Craps Casinos in New Zealand: Rules and Online Play

Updated October 2026

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A practical guide to the shooter, come-out roll, Pass Line bets, table formats and checks to make before online play.

How a Craps Table Works

A craps table can look busy before you know what to watch. There are players gathered along its sides, a dealer crew behind the layout, dice moving across the felt and betting areas marked with names that may be unfamiliar. You do not need to understand every marking to follow the basic shape of the game. Start with three things: the shooter, the dice and the Pass Line.

The shooter is the player whose turn it is to roll. At a live table, that player takes the dice and sends them across the playing surface so they reach the far end. The role passes between players as the game goes on. Being the shooter does not mean controlling the result: the dice determine what happens, and a player’s choice of bet determines which results matter to that wager.

Craps uses two dice. Their faces show the numbers from one to six, and the table considers the total shown after a roll. That total is what players follow. The individual dice matter because together they produce the result, but most bets are tied to the combined total rather than to one die on its own.

The layout is the table’s map. It has spaces for different wagers, with the Pass Line running along the near edge in front of the players. The dealer crew manages the table, handles the dice and keeps track of the action. At a live table, players generally place their own chips in the marked area for the wager they want. If you are unsure where a bet belongs, asking the dealer before placing it is clearer than trying to interpret a crowded layout while the game is moving.

The Pass Line as a starting point

The Pass Line is a common central wager in craps. It lets you back the shooter’s overall effort, rather than choosing a particular total for a single roll. That makes it a useful way to understand the table’s structure: you place a wager in a clearly marked area, the shooter rolls, and the result is judged according to the rules for that bet.

The bet is not a prediction that the shooter will roll a particular number every time. It concerns the sequence of play, so a single roll does not always settle it. The details of how the opening roll affects the wager, and what can happen after that, are important parts of craps but are best understood as separate stages. For now, it is enough to recognise the Pass Line as a wager tied to the shooter’s turn and to know where it sits on the layout.

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A Pass Line wager also has a mathematical cost built into the game: its house edge is approximately 1.41%. That figure describes the casino’s advantage over a large number of plays, not a prediction of what will happen in one session or on one roll. It does not make a particular result more likely for you at the table. It is simply one measure of the bet’s long-run terms.

What to watch at the table

When you are new to a casino craps game, it can help to keep your attention on the shooter and the dice rather than trying to read every betting area at once. Notice where the shooter receives the dice, how they roll toward the far end, and how the dealer crew responds to the result. The layout may seem like a collection of choices, but you can follow the main action without placing a wager on every part of it.

The Pass Line area is a useful visual anchor. If you see players placing chips there, they are making that type of wager. Other marked spaces relate to other bets, each with its own rules. Their presence does not mean you need to use them. A crowded craps table may have several conversations and wagers happening around the same roll, but each player’s chips represent that player’s own choices.

There is also a difference between being involved in the action and being the shooter. You can place a Pass Line bet without holding the dice, and the shooter can roll while other players watch or make their own decisions. This shared setup is part of what makes craps feel more social than many casino table games, while the result remains tied to the dice rather than to a player’s skill at throwing them.

If you are looking for a simple way to orient yourself, identify the shooter, follow the dice to the far end of the table, then locate the Pass Line on the layout. Those basics are enough to make the table easier to read before you consider the rules behind each stage. They also help separate the spectacle of a busy craps table from the quieter decision in front of you: which wager, if any, you want your chips to represent.

What Happens on a Come-Out Roll

The come-out roll is the opening roll for a Pass Line bet. It decides whether that bet is settled straight away or whether the table moves into a point phase. The result is read from the total of the dice, and the Pass Line has a clear outcome for each possible total.

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A total of seven or eleven wins the Pass Line bet immediately. There is no point to establish in either case, so the shooter does not need to roll again to settle that wager. If the total is two, three or twelve, the Pass Line bet loses on the opening roll. Those results also end the decision for that bet without creating a point.

Any other total becomes the point. At that moment, the come-out roll has not won or lost the Pass Line bet; instead, it has set the condition that will decide it later. The table has moved into a different phase, and the Pass Line wager remains unresolved. The specific follow-through after a point is set is a separate part of the hand.

