RTP (Return To Player): Understanding What It Means
If you are interested in playing online slots, you need to get to know what the Return To Player or RTP means. Most people will tell you to look for online casino slots with high RTP – but what exactly does that mean? There are so many considerations when you are looking for the best online slot game and it is very important for you to understand each and every one of them.
For now, let us focus on what the Return To Player means and how you should use it to your advantage.
List of Casinos using legit RTP
- UK License:
- Yes
- Bonus Wagering:
- -
- Free Spins Wagering:
- 40x
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- UK License:
- Yes
- Bonus Wagering:
- x40
- Free Spins Wagering:
- x40
- UK License:
- Yes
- Bonus Wagering:
- 50x
- Free Spins Wagering:
- -
- UK License:
- Yes
- Bonus wagering:
- 30x
- Free Spins Wagering:
- 30x
- UK License:
- Yes
- Free Spins Wagering:
- 35x
- Bonus wagering:
- 25x
- UK License:
- Yes
- Bonus Wagering:
- 35x
- Free Spins Wagering:
- -
- UK License:
- Yes
- Bonus Wagering:
- 35x
- Free Spins Wagering:
- Wager Free
- UK License:
- Yes
- Bonus wagering:
- 35x
- Free Spins Wagering:
- 35x
- UK License:
- Yes
- Bonus wagering:
- 35x
- Free Spins Wagering:
- 35x
- UK License:
- Yes
- Bonus Wagering:
- 65x
- Free Spins Wagering:
- 65x
What is RTP and how does it work?
Whenever you look for online slots, it is impossible for you not to encounter the letters RTP. As you know, that means return to player. This is a number that comes in percentage form. It simply specifies the payout percentage of the game. It is calculated using a specific formula.
Calculating the RTP
The Return To Player percentage is calculated using this formula:
RTP = (Total returned amount) / (Total bet amount)
- Total returned amount. This refers to the net amount that a player wins in every round. For online slots, this refers to the amount that is won after a round.
- Total bet amount. This refers to the initial bet for one round that the player will make. This is usually over a specific period – like one calendar month.
Basically, if the RTP percentage is high, that means you have a higher chance of winning.
But before you go looking for the highest RTP games online, you need to get one thing straight. The return to player percentage is just a statistical calculation that is theoretical in nature. Of course, the online casino auditors will make sure that the declared RTP of every game is true. But it will always just be near-accurate and not a certainty. It does not necessarily mean if you bet £100, an RTP of 97% means you will get back £97.
The RTP should never be taken literally. There will be huge wins that will happen at random times and there will be moments of significant losses. That is what you should expect from gambling in general. All the figures and payout statistics and percentages are just estimates. But it is not a guarantee that it will happen to you.
What is the purpose of RTPs?
If the RTP does not guarantee your win, then what is it good for? While gambling is all about luck, there are some details that will help you come up with a strategy that will do two things – help you win more and keep your losses down. One of these details is the RTP.
There are two main reasons why the RTP is used by online casinos.
- It reassures the players that they will get their money back – or at least some of it. When you are looking for an online game, you want to make sure that you have a high chance of winning. The RTP will give you an idea of how often you can expect to win.
- It means the casino will also expect to get some money from the bets. On the other hand, the online casino uses the RTP as a guarantee that they will get some of the bets. They are in it for the business. The RTP will show that their part of the bets will not be as great as yours but bottom line is, they will get something.
Again, this does not mean you should focus on the RTP alone. A 97% RTP could mean winning one out of three spins in one slot game or one out of ten spins in another. The details are not really reflected in the RTP – which makes it quite vague. But do not think that it is unfair. The whole game is supposed to be really random. These RTPs are still regulated and audited – so it is based on a real algorithm that is usually a part of a random number generator program. The RTP is there as a guide – but not as a guarantee for the number of times you will win.
How to use the RTP
The question is, how should you use the RTP to your advantage.
