Definition of Return to Player (RTP)
What does the term "Return to Player" mean in the world of online casinos? What is meant by the term "RTP"?
"Return to Player", or "RTP", is the percentage of all money wagered on a slot machine or casino game that is mathematically expected to be paid back to players over time.
For instance, let's say that a slot machine has an RTP of 96%. This means that for every $100 wagered on that machine over a long period of time, the machine is expected to pay back $96 in winnings. The remaining $4 is the casino's cut - and that $4 is what is known as the house edge.
It is very important to understand that RTP is calculated over millions of spins. It is not a guarantee of what you personally will get back in any single session. You could sit down at a 96% RTP slot and lose your entire $100 in twenty minutes. You could also turn $20 into $500. The RTP figure describes the game's long-term mathematical behaviour, not what is going to happen to you today.
Now, how does RTP affect which games you should be playing?
As a general rule, you want to look for slots and casino games with the highest RTP you can find. A slot with an RTP of 97% is going to return more money to players over time than one with an RTP of 92%. That difference might not sound like much, but over hundreds of spins it adds up significantly.
Table games tend to have much higher RTPs than slots. Blackjack played with basic strategy, for instance, can have an RTP of over 99%. European roulette sits at around 97.3%. American roulette, with its extra double-zero pocket, drops to around 94.7% - which is one of the main reasons experienced players always prefer the European wheel when given the choice.
Online slots typically have RTPs ranging from around 92% all the way up to 98% or higher. Land-based casino slots tend to run lower - often in the 85% to 92% range - because the physical overhead costs of running a casino floor are much higher than running an online operation.
It is also worth knowing that RTP and volatility are two different things. A game can have a high RTP but also high volatility, meaning it pays out infrequently but in large amounts when it does. Another game might have the same RTP but low volatility, meaning it pays out smaller amounts more regularly. Both games return the same percentage over time - they just do it very differently.
As mentioned, RTP is one of the most useful numbers you can look at before choosing which game to play. Most reputable online casinos will display the RTP for every game in the information section. If a casino does not publish its RTPs, that is worth noting before you deposit.
