Blackjack conditions continue to decline in Las Vegas at lower limits. There are still casinos that deal $5 and $10 3:2 blackjack games. However, those tables are nearly extinct. Most low-limit games in the downtown and Strip markets pay 6:5. All eight games listed below are worse than a standard 6:5 table.
There were four changes since our previous worst Las Vegas blackjack list. Binion’s and Four Queens changed the payout on their forced side bet games from 3:2 to 6:5. Binion’s added a new blackjack game that requires a $1 mandatory side bet. Mandatory side bets landed on the Strip at New York-New York. Golden Nugget removed its Face Up Blackjack table with the $2 Bonus Spin requirement.
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Lucky Cat Blackjack with a mandatory $2 side bet at Golden Nugget
Golden Nugget once again wins first place in the Blackjack Wall of Shame. The front pit hosts 6/5 Lucky Cat Blackjack. This game gets players to the tables because of its $5 minimum bet. However, there is a string attached. There is a $2 mandatory Bonus Spin side bet. Vegas Advantage estimates the house edge on that bet to be 23%. The Lucky Cat Blackjack bet has an estimated house edge of 3.33%.
Using those numbers, a $7 bet loses $0.627 per hand. That puts the house edge at 8.95% when making the minimum bet. A triple zero roulette game holds 7.69%.
Bonus Spin Blackjack at Golden Nugget
Golden Nugget also has the second-worst Las Vegas blackjack game. Like the Lucky Cat game, there is a required $2 Bonus Spin side bet. The expected loss when betting $10 plus the side bet is about $0.66. The house edge on that is 5.5%.
When the Lucky Cat tables are closed, this game drops to $7. The house edge increases to 8%.
New York-New York $7 table
In 2025, New York-New York added a $7 blackjack table. The main bet requires at least $5. The player must also post $2 in side bets. Unlike the other forced side bet games, Bonus Spin is not the game. The options are Buster and Fortune. New York-New York requires $1 to be split between these two side bets, or $2 placed on one.
The house edge depends on which side bets are taken. Placing both dollars on the Buster Blackjack one and making the $5 minimum main bet creates a house advantage of 6.87%. Putting $2 in the Fortune circle with the $5 main bet holds 4.89%. Splitting the dollar between both has a house edge of 5.89%.
Binion’s and Four Queens Bonus Spin Blackjack
Binion’s and Four Queens once paid 3:2 on their Bonus Spin Blackjack games. In 2025, the payout was downgraded to 6:5. The tables are usually $6 with the forced side bet, but can be $11 during busy hours. The house edge at $6 is 5.5%. It drops to 3.91% at $11.
Bonus Spin Double Up Blackjack
In April 2026, Vegas Advantage discovered $6 Double Up Blackjack at Binion’s. It pays 3:2. However, like so many other games listed here, the $1 Bonus Spin side bet is required. The house advantage is 4.1% when playing the game perfectly. However, the strategy of this game is unusual and requires studying to perfect it. The same game is available near the bar for $10 without the side bet. It only holds 0.32% with perfect play, according to Wizard of Odds.
Bonus Spin Blackjack at Fremont
Fremont’s 6:5 Bonus Spin Blackjack moves down to sixth place this year. Its $10 plus a $1 mandatory side bet has a 3.91% house edge at the $11 minimum bet.
Downtown Grand and Oyo $1 blackjack
Downtown Grand and Oyo have $1 even money blackjack. The house edge at the minimum bet is 2.92%. The Downtown Grand tables pay 6:5 on a $5 bet. However, you can play $10 3:2 blackjack there, so there is no reason to do that. At Oyo, the even-money tables pay that at any bet amount. You can play 3:2 for $5 there. While Vegas Advantage saw this $1 game at Downtown Grand on April 3, 2026, there are reports that it is being phased out.
6/5 Free Bet Blackjack
About 100 Las Vegas Free Bet Blackjack tables pay 6:5. The game has a house edge of 2.4%. You can find 3:2 Free Bet Blackjack in downtown Las Vegas and several locals casinos like M Resort, Virgin, and Silverton. You can also play $50 3/2 Free Bet Blackjack in the salons at Flamingo and Harrah’s.
These casinos always have better games
Players are not forced to play these carnival blackjack games. Each casino listed has a much better blackjack game available. Walk past the forced side bet tables until you find a 3:2 game or a better variant than one that forces players to make a side bet to receive a hand.
You can also play craps or some poker pit games instead of blackjack. The craps Pass Line and Don’t Pass hold about the same as a good blackjack game when taking full odds. Games like Ultimate Texas Hold’em have a house edge under 1% when accounting for raises.