This is why the come-out roll matters even when it does not produce an immediate win or loss. It can settle the wager at once, or it can establish a point that gives the next phase its purpose. When you are learning what craps is in a casino, this opening decision is a useful anchor: first identify whether the total is an immediate Pass Line result or a point.

For a quick read, keep the outcomes grouped by what they do:

• Seven or eleven: the Pass Line bet wins.
• Two, three or twelve: the Pass Line bet loses.
• Any other total: that number becomes the point.

The grouping is more useful than trying to memorise every possible combination of dice. You only need to compare the total with these three categories. A total that is not in either immediate-result group does not mean the roll has been missed or that the bet has been settled; it marks the start of the point phase.

For instance, if the opening total is a number other than seven, eleven, two, three or twelve, that number is the point. The Pass Line bet is still in play, but the come-out decision is over. That distinction helps prevent a common beginner’s mix-up: the point is neither an automatic win nor an automatic loss. It is the result the table will use in the next phase.

The same distinction matters when watching casino craps online or at a physical table. The opening roll is not just another roll in an ongoing sequence: it determines whether the Pass Line wager ends immediately or continues under a point. If you are following the action, first note that this is the come-out roll, then check the total and identify which of the three outcomes applies.

A new roll does not change what the opening total meant. If it created a point, the Pass Line bet has entered the point phase; if it produced one of the immediate results, that bet has already been decided. Keeping those outcomes separate makes the game easier to follow without confusing the opening roll with what happens afterward.

How to Follow a Pass Line Bet from Start to Finish

Once a point has been established, the Pass Line bet is no longer decided by the next roll alone. The shooter continues throwing the dice, and the result that matters is whether the point appears again before a seven. That sequence is the heart of following a Pass Line wager through the rest of a hand.

You can think of the point as a target the shooter is trying to reach. The table marks it so players and dealers can keep track. From then on, each roll is read against that target: a repeat of the point settles the Pass Line bet in the shooter’s favour; a seven before the point settles it against the bet. Other results do not decide the Pass Line wager, so play continues.

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When the point appears again

If the shooter rolls the point before a seven, the Pass Line bet wins. The dealer pays the winning wager according to the table’s procedure, and the point phase ends. You do not need to predict how many rolls it will take. The key is the order of the two decisive outcomes: the point must come first.

At a physical table, watch for the dealer to acknowledge the result and clear or change the point marker. That moment tells you the wager has been settled. If you are still learning how to play casino craps, it helps to follow the marker and the dealer’s actions rather than trying to track every player’s bets at once.

The shooter may continue playing after the point has been made, but that does not keep the settled Pass Line bet active. A new Pass Line wager belongs to a new come-out roll. Keep those stages separate: first, the point is established; then the table waits for the point or seven; once either appears, that Pass Line decision is over.

When a seven appears first

If the shooter rolls a seven before repeating the point, the Pass Line bet loses. The point phase ends, and the shooter’s turn is over. This result is often called “seven-out” at the table. The name describes the end of that turn; it does not mean that the same bet remains in play for another attempt.

The dealer collects losing Pass Line wagers, then the table prepares for the next shooter and a fresh come-out roll. If you have a bet on the line, check whether it has been cleared before placing anything else. It is easy to confuse a wager that has just been decided with one intended for the next hand, particularly when several players are betting at the same time.

Rolls that do not settle the bet

A roll that is neither the point nor a seven does not end the Pass Line decision. The shooter rolls again, and the same condition still applies: the point has to come before a seven. There is no need to treat every roll as a new hand or assume that a different result has changed the target.

This is useful when you are watching a live game or a digital table. Keep your attention on the point and the next roll, rather than reading meaning into a sequence of unrelated results. A roll that leaves the bet unresolved is simply part of the ongoing point phase.

If the shooter makes the point, the Pass Line wager wins. If a seven appears first, it loses. Until one of those outcomes occurs, the bet remains unresolved. That straightforward rule is more useful than trying to guess whether the next throw is “due” to be a particular result; earlier rolls do not change what must happen for this wager to be decided.

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Keeping track of your own wager

Before the next roll, make sure you know which bet you are following. At a crowded table, other players may have wagers in several areas, and the dealer may be handling them at the same time. Your Pass Line bet is the one placed on the Pass Line area; its outcome follows the point-and-seven sequence, not the outcome of every other wager on the layout.

