How to Understand Slot RTP

Understanding Return to Player

Most casino players are familiar with house edge — the mathematical advantage the casino has over the player. House edge is how the casino makes its money, and you can loosely think of Return to Player as the inverse. 

Essentially, RTP is a measurement of how much a slot pays out over time compared to how much is wagered by players. It’s expressed as a percentage. Say you’re playing a slot with 95% RTP. That means for every £100 staked on the game, it’s designed to return £95 as winnings to players, on average over the long term.

Let’s look at another example — the ever-popular Starburst from NetEnt. This game has an RTP of 96.1%. Imagine a group of ten players each wagered £100 during their session, so £1,000 between them in total. 

Theoretically, around £961 would be paid back out as winnings. But that doesn’t mean each of those ten players will get a cut. In fact, they might not win anything at all and that £961 could be won by someone else later down the line. 

Nonetheless, slots with higher RTPs pay out more to players over the long run, so they’re often sought by players seeking the best value for money. To get the full picture of a slot’s payouts, it’s also important to consider its volatility — we’ll be covering that further down the page.

Typical Slot RTPs at Online Casinos

Now you know what RTP is and how it works, you can use it to seek out slots with the best payouts. But to do that, we need to define what ‘best’ is.

The majority of titles you’ll come across will hover somewhere in the 95–97% range. Some of the most popular slots make good examples:

• Gonzo’s Quest by NetEnt – 95.97% RTP
• Immortal Romance by Microgaming – 96.86% RTP
• Book of Dead by Play’n GO – 96.21% RTP
• Big Bass Bonanza by Pragmatic Play – 96.71% RTP

The rough benchmark for slots with high RTP is 98%. A few titles in this category include:

• Ugga Bugga by Playtech – 99.07% RTP
• Mega Joker by NetEnt – 99% RTP
• Ooh Aah Dracula by Barcrest – 99% RTP

A final consideration — many progressive jackpot slots have significantly lower RTPs, and that’s often a trade-off you’ll have to make if you want to play these titles. Mega Moolah, for example, has a rather meagre RTP of 88.12%.

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with playing a slot with low RTP either. The important thing is to enjoy yourself and to always gamble responsibly.

Understanding Slot Volatility

RTP is only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to slot payouts. You’ll also want to consider volatility, also known as variance. This is a rough indication of the types of payouts you can expect from a slot title:

• Low volatility slots tend to hit more frequently but in smaller amounts;
• Medium volatility slots offer a mix of big and small wins and moderate frequencies;
• High volatility slots tend to hit more sporadically but in larger amounts. Players may see long dry spells with these titles or win a large amount in their first couple of spins. 

Again, these aren’t hard and fast rules. As with all gambling, you’re never guaranteed or ‘due’ a win, no matter the volatility or RTP of a slot.

Unlike RTP, volatility isn’t published quite so often by slot developers. Thankfully, it’s not too hard to get a general sense by looking at the paytable. If you see a lot of low-paying symbols and just a few high-paying ones, the game likely has lower variance. That logic applies the other way too — the more high-paying symbols you see, the likelier it is the game is more volatile. 

There’s no right answer when it comes to choosing a slot based on volatility, and it mostly comes down to personal preference. You may want to consider your budget, the length of your session, and the types of wins you’d like to see. Some players might prefer a steady stream of small wins, while others might love the anticipation of hitting a bigger jackpot after a longer dry run.

Choosing the Right RTP and Volatility for Your Budget

While it’s a good idea to pick a slot based on the kinds of themes and features you enjoy, it can help to consider your budget too.

Volatility has the most impact here. Think about how long you’d like your session to last — perhaps in terms of spins — in comparison to your budget. 

If your betting bankroll is relatively low and you’d like to squeeze as many spins out of it as possible, a low variance game is probably a good choice. That’s because you’re more likely to land some smaller wins that top up your balance before your money runs out. 

Those with more money to spend might prefer a slot with higher volatility. With a larger budget, it’s easier to weather a streak of losing spins before hitting your limit. That said, even those with small budgets might opt for high variance slots when looking for a quick session with the chance of a sizable win.

When it comes to RTP, we’d generally advise players to go with higher numbers. As these slots pay out more in the long term, they tend to represent the best value for money. 

In any case, it’s vital you set your budget before you play and don’t exceed it. Never chase losses — you’re never due a win, no matter the volatility or RTP of a slot.