About RTP – Return to Player at Online Casinos

Lukas

Anyone who has looked online for casino slots has probably come across the abbreviation RTP.

RTP, a.k.a return to player refers to the slot machine's payout percentage.

Though a statistical number, RTP can be an incredibly powerful tool for figuring out which slots might be the best for your gambling taste.

Not all slots are equal and RTP is one of the distinguishing mechanics that might change everything for gamblers.

In this post, we'll explain how the return to player works and why you should care about this number.

What Is Return to Player?

Each casino game has a specific return percentage or a built-in house edge, no matter if gambling online or in a brick and mortar casino.

RTP describes the amount of money the machine will pay back to players over time.

The higher the percentage, the more the game will pay out.

For the highest payoff, players would obviously like to pick the game with the highest RTP.

However, RTP shouldn't be taken as a guaranteed statistical calculation for your game session's payouts.

Players need to keep in mind that casino games may include huge jackpots (in progressive video slots) or you might just hit a long losing streak.

RTP doesn't consider these situations.

In reality, RTP is the average evaluation that's based on millions of spins, so it determines the average gameplay possibilities.

However, since players make far fewer spins, you might not even realize the RTP.

If a slot machine's return to player is 95% and you spend $100, you should statistically only lose $5 (and thus, the game would return $95 to you).

But that's not how it works.

You may easily lose everything or, instead, win money, so you wouldn't even lose the $5.

Though it might seem as if this makes RTP quite pointless, that's not really the case.

While you might not feel RTP during your gameplay, you will most likely feel the RTP difference when playing different slots.

If you want a slot machine with higher payouts, then it's wise to pick slots with a higher RTP.

Frequency of return to players wins

The RTP on any slot or casino game does not tell the player how often they can expect to win.

A slot machine with a payout of low frequency might pay out once in ten spins on average.

Another low-frequency slot may pay out once every three spins on an average.

The whole point is that a machine with higher win frequencies may pay out a bit more often but the amounts are smaller.

The slot machines that have the lower win frequencies usually pay out in larger amounts, but less often.

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Fair Payouts

Casino game statistics are not easy to understand.

Players need to understand that thousands of events occur while playing the slots.

They can be assured that the numbers or pictures coming up on each spin is random.

Random number generators control all the spins and make sure that each spin is unbiased and random.

You have the same chance of winning a jackpot each and every spin because random number generators remain fair for each spin.

One myth that seems to be said about online slots is that the slots pay out in regular intervals but that's not true.

Slots do not know when they have paid out a big win or a huge jackpot – every spin is independent of each other.

If you have just hit a big payout, you still could hit another one right away.

Each spin gives the player the exact same chances of winning a jackpot thanks to the random number generators.

Players that are regular online casino players and love the slots know how to look for the RTP of each machine.

They cannot learn all the programming that goes into the internal slot machines, but they can look for the RTP given on each game.

RTP is always written in the game rules or somewhere else publicly – this gives the player a sense of trusting the online casino.

We all know slots are based on luck but if you'd like to be a little more strategic with your gambling, make sure to start checking out the RTP as one of your main considerations before choosing where to place your bets.

Lukas

the author

Lukas

the author

Lukas

Head of Content

Head of Content

Lukas Mollberg, 41, is an industry veteran with over 20 years in the iGaming sector, currently leading as the Head of Content at BestBonus.co.nz. A stalwart since the early 2000s' Poker Boom, he specializes in affiliate marketing since 2016 and has authored around 300 comprehensive online casino reviews. Lukas's keen eye for detail ensures that no aspect—be it game selection, customer service, or bonuses—is overlooked. His work has become an authoritative resource for both new and seasoned online gamers, offering unbiased and reliable insights. Beyond professional achievements, Lukas brings a wealth of personal interests, like reading and travel, adding depth to his industry perspective.

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