How To Know What Return Players Get From Slots

Slots are a whole lot of fun. But behind the flashy graphics and the fantasy worlds are a whole lot of technical details. Today’s we’re going to reveal what is RTP in slots and what you need to know about it.

What is RTP in slots?

RTP stands for return to player. This basically means it’s the amount a slots machine dishes out to players. But it’s not necessarily the amount you can expect to get back in a slots session.

If you’ve ever played slots before, you know that part of the appeal is that there’s a chance you could win big and there’s a chance you’ll lose what you’ve gambled. What RTP tells you is how much a machine pays back to players over time.

The results are gathered from thousands and in some cases millions of spins. So it’s absolutely not a prediction of how your next session will go. This is broad strokes stuff, guys.

RTP ranges in slots

Even someone who just knows the basics of gambling mechanics knows that all casinos (online and offline) are designed to make money. For that reason, slot machines are always going to pay out less to players over time than players pay in.

Casinos use the money they make off the slots machines for things like wages, maintenance, business running costs and, of course, profits. Therefore, it makes sense that the RTP ranges in online slots typically are a lot higher than a landbased casino. There are simply less costs associated with online casinos.

So what is RTP typically in online slots? It’s usually well in the 90s, ranging from 91% to 97%, depending on the game you’re playing. That’s the range you’ll find in reputable online casinos like bet365 (bonus code here if you’re interested).

Meanwhile in bricks and mortar casinos, you can expect RTP to range from between 70% with an absolute cap at 90%.

What is RTP compared to variance?

RTP might tell you how much money is paid out over time. But it doesn’t tell you anything about how those winnings are distributed. For that, we turn to variance.

Variance tells us about the size and frequency of the wins. Two slots could have the exact same RTP, but if one has high variance and one has low variance, the results can look different for your sessions.

For example, high variance slots, often games that include progressive jackpots, pay out big sums but quite rarely. Meanwhile, low variance slots pay out a lot but usually in smaller sums. This is all a rule of thumb, of course.

But of course, there’s more to slots than RTP

We think it’s so important to be informed about how any form of gambling works, which is why it’s really good for you to know what is RTP. But it shouldn’t be the be all and end all.

Playing slots should be a release and a hobby. Not a way to make money. Instead of always playing slots with the best RTP, sure take note of the RTP, but also go with what you feel like playing too. Whether that’s a gold rush themed slot or a Zombie game packed with wilds and bonus features, having fun is the most important thing.