but the combined roll and its place in the game’s sequence. A seven can matter differently depending on whether a point has been set.

Street Craps changes who is on the other side of the wager. Players bet against one another, rather than placing bets against a casino. That distinction concerns the structure of the game, not a different kind of dice. The rules agreed by the players determine how the wagers are settled, so the familiar name alone does not establish every detail of play.

The described Simplified Craps version has a more direct set of stated outcomes: a total of 2, 3, or 12 loses, while 7 or 11 wins. These results should not be carried over automatically to Bank Craps or Street Craps. In particular, “a winning craps roll” has no single meaning without the variant and the point in the round.

That is also why no particular dice set can be called the best for craps on the basis of these rules. The outcomes described here depend on what the dice show and on the rules in use; they do not establish that one set gives a player control over a roll or improves the chance of a desired result. A claim that a certain set produces the best roll would need evidence beyond the variant descriptions.

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When comparing dice or a game’s presentation, focus first on whether the rules make clear how a roll is interpreted. In Bank Craps, look for the distinction between the point and seven; in the simplified version, check which totals are assigned wins and losses. In Street Craps, establish how the players’ wagers are settled. Those checks are more useful than treating a visually distinctive set of dice as a strategy.

Free Craps Games as a Way to Learn the Basic Outcomes

A free craps game can help you get used to recognising what a roll means without making a wager. The useful starting point is to follow the dice and apply the rules consistently, rather than treating a run of wins or losses as a guide to what will happen next.

In a described simplified version of craps, a roll of 2, 3 or 12 is a loss, while 7 or 11 is a win. Those outcomes give you a straightforward way to practise reading a result: identify the total, then match it to the rule. A free game can make that process more familiar, especially if you pause after each roll and state the outcome before moving on.

Do not assume every free craps game uses those same rules. The simplified version is not a substitute for learning the rules of Bank Craps or another variant. Before starting, check which version the game presents and how it treats each roll. If the rules are unclear, the results will teach you little beyond the layout of that particular game.

Practice can also help separate understanding from expectation. A winning roll does not make another win more likely, and a loss does not mean a win is due. The point of a free game is to learn how the displayed rules classify outcomes, not to discover a reliable way to predict dice.

For someone looking for a free craps game or an app to practise with, the relevant question is whether the rules are clear enough to follow. Treat the game as a learning aid: track the roll, identify the result, and check that the stated rule matches what happened. Do not infer anything about real-money play from a free session. A practice game can familiarise you with basic outcomes, but it cannot promise future results or establish which paid game is suitable for you.

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Craps Sites and New Zealand’s Online Casino Rules

Choosing where to play craps online in New Zealand requires more than comparing game tables: the legal position depends on the country’s transition to a domestic licensing system. The Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 created New Zealand’s first licensing regime for online casino gambling and took effect on 1 May 2026. The full regime is not expected to be operating until 2027, so the transition period matters when assessing what providers may do.

The Gambling Act 2003 does not permit online casinos to be based in New Zealand. The newer Act changes the framework for licensing online casino services, but it does not mean every site accessible to New Zealanders is locally licensed. Before the 2026 Act, offshore online casino gambling had no licence or supervision from a New Zealand regulator. Customers who wagered with an offshore website in that period had no domestic government recourse if a dispute arose.

The Act allows providers that were already serving people in New Zealand before 1 May 2026 to continue during the transition, subject to its transitional provisions. That permission is temporary, not a general endorsement of every offshore site. The transition runs from 1 May to 1 December 2026. A provider that has not applied for a licence must stop offering online casino gambling in New Zealand by 1 December. If an application is declined, the provider must end its New Zealand operations and leave the market.

Who regulates online casinos?

The Department of Internal Affairs is New Zealand’s primary gambling regulator and oversees the online casino licensing framework. The Gambling Commission has a distinct role: it hears and decides casino licensing applications, issues online casino licences and approves changes to licence conditions. These responsibilities are not interchangeable. The Commission makes licensing decisions, while the Department oversees the framework.

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For a player comparing online craps options, this division is relevant because a site’s availability does not by itself establish its licensing status. Nor does the existence of the new framework mean that the complete licensing regime is already in operation. The law sets out a transition before the full system is expected to be operational in 2027.

Providers operating without a licence may face enforcement action and fines of up to NZ$5 million. Unlicensed operation is expected to become an offence around mid-2027. These consequences concern providers; they should not be confused with the position of individual players. New Zealand residents do not face a fine or criminal prosecution merely for playing at an offshore casino without a local licence.

What the transition means for players

During the transition period, providers are prohibited from advertising online casino gambling to people in New Zealand. Licensed operators may advertise under tight rules, but sponsorships are prohibited. The distinction matters: an advertisement or sponsorship should not be treated as proof that a service is authorised, particularly while the transition is under way.

Licensed operators must also put stricter age and identity verification systems in place. Those checks are part of the regulatory requirements, rather than a feature that can be assumed from a site’s presentation. A familiar design or a craps table being available to play does not tell you whether a provider has met its obligations.

The law leaves offshore websites practically accessible to New Zealand residents, and players are not liable simply for using them. That does not restore the domestic government recourse that was absent before the 2026 Act, or establish that every accessible site will be licensed under the new system. The regulatory change is directed at providers and the services they offer in New Zealand.

There is therefore no sound basis for treating “best” as a simple list of sites available to play craps. A site’s presence online does not settle its status, and a list of games cannot substitute for checking the regulatory position. The important distinction in 2026 is whether a provider falls within the transitional arrangements and, as the licensing regime develops, whether it has the required authorisation.

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