Well, it is important for you to remember that the RTP percentage is usually based on long-term plays. The typical calculation is based on 1,000 plays. That means you should not focus on the short-term play when determining if the RTP is real or not. The wagered money that will be returned to you will be over a long-term performance in a particular slot game.
This is the reason why you need to read the terms and conditions of the online site to make sure that you understand how their specific RTP is calculated. That way, you can determine how to use it to your advantage.
Online casino slots with highest RTP
Now that you have an idea what an RTP is all about, let us look for the online casino slots with high RTP. Generally, an RTP of 90.99% and below is bad. 94.99% is an average RTP while the best one is 98.5% and above.
Of all the online casino slots, here are the games that have the best RTP to offer.
Mega Joker
With an RTP of 99%, this is one of the highest. The game offers big payouts and it even has a Supermeter mode. This is one of the highest RTP NetEnt games available online. But you need to understand the number of times that you need to bet for you to enjoy the high RTP. If you only bet 1 coin, the RTP can be underwhelming. But if you bet 10 coins, the RTP increases.
Jackpot 6000
This is another classic slot machine game from NetEnt. It gives up to 98.8% RTP – but again, it depends on how much you are betting on the slots. If you bet between 1 to 10 coins, that will affect the RTP percentage that you have to deal with. But betting the maximum 10 coins can trigger the Supermeter mode – which will increase the chances that you will win more.
Uncharted Seas
With 98.6%, this is one of the online casino slots with high RTP. This slot game from Thunderkick also offers free spins. The combination of the medieval theme and symbols that include sea creatures and beasts make it an entertaining game to play. Add to that the high RTP and you will really make it very rewarding.
Blood Suckers
This is another slot game from NetEnt. It has a 98% RTP – which is still very impressive. But apart from that, it also has great features – free spins, wild substitutions, bonus games, and high payouts. There is also a trigger bonus. Regardless of the RTP, this is one game you will really enjoy.
Starmania
This NextGen slot game combines a great soundtrack, graphics, and space theme. To top that, it has a high RTP of 97.87%. When this is mixed with the 10 paylines, free games, and wilds – you have a very rewarding slot game before you.
As you may have noticed, a lot of the slots with high RTP are mostly from NetEnt. But that does not mean all of them are. For instance, the 96.4% RTP Mega Fortune Dreams is not the same as the others. But it is still one of the popular progressive slots online. Although the RTP is not really impressive, people still like playing it because of the overall gaming experience. That means the RTP should not be the sole reason for you to choose a slot game to play.
Online casino slots with lowest RTP
Now that you have read the list of online casino slots with high RTP, let us go to the opposite side.
Obviously, there are online casino slots with low RTP. Does that mean it is not worth your time? Not exactly.
You also have to keep yourself from assuming that all the games made by a specific game developer have the same RTP range. For instance, there is a wide range for the RTP Novomatic games. They offer a range of long-term payout percentage – but that does not mean the other games are not worth your attention.
With a 94.6% RTP, Book of Ra (a Novomatic game) has a really low percentage. But believe it or not, it has a cult following of players. Other games with a low RTP includes Mega Moolah (88.12%), The Dark Knight Video (88.96%), Wow Pot (89.25%), Major Millions (89.37%), and Lotsaloot (89.95%).
What you have to understand is that some online casinos are forced to lower the RTP simply because they had to pay a lot of use the specific slot game on their site. There are other reasons similar to this that players should understand. Although the RTP is low, that does not mean the gaming experience is not worth it. Players should just get to know the other qualities that they should look for in a slot game so they know how to choose wisely.
Emily Thornton boasts a degree in Digital Media from the University of Bristol, accompanied by an obsession for the online casino world. Over the past six years, she's combined her tech-savvy skills with a flair for writing, producing in-depth reviews and slots analyses for various casino platforms. A frequent contributor to free-spins.org, Emily's articles are grounded in research, ensuring readers gain trusted insights into the dynamic world of online gaming.