Beating the house is always an alluring thought for any casino goer. In an ideal world, it would be as simple as having the luck of the gods at your disposal. We all know that most casino games are ruled by chance, though, and that gaming the system isn’t that easy.
Smart players can boost their odds and give themselves a decent chance at hitting that jackpot, or stretch out their bankroll. One of the best strategies that savvy casino fans can utilize is to pick their games wisely. Not all games are made equal, and while some favor players, others favor the house.
Readers who have played online slots before will likely have come across the term RTP. It’s short for Return to Player, and in gambling, it refers to the percentage of wagered money that is returned to a player in prizes over a certain number of spins or plays.
RTP percentages are generally measured over very large sample sizes, ranging from 10,000 to 100,000 games. Players shouldn’t expect RTP to indicate with certainty how much they will win back from the casino. However, these averages are still a very useful tool for players keen to gauge their chances.
To explain RTP further, let’s look at an example. Imagine you are playing a slot, and you wager $100. If the RTP is 96%, that means that the game is designed to return, on average, $96 for every $100 bet. If a slot has an RTP of 91%, it’s going to keep $9 out of every $100 you wager.
House edge is simply the other side of the same percentage, the measure that the casino expects to keep. So, if a game has an RTP of 95%, that means the house edge is 5%. Whatever game you play, the odds of the casino winning your money are always going to be greater. By picking a game with a low house edge or high RTP, you can significantly raise your odds, though.
You should always be able to find RTP information at online casinos, usually listed in a game’s description. Game developers also include this type of information on their own websites. It’s worth spending some time on review platforms like Casino Guru, which offer guidance on where to find the latest high-payout slots, as well as info on the safest casinos and most competitive bonuses.
All legitimate online casinos are required to disclose the RTPs of their games, so that consumers can make educated choices and be assured of fairness. It’s a real red flag if you come across a slot or casino site that isn’t transparent about RTPs. These numbers vary a lot across the casino, depending on what type of game you choose to play. Table games usually yield the highest figures.
Blackjack is usually your best bet, as RTPs are usually around the 99% mark. Video Poker is another excellent option, as RTPs typically range from 95% to 99.5%. Roulette RTPs range from about 94% to 97%. In stark contrast, Keno offers the lowest RTPs, averaging from 75% to 80%.
Online slots come with comparably weak RTPs, which can be as low as 85%. However, it is possible to find some titles with excellent percentages, as high as 99%. Slot machines at land-based casinos usually have lower RTPs, as they already have a captive audience and higher operating costs to cover.
It’s a good strategy to seek out online slots with high RTPs so that you can stretch out your playing funds and enjoy playing longer. Titles like Push Gaming’s ‘Book of 99’, Playtech’s ‘Ugga Bugga’, and NetEnt’s ‘Mega Joker’ all boast RTPs that hit the 99% mark.
Some online slot providers have built themselves strong reputations for consistently offering great RTPs. Microgaming is often a good option, with RTPs averaging around 95% to 97%. Similarly, Pragmatic Play titles are usually around the 96% to 97% mark. Other fan favorites include NetEnt and Play’n GO, for good reason.
A game’s base RTP isn’t the only thing to consider, though. Bonus features can significantly boost your chances of lifting your returns. For instance, free spins offer extra chances without costing you more. Multipliers amplify your winning combinations, while cascading reels offer many wins from single spins.
Not all bonus features have the same positive impact on a game’s base RTP. Scatter pays, for example, serve only to replace line-based wins. Wild substitutions can help to generate new wins, but they don’t add value. It’s therefore worth looking carefully at what bonus features a slot has to offer, and picking titles where these add to base game payouts.
Likewise, progressive jackpots complicate the picture. These types of slots tend to run on lower base RTPs, as player funds are diverted into the jackpot pool. While you’re likely to end up spending more, you do have the chance to win a life-changing windfall. That chance, however slim, is undeniably thrilling.
Let’s now talk about the role volatility plays in your slot strategy. Also known as variance, volatility is responsible for how a game’s RTP is delivered. In short, it dictates how often a game will pay out and how large those wins will generally be. If a slot has low volatility, this means that it will offer smaller wins, but more frequently. Lots of players favor these types of games, as they work well with longer playing sessions and small bankrolls.
On the other end of the spectrum are the high-volatility games. Wins are rarer here, but you are more likely to hit a high payout if you do win. You need to be strategic when playing high-volatility slots, as without a large budget your sessions may well end on a losing streak. Somewhere in the middle of these two options are medium-volatility games. These strike a balance between win frequency and payout size.
Now you know all there is to know about RTP, and when it matters, you can effectively incorporate this knowledge into your playing strategy. Every player has different preferences, whether that’s the type of game, how long they like to play for, or how much cash is at their disposal. Nevertheless, RTP is something that every single player can use to their advantage to take on the house.