If you are unsure whether the point has been set or whether a result has settled your bet, pause and ask the dealer before adding or moving a wager. That is a practical way to avoid treating an unresolved bet as finished or placing a new bet when you meant to leave the next hand alone.

Following a Pass Line bet from start to finish comes down to recognising the point phase and waiting for its deciding result. The shooter repeats the point first and the bet wins; a seven arrives first and the bet loses. If neither has appeared, the decision is still pending.

Craps Rules and the Bets That Shape Your Strategy

The rules of craps determine when a wager is settled, but the house edge helps show what a bet costs over repeated play. It is a statistical measure of the casino’s long-term advantage, not a prediction of what will happen in a particular hand. A bet can win in the short term even when its house edge is positive.

For a Pass Line wager, that edge is roughly 1.41%. The Don’t Pass option is slightly lower, at around 1.36%. The difference is narrow, so it should not be treated as a reliable way to make a session profitable. Don’t Pass also takes the opposing side of the shooter’s result, which some players may not enjoy; the choice is partly about how you want to play, not just the figures.

A Pass Line wager can also be accompanied by an odds bet once a point has been established. This is a separate amount placed behind the original bet, and it is returned according to the table’s rules if the point is made. Unlike the Pass Line wager, the odds portion carries no house edge. That does not remove the edge on the original bet: the base wager still has its own expected cost, while the added odds wager does not add a built-in casino advantage of its own.

This distinction matters when considering how much to stake. Adding odds changes the total amount exposed, even though the odds bet itself is fair in house-edge terms. It is not a way to guarantee a win or to improve the result of the base bet after a loss. The Pass Line and odds portions should be understood as separate wagers with different mathematical properties.

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For a Kiwi punter comparing casino craps rules and strategy, the useful starting point is not a promise of a winning system. It is knowing which part of a wager has a house edge and which does not. The Pass Line and Don’t Pass bets both give the casino a small long-run advantage; odds behind a Pass Line bet do not. Those figures describe probability across many outcomes, not certainty over your next roll. Choose a stake with that distinction in mind, and do not assume that a lower edge means a bet is risk-free.

A Beginner’s First Bets at the Craps Table

If you are learning how to bet craps at a casino, keep your first decision simple: choose a Pass Line bet and watch how it is handled. It gives you a clear point of reference while you learn the table’s rhythm, without needing to sort through a crowded layout of side bets.

Before placing anything, take a moment to observe. Notice where the Pass Line area is and how players signal their bets. If you are unsure where your chips should go, ask the dealer before putting them down. Table customs can vary, so follow the dealer’s directions rather than reaching across the layout or moving a wager once the dice are in play.

A Pass Line wager is placed before the shooter’s opening roll. The result either settles the bet at once or establishes a point, which keeps the first wager relatively easy to follow. You do not have to be the shooter to bet. If you are invited to roll, listen to the dealer and handle the dice as directed; otherwise, you can learn by watching another player’s turn.

For a first session, decide in advance what you can afford to lose and use the same base bet rather than changing it in response to each result. A specialist review has suggested a session bankroll of 20–50 times the base bet, but that is one source’s guidance, not a rule or a guarantee that the money will last. Your own spending limit matters more than matching a suggested amount.

Keep the wager modest enough that you can follow the action without feeling pressure to act quickly. Avoid adding unfamiliar bets just because other players do. If you cannot explain what a wager does, leave it alone until you have checked the rules with the dealer. A quieter start makes it easier to notice when a bet is placed, what event decides it and when the next turn begins.

Set a stop-loss, along with deposit and session limits before you play, and take a break if the table starts to feel frustrating. Do not raise your bet to chase losses. If you have a large win, the operator may carry out checks, and the Inland Revenue Department may take an interest. That possibility is worth bearing in mind before treating a win as ready-to-spend money.

Craps Tips for Keeping a Session Under Control

A session plan is useful before the dice start moving, because decisions made while you are frustrated or excited can be harder to judge. Decide what you can afford to lose, how long you intend to play and what would make you stop. Treat those choices as boundaries, not targets you need to reach.

