Risk of ruin: will your bankroll survive?

"Risk of ruin" is the chance you lose your whole bankroll before you quit. It's the number every gambler feels but never calculates. Set your bankroll, bet and the house edge below, then run thousands of sessions and watch how often the edge wins. Free, no signup, no real money.

What risk of ruin actually tells you

Three things drive your risk of ruin: the house edge (a negative drift on every bet), your bet size relative to bankroll (bigger bets = fewer mistakes before zero), and variance (how wild the swings are). Lowering any of them buys you time — but none of them makes ruin go away. With a negative edge, the expected-value line slopes down forever, so the longer you play, the closer your risk of ruin creeps to 100%. The only bet that can't ruin you is the one with a non-negative edge, and casinos don't offer those. That's the whole point of EV Lab: see the drift, feel the variance, risk nothing real.

FAQ

What is risk of ruin?

The probability you lose your entire bankroll before reaching a goal or a set number of bets. It grows with the house edge, with larger bets relative to bankroll, and with higher variance.

How do I lower my risk of ruin?

Bet smaller relative to your bankroll, pick lower-variance bets, and play fewer bets. Each only delays ruin — with a house edge above 0%, enough play makes ruin a near-certainty.

Does a bigger bankroll make me safe?

It buys time, not safety. A negative edge compounds with every wager, so a bigger bankroll just takes longer to grind down. Try doubling the bankroll below and watch the ruin rate fall but never hit zero.