GGR Meaning

What Does RTP Mean In Slots?

What Does RTP Mean?

If you go to an online casino, you will often see a RTP % for slots. What does RTP mean? It’s basically a % indicating how much money you are likely to get back from your stake.

RTP means Return To Player. It is calculated as the amount returned to players as a percentage of the total amount gambled by players.

A lower % means you are likely to lose more money over time than a casino slot with a higher %. Looking it at it the other way a lower % will mean the game is more profitable both for the online casino and the game studio who supplies the game.

A Working Example

If a game has an RTP of 97% it means statistically for every $100 a customer gambles on a game, $97 will be returned to the player. The player will lose $3, consequently the online casino will gain $3. A percentage of this $3 will go to the casino game studio.

What Is The RTP % Published On Sites

Go to a site such as the Paddy Power games page, you will see the % RTP when you select a slot. The advertised RTP does not mean they will lose that percentage in that session. It is a theoretical Return to Player based on statistical modelling of the game, calculated over the long term.

The Casino Games are developed with a RNG, a random number generator. The algorithms creating the outcome are designed to ensure a specific % RTP outcome over a long period of time.

Many countries have regulated online gambling. For an online casino to have an operator licence they need to serve certified slot games. For a slot game to be certified in that country the game supplier needs to have a licence.

Slot game with RTP %

Pragmatic Play’s Big Bass Bonanza on The UK Betfair site with the RTP%.

The supplier needs to get their game tested by independent game testing companies such as Gaming Labs. Part of the testing process is to ensure that the Return to Player is accurate. This ensures the game is fair to the player.

What Is A Typical RTP?

The % varies from game to game but is typically around 94 – 97%. You can analyse RTP by game and supplier using our games database by subscribing to iGaming Tracker.

Does This Mean The Player Always Loses?

Statistically yes, the player will lose, however the Return To Player is a calculation based on large sample of playing. In a playing session the player may win an amount far higher than the amount they staked. They may also lose all the money they have staked. However, you are effectively playing a computer so in the long term are likely to lose an amount close to the RTP.

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