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Set a bankroll and limits in advance

Keep gambling money separate from funds needed for bills, food or other essentials. Set deposit and session limits before you begin, and choose a stop-loss: the point at which you will leave rather than put in more money. If you reach it, stop for the session. Do not move the boundary because the next roll feels likely to change things.

A specialist affiliate review suggests a session bankroll of 20–50 times the base bet. That is one review’s guideline, not a guarantee of how long a bankroll will last or a requirement for every player. Your own affordable amount matters more than matching a suggested multiple. If the base bet makes a session feel financially uncomfortable, reduce the planned stake or do not play.

Stick to a pre-set staking plan

Choose a stake you can maintain without needing a win to justify it. Keep it steady rather than raising it after a loss. Chasing losses by increasing bets can put more money at risk without making a favourable result more likely. A run of poor outcomes does not create a debt the dice must repay.

It can help to decide in advance whether you will stop after reaching your loss boundary or after the session time you set. Avoid extending play simply because you are close to winning back what you lost. The same applies after a good run: a larger balance is not a reason to abandon your plan.

Pause after a cold streak

Take a break after a cold streak, especially if you notice irritation, urgency or a growing urge to change your stakes. Step away from the table and give yourself time to settle before deciding whether to continue. If you cannot return without wanting to recover losses, end the session.

Use self-exclusion tools if gambling is becoming difficult to control. They can help create distance when personal limits are no longer enough. You can also contact Gambling Helpline NZ or the Problem Gambling Foundation for support; asking for help does not require waiting until the situation feels severe.

Keep checks and bonuses in view

A large win may lead an operator to carry out checks, and it may attract IRD interest. Keep records and respond to any requested verification rather than assuming a withdrawal will be immediate.

Read bonus terms before accepting an offer. Bonuses may exclude craps or restrict bet sizes to NZ$5 while wagering requirements apply. If those conditions do not fit your planned stakes, declining the bonus can be simpler than changing your play to satisfy them.

Dice, Live Tables and Online Craps Formats

Online craps can look quite different depending on how the dice are generated and how the table is presented. The main distinction is between a live-dealer table, where a camera shows a physical game in progress, and a digital version, where the result is produced by software and displayed on screen.

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At a live casino craps table, a dealer or other staff member manages the game while a camera shows the dice being rolled. You follow the action through a video stream and use on-screen controls to place bets. The layout may resemble a land-based table, but the view is mediated by the camera: you see the areas and activity the broadcast makes available, rather than standing beside the table. Stream quality and the way the interface presents the action can affect how easy it is to follow.

Digital craps has no live dice roll to watch. Instead, the game presents each result through a software interface, often using an animated table or dice. This can make the pace and display feel more consistent, but it is a different experience from seeing physical dice rolled by a dealer. Check the game’s information panel to understand how its results are generated and what controls are available; do not assume that an animated presentation means the dice are physical.

Some online tables are designed for interaction with a live dealer, while others are built for individual play against a digital game. The interface may show a betting layout, a history of recent rolls or prompts for the next action. Those features help you navigate the screen, but a record of past results does not indicate what the next roll will be.

For a Kiwi punter, the format affects the feel of play more than the basic purpose of the game. Live play offers a view of a real table and its dealer-led pace; a digital option may feel more direct and screen-based. Either way, the display is not a substitute for understanding the rules or keeping track of what you have wagered.

Offshore online craps sites remain accessible to people in New Zealand, so you may encounter these formats through remote services. Accessibility alone does not tell you how a particular game works or whether its presentation suits you. Before starting, take time to inspect the rules and interface, and make sure you can clearly see the bet selection and the result of each roll. If the layout is confusing, pause rather than placing a wager you do not understand.

Craps Odds and Bonus Conditions to Check

A Pass Line wager and an odds bet are treated differently in the maths of craps. The Pass Line carries a house edge of approximately 1.41%, while an odds bet placed behind it has no house edge. That does not make the combined wager risk-free: the original Pass Line bet still has its own edge, and both parts of your stake can be lost if the hand goes against you.

The odds portion is a separate wager, not a way to remove the house edge from the Pass Line. Before adding it, check how the table calculates and pays odds, and make sure you understand how much of your bankroll is exposed. Clear rules matter more than a larger potential payout, especially when the stake includes more than one bet.

