Key facts
- In a crash game a multiplier rises from 1x until it crashes at a random point. Cash out before the crash and you win your stake times the multiplier; wait too long and you lose it.
- Spribe, which makes Aviator, lists its RTP as 97%. If that applies whatever target you choose, the chance of reaching a multiplier m is 0.97 divided by m: 48.5% for 2x, 9.7% for 10x.
- So every cash-out target costs the same on average: 3 cents per dollar bet. Early cash-outs win more often and pay less; late ones win rarely and pay more.
- A Martingale at a 2x target loses seven rounds in a row about once in 104 tries in our calculation, and averages a 3% loss on everything it bets.
- Crash games are online casino-style games, which cannot legally be offered to people in Australia.
How crash games work
A crash game is a fast online gambling game built around one rising number. Spribe, the maker of Aviator, describes it as "an increasing curve that can crash anytime. When round starts, a scale of multiplier starts growing. Player must cash out before lucky plane flies away." Hacksaw Gaming's version of the pitch: watch the multiplier climb and cash out before it crashes, because "hold on too long and the round is lost".
A round goes like this:
- You place a bet before the round starts.
- The multiplier starts at 1x and climbs.
- You cash out whenever you like, and win your bet times the multiplier at that moment.
- At a random point the round crashes. Anyone still in loses their bet.
Some versions let you set a target in advance. In Hacksaw's Speed Crash and Limbo you enter a target multiplier between 1.05x and 10,000x; if the round's number reaches it, you are paid your target times your bet.
The maths: why every target costs the same
Spribe lists Aviator's return to player as 97%. If one RTP applies whichever cash-out point you choose, as a single published figure implies, the game has to be built so that:
chance of reaching multiplier m = 0.97 / m
That one line explains the whole game:
| Cash-out target | Chance of reaching it | Average return per $1 bet |
|---|---|---|
| 1.5x | 64.7% | 97 cents |
| 2x | 48.5% | 97 cents |
| 3x | 32.3% | 97 cents |
| 5x | 19.4% | 97 cents |
| 10x | 9.7% | 97 cents |
| 100x | 0.97% | 97 cents |
| 1,000x | 0.097% | 97 cents |
Every row returns the same 97 cents per dollar on average, so every row costs 3 cents per dollar. A low target wins often and pays little; a high target wins rarely and pays a lot. Neither changes the cost.
Aviator game strategy, tested
Players share many crash strategies. Here is what each one does under the maths above.
| Strategy | What it changes | What it does not change |
|---|---|---|
| Cash out early (1.2x to 1.5x) | Wins most rounds | The 3% average loss; the occasional instant crash wipes out several wins |
| Chase big multipliers | Bigger, rarer wins | The 3% average loss; long losing runs are normal |
| Auto cash-out | Removes hesitation | The odds of reaching the target |
| Two bets at different targets | Smooths the ride a little | Each bet still loses 3% on average |
| Martingale (double after a loss at 2x) | Many small wins, rare big losses | The 3% loss on every dollar bet |
| Watching previous rounds | Nothing | Each round is independent |
The Martingale deserves numbers. At a 2x target, a round fails 51.5% of the time. Starting at $1 and doubling after each loss for up to seven bets:
- You lose seven in a row about 0.96% of the time, roughly 1 in 104 tries, and lose $127.
- The rest of the time you win $1.
- Average result per try: minus 23 cents, which is exactly 3% of the $7.66 you bet on average.
It is the same trap as at the roulette table, where the edge is 2.70% instead of 3%; our roulette strategy guide has the full breakdown.
Pundit tip: pick your session limit before the first round, not your target multiplier. The target changes how the session feels; the limit decides what it costs.
The real risk: speed
At a 3% house edge, or 3 cents per dollar, a crash game costs less per dollar bet than the average Australian club or hotel pokie, which kept about 7.9 cents in 2024-25. The danger is how many dollars go through. Rounds are short and repeat continuously, and the screen shows other players cashing out big wins. Spribe lists in-game chat, "Live Bets" where "everyone can see how much other players are betting and winning", and a "Rain Promo" that drops free bets into the chat at random times.
As an illustration, at $2 a round and 60 rounds an hour, you bet $120 an hour and lose about $3.60 on average. Play 300 rounds and the same maths takes $18. The variance is wide too: at a 10x target, losing 20 rounds in a row happens about 13% of the time (0.903 to the power of 20). For how a game's spread affects a session, see our pokies volatility guide, which applies just as well here.
