If you’re a fan of online casinos then you have no doubt played a fair few slots in your time. Online casinos are big business and slots are one of the most popular games that exist. People love them so much because of the stunning graphics and amazing gameplay. While there is a great deal of variation between slots, overall they are simple to play and this only adds to the enjoyment. When choosing which slot to play, people will often look at the RTP and seek those where this is as high as possible.
It could be that you are playing yourself, or maybe you’re watching streams of live rtp slot games. Either way, it is important that you know exactly what RTP is and why higher is better.
So, what is RTP?
Before you can understand why people love slots with a high RTP, you first need to understand what RTP is. RTP stands for Return to player. It is expressed as a percentage and it shows the amount that a slot will pay back based on a large number of spins. As a simple example, you may find a slot with an RTP of 97%. If you were to wager £100, theoretically, the slots should pay out £97 with the remaining £3 being the casino’s profit.
What you need to remember when looking at RTP is that it is based on literally millions of spins. If you knew that every time you wagered £100 you would only get £97 back, the chances are that you would never play! What makes slots exciting is that you never know when they will pay out or how much they will pay. The RTP acts as a guide and shows an average.
Isn’t RTP the same as variance?
In short, no. People often refer to RTP and variance and use the terms interchangeably. The truth is that these are separate things and both are important in different ways. Knowing what RTP is, it is worth taking a look at what variance actually is so that you can see the difference.
Variance is sometimes referred to as volatility. You will see slots that have high, medium, and low volatility. This is a reflection of how the RTP of a game is actually realised. With a slot that has low variance, you will find that wins are relatively frequent but that the amounts won’t be big. High variance slots take patience to play. The payouts don’t come as often but when they do come they tend to be for bigger amounts.
What RTP will I see on the best slots?
The RTP of slots can vary hugely depending on the game that you are playing. Online casinos don’t control this. It is down to the game developers. They set the RTP as part of the design of the game. You can find slots with RTPs as low as 80% and others that go as high as 98% or more. Players get excited by those at the higher end as they know that, overall, there are more chances to win.
One type of slot that really throws a spanner in the works is progressives. These are slots where the jackpot is continually increasing every time that someone plays. The jackpots can run into millions and be life-changing. Often these slots have an RTP of around 94%. It is the progressive element that sees it increase.
The truth is that regardless of the RTP of a slot you can spin and win and spin and lose. The higher the RTP the more your chances of winning but this is not based on a single spin.