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A craps casino bonus can add another layer of conditions. A promotion may exclude craps altogether, or allow the game while restricting the size of bets that count towards wagering requirements. The permitted bet may be capped at NZ$5 during that period. If you place a larger wager, it might not contribute as you expect; depending on the terms, it could also affect your eligibility for the promotion.

Read the bonus rules before opting in or placing a bet. Look specifically for named game exclusions, maximum bet clauses, and wording about which wagers count. Check whether the restriction applies while you are clearing the bonus, and whether the casino treats odds bets differently from the Pass Line wager. If the terms are unclear, ask the operator for an explanation before risking money. Do not assume that a bet is eligible just because the game is available.

Promotional funds can make a session feel less costly, but they do not change the underlying probabilities. Keep bonus play separate from your ordinary staking decisions, and do not raise a bet to meet a condition. If a promotion makes the rules hard to follow, declining it may be the clearer choice.

Finally, keep records of deposits, wagers and withdrawals. A large win may prompt operator checks and may attract interest from the IRD, so be prepared to provide information if requested. Read the conditions with the same care you give the table rules: a bonus is only useful if you understand what it allows and what it restricts.

Online Craps in New Zealand: Access and Licensing Framework

For a Kiwi punter, the key distinction is between where an online craps service is based and where its customers live. New Zealand residents may use offshore gambling sites, but that does not mean the operator is located or licensed in New Zealand. Under the Gambling Act 2003, remote interactive gambling operators cannot be physically based here. Domestic online casinos were prohibited under that law.

The rules have since begun to change. The Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 came into force on 1 May 2026 and created New Zealand’s first domestic licensing system for online casino gambling. It does not mean that every offshore site is now locally licensed. The change is being phased in, and the full licensing regime is not expected to be operating until 2027.

What the transition means

The Act provides a transition from 1 May 2026 to 1 December 2026. Online casinos that were already serving people in New Zealand before the Act came into force may continue during that period, subject to the transitional rules. Providers that have not applied for a licence must stop offering online casino gambling in New Zealand by 1 December 2026. If an application is declined, the provider must leave the market rather than continue operating here.

This transitional arrangement is not a reason to assume that a site has a New Zealand licence. Before the new law, offshore online casino gambling was not licensed or supervised by a New Zealand regulator. Customers using those services did not have domestic government recourse if a dispute arose. The new framework changes the regulatory position over time, but it is still important to distinguish a provider’s offshore status from a New Zealand licence.

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New Zealand residents are permitted to gamble on offshore sites, while operators cannot be physically located in New Zealand. That distinction concerns the operator’s location and legal status; it does not make every offshore service locally regulated. Check what the site says about its licensing and how it handles identity checks, anti-money-laundering requirements and payouts. Large wins may lead to further checks by an operator and may attract the Inland Revenue Department’s interest. Recreational gambling winnings are generally tax-free, but that does not rule out scrutiny in every circumstance.

Who oversees the framework?

The Department of Internal Affairs is New Zealand’s primary gambling regulator and oversees the online casino licensing framework. The Gambling Commission has a separate licensing role: it hears and decides casino licence applications, issues online casino licences, and approves changes to licence conditions. These roles are related, but not interchangeable. A reference to the Department’s wider regulatory responsibilities is not, by itself, proof that a particular site has been granted a licence.

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For a player comparing online craps options, the practical question is therefore not only whether a site can be reached from New Zealand. You also need to understand whether it is operating under the transitional provisions or has obtained the relevant licence once the licensing system is in place. A website’s own claims are not a substitute for checking its status through appropriate official information.

The licensing change also sets boundaries for providers. A provider that fails to apply by the end of the transition must cease operating in New Zealand, and a provider whose application is rejected must exit the market. Those rules concern operators, not the physical location of the customer. They are intended to establish domestic oversight of online casino gambling, rather than to turn offshore access into evidence of local approval.

If you choose to gamble online, keep the legal distinction clear: residents may access offshore sites, but an offshore operator is not thereby based in New Zealand or covered by a New Zealand licence. During the transition, the status of an individual provider depends on its circumstances under the Act. Checking that status and the site’s player-protection procedures can help you understand what safeguards apply before you deposit or play.

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Published by the Casino Payment Info NZ team.