Return to player (RTP) refers to the average percentage of money paid back to players over time for a casino game. For example, a slot machine with a 90% RTP will pay out $90 for every $100 wagered on it on average. The average RTP across all slot machines is about 95.5%. Yet, there are slot out there with lower and much higher RTPs.
What is Considered a Good RTP for Slot Machines
A good RTP for slots is 97% or higher. Slots provide a chance to win big jackpots with small wagers, but the odds are typically worse than table games. A good RTP for blackjack and other table games is 98.5% or better – some blackjack variants even offer 99.8%. While rare, some slot machines have an RTP as high as 98%.
Why Slot Machine RTP Matters
The RTP sets reasonable expectations for players. If you want the best odds to retain money, choose slots with a higher RTP percentage. If you just want to win large payouts, pick slots with the biggest progressive jackpots. The RTP represents how much the game pays back over many plays – it does not guarantee what any one player will win or lose.
When RTP Does Not Matter
Sometimes, a slot may have a high RTP, but you don’t enjoy the gameplay. Likewise, here may be a software provider that offers high RTP slot games, but you are not keen on the developer’s style of slot. Or it could just be certain high RTP slots are not your bag. Therefore, if you want to put entertainment above RTP, this is when RTP does not matter.
Another instance where RTP may not matter to you is if you are only playing for low stakes and you have a set budget with a bet sizing strategy and plan on a certain number of spins per day. Once you reach your spins total, you log off. In this case, you are simply playing slots you like without any concern for the RTP the game offers.
RTP vs Volatility for Slot Machines
While RTP refers to the average long term payback, volatility indicates how frequently a slot pays out. Low volatility slots pay out smaller wins more often. High volatility slots pay out less frequently but the wins are larger. Neither volatility nor RTP guarantee what will happen in a short session. Especially with slot that have high variance/volatility because these games take several spins, and sometimes several sessions before the big wins start rolling in on your spin bets begin to pay off.
Finding the RTP for a Slot Machine
For online slots, the easiest way to find the RTP is to check the game’s information section. If it’s not shown directly, search the game’s name plus RTP to find the percentage. Reputable online casinos like Golden Nugget clearly display the RTP percentage for all games. So you can easily compare RTP across slots and choose those with better odds. You can also check on sites that review online slots and offer demoslots giving you free play.
The review will generally tell you the RTP of the slot game. You can also sift through several software providers and play slots for free to test them out and practice searching for the RTP. For example, you can play slot demo PG games for free, however, you will not find the RTP on the slot itself, but you will find the RTP from the slot review site because they usually have inside information directly from the slot developer.
Slot with Varying RTPs
Although most software providers will provide online casinos with a fixed RTP, some give the casino a choice of RTPs. This isn’t an issue as long as the casino is transparent and provides an RTP version of the online slot in their lobbies. However, not all casinos do this. Casinos under certain regulatory authorities, such as the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) and Malta Gaming Commission (MGA), will display the RTP of a slot somewhere on the game.
However, other licensing authorities and casinos with no licensing decide whether or not they will divulge this information. Sometimes, you will need to visit the software provider’s website itself. Some have a single RTP version of the game, while others, like Quickspin, have multiple RTP versions of their game.
How to Use RTP to Guide Your Online Casino Gameplay
It is down to you whether you want to put RTP above enjoyment. There are tens of thousands of online slots, so you will surely find games that offer both enjoyment and a high RTP. However, you also don’t want to find yourself trapped playing at online casinos that will choose or use only games with the lowest RTP.
Although it is rare for a casino to do this, some out there do not use software providers that offer games that will turn over a low profit. However, before you overthink RTP, ensure you understand exactly how RTP works by researching further into the topic. At the same time, take into consideration slot volatility to avoid confusion. For instance, when a high RTP slot is not paying out, it is usually simply because it has a high volatility rating.
