the house always wins
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Sense 1
In a casino, all gambling is designed so that the house (i.e. the casino owners) will always net a profit, regardless of the successes of individual patrons.
Examples
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Sense 2
A given system is designed to net a profit for, or benefit, some (specified or implied) people.
Hệ thống được thiết kế để mang lại lợi nhuận cho một số người
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Sense 3
In a given system or situation, over a long enough timescale, a particular (specified or implied) outcome is inevitable.
Trong một hệ thống hoặc tình huống, kết quả nhất định sẽ xảy ra sau một thời gian đủ dài
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “the house always wins” mean?
In a casino, all gambling is designed so that the house (i.e. the casino owners) will always net a profit, regardless of the successes of individual patrons.
Is “the house always wins” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.