The 98.94% RTP is the banker bet - the lowest-house-edge wager in baccarat at about 1.06%. Player bet returns slightly less; the Tie is a trap. There are no decisions to make, the cards decide. Like all live tables, baccarat usually counts little or nothing toward bonus wagering - check the terms.
/go/Reviewed by Tobias Lindqvist - 1 September 2026. CrownPlay's live baccarat runs on Evolution tables, dealt by a real croupier on a live stream. It is the game with the least to do: you back the Banker, the Player, or the Tie, the cards are drawn to fixed rules, and there is nothing for you to decide once the bet is down.
The 98.94% is the banker bet - and only that
That RTP figure is specific to the Banker wager, which carries the lowest house edge in baccarat at roughly 1.06%. The Banker bet wins slightly more often than Player, which is exactly why the casino charges a 5% commission on Banker wins - that commission is baked into the 1.06% edge already. Bet Player and the edge sits a little higher, around 1.24%; the RTP drops accordingly.
The Tie is where returns collapse. It pays a tempting 8:1 (sometimes 9:1), but the house edge on it runs to roughly 14% or worse depending on the table. The 98.94% number does not apply to it - not remotely. If you came for the low-edge game, the Tie is not that game.
Three bets, three very different maths
| Bet | Payout | House edge | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banker | 1:1 (less 5% commission) | ~1.06% | The 98.94% RTP bet |
| Player | 1:1 | ~1.24% | Close second, no commission |
| Tie | 8:1 (or 9:1) | ~14%+ | Avoid - the edge is brutal |
No strategy, just a stream
Baccarat has no decisions after you place your bet - the third-card rules are fixed and the croupier applies them. That makes it the simplest game on CrownPlay's live floor and, on the Banker bet, one of the sharpest. The table streams from Evolution the same way the studio's other games do; you can read how that live floor is built under live dealer providers. The C$30 minimum deposit that opens any table applies here too.
Baccarat and bonus wagering
Do not plan to clear a bonus on baccarat. Slots count 100% toward wagering; live baccarat usually counts little or nothing. The exact contribution is not published in our sources, so treat it as low or excluded and confirm it in-account. Low-house-edge games like this are the ones casinos most often bar from clearing bonuses, precisely because the edge is so thin. If you claim the welcome bonus - wagered at a reported 35x or 40x depending on the source - the banker bet may do nothing to move it.
Pros
- Banker bet returns 98.94% (~1.06% edge) - among the best on the floor
- No decisions after the bet; fixed third-card rules do the work
- Real Evolution croupier and live stream, not RNG
- Player bet is a close second at ~1.24% edge, no commission
Cons
- 98.94% applies only to Banker; Player returns less
- The Tie bet's edge runs to ~14%+ - the 8:1 payout is bait
- 5% commission on Banker wins is already priced into the edge
- Low-edge games are often the first excluded from bonus wagering
How it compares
On the Banker bet, baccarat sits just behind blackjack (99.29% with perfect play) and ahead of roulette (97.30%) for player-friendly maths - with none of blackjack's strategy demands. The full casino context, banking and licensing is in the home review.