Do you know how casino RTP affects your wins? We’ve put together a quick primer on RTP values to help you understand how they impact your bottom line!

What does Return to Player (RTP) mean?

A return-to-player value indicates how much bet money will be returned to players over time. High RTP gambling translates to more money in your bankroll in the long run.

Volatility and RTP

Volatility and RTP might sound like the same thing, but they are very different concepts. One refers to how often you can expect to win a game while the other refers to how much money you can expect to win at a game over time.

‘Volatility’ refers to the unpredictability of the game, and typically refers to video slots. Is it a highly volatile slot with breathtaking ups and downs, or is it more predictable? In general, the higher the volatility, the fewer payouts’ players can expect. This is usually paired with more valuable bonus features to keep players coming back even when they don’t win much their first time around. 

Casino RTP, on the other hand, refers to how much money casinos return to players. If a slot’s RTP is 97%, for example, casinos theoretically return 97% of the money players spend on the game. Note that this does not mean you can expect to leave every session with at least 97% of the money you bet back in your pocket! RTP averages are calculated on a long-term, rather than per-session, basis. You might win a lot of money in one session and lose a lot in another. However, over time, you should average a 97% RTP. 

A highly volatile game can have either a low or a high player RTP. These terms measure different things and are not necessarily tied together. With that said, a highly volatile slot game is less likely to pay out as often as a much less volatile title. Ideally, you should see better RTPs on games with a lot of volatility to compensate for the lack of payout opportunities.

How do you calculate RTP?

Calculating casino RTP is simple in theory, but a bit less so in practice. The total amount of winnings a player receives, divided by their total bet amount, equals their RTP. Easy enough, right? 

Calculating casino RTP is simple in theory, but a bit less so in practice. The total amount of winnings a player receives, divided by their total bet amount, equals their RTP. Easy enough, right? 

Table games have RTPs too, although they are not quite as advertised as the slot machine payout percentage tends to be. Instead, you will most often see these percentages referenced as the ‘house edge’. The house edge is essentially the remainder of an RTP percentage. If a game has an RTP of 95%, for example, then the house edge is 5% to create a total of 100%. The RTP in blackjack, for example, is typically around 99%, which leaves 1% as the house edge. Similarly, the RTP in roulette, at least the European variant, is 97.3%, which equals a house edge of 2.7%.

Whenever you see the house edge, simply subtract it from 100 to find the RTP. 

What is a typical RTP?

Because RTP percentages range so wildly from one game to the next, it’s important to have a baseline to reference. In general, a common RTP in slots is somewhere between 96% and 97%. Slots with RTPs higher than this are quite rare but are worth considering if you come across one. Slots with RTPs lower than this are much more common, but make sure you understand up front that you could potentially win less of your money back over time. 

You can find RTP casino slots a few different ways. First, you can visit the game itself and take a look at its pay table. Click the ‘settings’ or ‘info’ button once the game loads for more information. Additionally, you might also find an explanation of the slot’s bonus features and symbols along with the pay table! 

The other way to find a slot machine RTP is to look up reviews before you play. There are many reviews online, and many will offer information about a game’s RTP. Whenever possible, however, you should get your RTP information directly from the high-payout casino at which you are playing. The numbers you find there will be the most accurate.

What is the RTP on casino slots?

The RTP on casino slots vary from game to game. The important thing to note here is that these figures are calculated on a long-term basis. This means that the slot machine RTP you find online is often theoretical, not actual. If you played the game nonstop for years, you might eventually reach the theoretical RTP. The actual RTP, on the hand, is the RTP players are experiencing over a shorter amount of time. 

As we mentioned briefly above, RTP and volatility are not inherently related. This means that there is no direct relationship, such as RTP always increasing along with volatility. However, it does not mean that one has no impact on the other. Volatility directly affects how often a slot pays out and, by extension, its actual RTP. Understand that when you see a highly volatile slot, the RTP listed is theoretical (unless otherwise stated) and you can expect a return-to-player of quite a bit less.

Choosing a high payout slot game

To maximize your chances of winning big, pick slots with favorable percentages. If the title has an RTP of less than 96%, for example, you might want to look elsewhere. This is because the lower a slot’s RTP, the less money you can expect to win back. Instead, look for slots with higher percentages to ensure that even if you do not hit a big win, you will make some money back. High RTP slots include:

• Mega Joker (99%)
• White Rabbit Megaways (97.7%)
• Blood Suckers (97.66%)

Are you interested in learning more about how RTP can vary from slot-to-slot? Join Resorts today to experience how RTP varies! We offer free demo play of the highest RTP slots on the market.