Crash games are not a skill game
The cash-out button makes crash games feel like a test of timing. It is not: the crash point is random, and no reaction speed changes it. The only real decisions are how much to bet, how many rounds to play and when to stop. How online games produce random results, and how they are tested, is covered in our random number generator guide. Plinko and mines are built the same way as crash games: a published RTP, a simple screen and very fast rounds.
Crash games in Australia
Crash games are online casino-style games. Under the Interactive Gambling Act, online casino games cannot legally be offered to people in Australia, and ACMA lists casino-style games among illegal online services. Spribe itself says the format "became popular in crypto casinos", none of which can be licensed here. Read are online pokies legal in Australia for what playing offshore means for your money, and see the casino games guide for how crash compares with traditional games.
Our partner sites
Terms checked 8 to 9 October 2026We earn a commission if you join through these links; it pays for the site and does not change the facts we show. Listed in no particular order. Every detail comes from the casino's own terms, except ACMA notes, which come from ACMA's blocked list. These are offshore casinos without an Australian licence, so BetStop and Australian dispute services do not cover them: read whether online pokies are legal in Australia and our affiliate disclosure.Commission links. Offshore sites with no Australian licence or BetStop cover: is it legal?
LuckyOnes
Partner · termsTerms checked 9 Oct 2026- Withdrawals
- AUD 6,000 a day
- Max bet (bonus)
- AUD 8
- Min deposit
- AUD 30
- Names no licence or operating company in its terms or footer
- luckyones.com, luckyones1.com and luckyones7.com are on ACMA's blocked list (8 Oct 2026)Main domain on ACMA's blocked list
Wild Tokyo
Partner · termsTerms checked 8 Oct 2026- Withdrawals (entry)
- AUD 800 a day
- Max bet (bonus)
- AUD 8
- Monthly cap (entry)
- AUD 13,000
- States a Curacao eGaming licence (no number shown)
18+ Offers and terms change often; the casino's own terms always apply. Never gamble money you need. Free help: Gambling Help 1800 858 858, 24/7.
Frequently asked questions
How do crash games work?
You place a bet before the round starts. A multiplier then climbs from 1x, and at a random moment the round crashes. If you cash out before the crash, you win your bet times the multiplier at that moment; if you are still in when it crashes, you lose your bet. Spribe describes Aviator as 'an increasing curve that can crash anytime'.
Is there an Aviator game strategy that works?
No strategy changes the average result. Spribe lists Aviator's RTP at 97%, which means about 3 cents of every dollar bet is lost on average. Cashing out early, late, with two bets or with auto cash-out only changes how often you win and how much, not the long-run cost.
What is the best multiplier to cash out at in crash games?
If the game's single RTP applies to every target, there is no best multiplier for value. At 2x you win about 48.5% of rounds; at 1.5x about 64.7%; at 10x about 9.7%. Each returns the same 97 cents per dollar on average.
Are crash games rigged?
They do not need to be. A crash game with a published RTP below 100% is built to lose players a fixed share of what they bet over time. The danger is speed and repetition rather than a hidden trick.
Are crash games legal in Australia?
Real money crash games are online casino-style games, and online casino games cannot legally be offered to people in Australia under the Interactive Gambling Act. Spribe itself says the format became popular in crypto casinos.
Related reading
Casino games Live game shows Live game shows are money wheels with a studio, a host and bonus rounds. The maker publishes the rules but, on the pages we read, not the return. Here is what the rules do tell you about the odds. Read more 
Casino games Roulette strategy Every roulette system promises to turn a losing game into a winning one. None can, and the maths shows exactly why. Here is what Martingale and the others really do to your money, and the choices that do matter. Read more 
Casino games Free Bet Blackjack Free doubles and free splits sound like the casino is giving money away. It is not: a dealer total of 22 becomes a push. Here is what that trade costs, and how the strategy changes when some of your money is free. Read more 
Casino games Online bingo Bingo is legal in clubs and community halls under state law, but real money bingo online is a different matter. Here is how the law treats it, what we could and could not find, and how your odds really work. Read more 
Casino games Mines In mines you uncover tiles, dodging hidden mines, and cash out whenever you like. It feels like a skill game. The maths says every cash-out point costs you the same 3% on average. Read more 
Casino games Plinko Plinko drops a ball through rows of pegs into a row of multipliers. The board looks random and fun; the real number to find is the RTP, which can range from 99% down to 88.20% for the same game. Read more Sources
Official pages we relied on. If anything here has changed, tell us via the contact page and we fix it.