Everything You Need to Know About Return to Player Percentages at Online Casinos

What is RTP (Return to Player) and How Does It Work?

RTP online slots can be found at all reputable RTP online casinos, but why should you pay particular attention to this percentage? 

In its simplest terms, Return To Player represents the percentage of money that a slot machine will pay back to a player. As an example, if you were to play an RTP online slot with 95%, then you could win back 95c for each $1 that you bet (depending on where you’re betting from, of course).

However, there’s a lot more to how an RTP online casino and its games work than this succinct overview suggests.

The biggest caveat to make when talking about RTP online slots is that the percentage is calculated over time. In other words, if you play a 95% game at an RTP online casino, you’re not automatically going to win 95% back on your first bet. 

The idea is that the more you play a particular RTP online slot, the higher the chance you have of winning more money. This all makes sense, of course, when you consider that every RTP online casino is a business and, as such, relies on repeat players. 

Types of RTP Online Slots

Furthermore, we can’t talk about RTP online slots without mentioning the variety of games, how they function, and how this affects the Return To Player percentage. 

When you play the slots at an RTP online casino, you’ll find that games typically come in two flavors: compensated and random. The average Return To Player percentage of a slot is generally calculated over 10,000 plays for compensated games and over 100,000 plays for random RTP online slots.

Compensated games vary the chance of winning money as a result of the outcome from a previous play, whereas random games rely entirely on statistical probabilities to achieve their RTP target percentage. The odds of winning never change, no matter whether or not a previous game paid out.

Do Online Slots Offer More Favorable RTP Percentages Than Land-Based Slots?

If you’re playing in a land-based casino, you’re very much a ‘captive audience’. In other words, you get what you’re given. By contrast, the RTP in an online casino should be higher because it’s easier for a player to look elsewhere.

Ask any experienced gambler their opinion and they’ll likely tell you that the RTP of online slots are higher than in a brick-and-mortar casino. Spend a few minutes checking out the different RTP in online casinos and you’ll see that they have a point. 

Does a High RTP Necessarily Mean a Higher Chance to Win?

Just as a high Return To Player doesn’t equate to winning every time, it also doesn’t necessarily mean that the chance of winning is high.

Confused? Don’t worry. Here’s where another important factor comes into play: payout frequency (also known as hit frequency). Both RTP and payout/hit frequency are often used together because, while they’re separate terms, they’re still closely linked. They’re also the main downfall of a lot of inexperienced gamblers who are unaware of the difference.

High Hit Frequency Vs High RTP

A high RTP, for example over 95%, just means that there’s a higher chance of winning more money from that particular slot over a period of time. In other words, a player stands a better chance of winning small amounts on the game the more they play.

Often shown as a percentage itself, the hit frequency can be easily confused with an RTP value, but the crucial difference is that a high hit frequency means the amount of time RTP online slots pay out money. So, if you play a slot with a hit frequency of 10%, this means that one in ten games will payout. 

In short, if you play high RTP online slots then you’re more likely to win money from those games, but over a period of time, not every time you play. A high hit/payout frequency equals a higher likelihood of winning on that slot.

Volatility

There’s one final rating for all online games that can also confuse matters: Volatility. Check out any of the top RTP online slots mentioned below, and you’ll also find a Volatility rating from Low to High.

What is it? Simply put, a slot with high volatility means a lot of spins with low, or no, wins followed by a number of bigger winning spins. Low volatility slots pay out money more often, but in smaller amounts.

Highest RTP Online Slots

If you’re looking to play high RTP online slots at an online casino, then a general rule of thumb is to stick to reputable and well-known software providers. Many popular gaming companies, such as Microgaming and NetEnt, are known not just for high-end quality slots, but for generous ones too. 

Top Five High RTP Online Slots

Below is a list of some of the highest percentage RTP online slots around, along with the software provider. As to where to find them, make sure to check our selection of top online casinos where you can play these.

1. Ocean Princess. Playtech. 99% RTP.

2. Nemo’s Voyage. WMS. 99% RTP.

3. Bridesmaids. Microgaming. 96% RTP.

4. Guns N’ Roses. NetEnt. 96% RTP.

5. Ooh Aah Dracula. Barcrest. 96% RTP.