Everything You Need to Know About RTP on Online Slots

Whether you play computer-generated online casino games that rely on RNGs (Random Number Generators) to produce the outcomes or state-of-the-art live dealer games that don’t use RNGs, each game has an average payout percentage rate, known as the RTP% (Return To Player) percentage payout rate.

Most games have an average payout rate of between 93.00% and 98.00%, but sometimes it can be lower and other times higher. Let’s dive straight in to discover everything there is to know about RTP and why it matters so much for some players. 

What is RTP, and why is it important for some players?

The RTP% payout rate in an online casino game tells us, in percentage form, roughly how much a game is expected to pay back. One of the main reasons why so many players consider a game’s RTP important is that mathematically speaking, high RTP slots will pay more than low RTP slots. 

However, the thing to remember about this is that although it’s an excellent strategy for playing online casino games, it doesn’t guarantee that you will win more playing on a high RTP slot. 

For example, there could be 1,000 players all playing the same slot as you are simultaneously. If the game has a 95.00% RTP payout rate, and players spend $/€/£1,000 on that game combined, the 95.00% RTP for that game tells us that it should pay back at least $/€/£950.00 in winnings. 

The remaining $/€/£50 (so the 5.00% house edge) would automatically go to the casino operator as revenue. However, you might not be one of those players who wins. 

In other words, winning at online casinos is still down to good old lady luck, although the results are, in fact, pre-determined by sophisticated Random Number Generator mathematical algorithm programs. Sometimes, you will win, and other times you will lose. 

Online slots with a 92.99% or low average RTP payout rate are considered to have a below-average payout rate, whereas slots with a 98.00% or higher payout rate are considered high RTP slots. Everything else in between is considered an average RTP payout rate. 

If you want to enjoy the highest RTP slot when you next play at your favourite online casino, the best thing to do would be to head to the game’s paytable for the latest RTP payout information. 

Stick to playing the slots with a 97.00% to 98.00% or higher RTP payout rate, and perhaps avoid playing ones with a 92.00% to 93.00% or lower RTP payout rate. I used to do this, especially when I first learned about the difference between low and high RTP slots, but I rarely do it these days. 

I tend just to try out a game because I like the look of it, and then if I enjoy playing, I will frequently play it, regardless of whether it has a low or high RTP payout rate. I’ve found that I win and lose just as much on both and that the RTP payout rate doesn’t really matter too much to me. 

How is the RTP% payout rate in an online casino game calculated?

It can be calculated by knowing how much players have spent on a game and how much they received back in winnings over a certain period, and it can also be calculated by internationally accredited third-party online casino testing agencies. 

Some of the most well-known online casino testing agencies that test games for their RTP rates and then publish their results them for everyone to see are the following trusted non-profit organisations:

• Technical Systems Testing (TST)
• eCOGRA (eCommerce Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance)
• Global Lab Limited

Others which my research has discovered are, in no particular order, iTech Global Pty Limited, BMM Testlabs, Gaming Laboratory International, and Quinel Ltd, to name a few – there are many more. 

Some of these testing agencies monitor online casinos in multiple major global iGaming jurisdictions, and others may only operate in one or two and test the games of just a handful of providers. 

They use their systems to play thousands, millions, or even billions of hands/rounds/spins in certain games using the same stake, and then over a certain period of time (say one month), the number of wins they had in that time can tell us the average RTP% payout rate for that game. 

Final thoughts

If you want to play high RTP slots in 2024, some of the most famous titles to keep an eye out for are Jokerizer, 1429 Uncharted Seas, Blood Suckers, Rainbow Riches – Pick ‘N Mix, and Money Cart. Others include Guns N’ Roses, Fishin’ Frenzy: Power 4 Slots, and Maya Gold, to name a few. 

The most important thing to remember before deciding which games to play is that the casino you sign up to is fully licensed and regulated by one or more mid to top-tier iGaming licensing authorities because they will have thousands of games from several well-established providers known for having above-average RTP payout rates in their games. 

Never sign up for an unlicensed online casino or one that’s controlled by an operator with a bad reputation.