Casino games come with an RTP% but what is it and does it affect your chances of winning? Keep reading to find out more.
The Casino Language
Every industry has its own little language. Some are easier to pick up than others. The casino world is no different as strange words and expressions are being thrown at you from every direction and unless you are somewhat of an experienced gambler, it can sometimes feel a bit overwhelming.
What does it all mean? What’s important? Do I need to know them all? The answer is no, you don’t need to know everything but some things are good to know because of how they can affect your overall experience.
Cloudbet Games
Three important letters – RTP
One of the areas I get the most questions about from beginners is about RTP and I completely understand why. I had the same questions when I first dipped my feet in the casino ocean back in the day so today, I will try to break it down for you.
Return to Player
RTP stands for Return to Player and is measured in %. It is a key statistic at any casino but it’s also up to you if you want to pay attention to it. In short, the RTP % is the average amount of money put into a game and then returned to players in the way of winnings over a set period of time.
Whatever small % that is left is kept by the casino and is how casinos make money.
Not a Random Number
Believe it or not but his number is not just grabbed out of thin air, instead it is generally measured over 1 million spins or more. It’s not based on each and every time the game is played. Because of the extensive testing, once the RTP is set, it stays that way and doesn’t change.
For example, if a game’s RTP is 96.4%, it simply means that it will pay back an average €96.4 for every €100 wagered. Not just by you, by every player playing that game.
The RTP % can come from many, many small wins over time or sometimes by just a few rare monster wins. Once again, I’m talking about an average.
Potential RTP Adjustments
I feel it’s worth mentioning that it is the game provider that sets the RTP. With that said, casinos have the option of adjusting the RTP depending on the game/market.
The German market for example has pretty high taxes, which results in casinos lowering the RTP quite a bit compared to other markets.
Few casinos wend up sticking to the original RTP set by the provider.
Slots vs Table Games
As a player, you want to see the RTP % as close to 100% as possible but obviously no game will ever reach all the way there or nobody would ever make a profit. In general, table games tend to have a higher RTP than slots and will therefore pay you back more over time.
Lightning Baccarat
Baccarat 98.76% RTP
The image above is from Evolution’s Lightning Baccarat. Baccarat is one of many table games with a high RTP and the one from this particular game sits at 98.76%. Not bad, right?
You can find the game at most casinos, including 7Bit, mBit and BitStarz.
European Roulette
European Roulette 97.30% RTP
Another example of table games is European Roulette from Platipus. It’s slightly lower than Baccarat but with a 97.30% RTP, it’s still good and higher than most slots.
European Roulette can be found at KingBilly and FortuneJack among others.
Normal Slot RTP
Slots have a much wider range and you may not know this but there is actually a huge difference between playing online and going to Las Vegas or any other land based hotspot.
Normally land based slots will have an RTP of anywhere from 70-90%. Finding one with more than 92% is very rare. If you choose to play online however, most games will sit around 94-95% and if the game RTP is in the low 90’s, it would be considered bad and nobody would play it. Obviously you can still win and win big but low RTP slots are not my first choice.
Not All That Matters
Some slots are popular because of their high RTP but I would say most of them have an average RTP. It shouldn’t be the ultimate deciding factor as it still comes down to whether or not you like the game of course. At least that’s how I see it.
Below are 3 slots that differ significantly in terms of RTP.
Money Cart
1) Money Cart by Relax Gaming may not have your classic fruit machine look but it’s a fun game with a very high 98.00% RTP.
Play the game at Wild Tornado, BitStarz and other popular casinos.
Ancient Fortunes: Poseidon™ WowPot! MEGAWAYS™
2) Ancient Fortunes: Poseidon™ WowPot! MEGAWAYS™ by Quickfire will take you on a colorful deep sea adventure. There are treasures waiting on the ocean floor but with a 92.23% RTP, it’s unfortunately a no go for me.
Mega Joker
3) NetEnt went all in with Mega Joker. They forgot to do something about the graphics but with a 99.00% RTP, it’s one of the absolute highest on the market.
My Decision
Out of these slots, I would play Money Cart. Why? Because the Ancient Fortunes: Poseidon™ WowPot! MEGAWAYS™ has a very low RTP and Mega Joker looks incredibly boring. Even though Mega Joker has a fantastic RTP, it doesn’t look appealing whatsoever to me.
Where to Find the RTP
Most games will have their RTP % available to you if you just look at the right place. Normally that place is under the information button or in some cases if there’s a question mark.
Taco Brothers
Click for More Info
For example at BitStarz. I chose the slot Taco Brothers and clicked on the “i” in the top right corner and it will show you all the information on the game, including the RTP.
Taco Brothers Slot Details
Contact Support
Unfortunately not every single game will have this available to you. If it doesn’t and if you still want to find out, you can always contact support.
How Can I Use RTP to My Advantage?
After all this information about percentages there are ways for you to take control and use your newfound knowledge of RTP to your advantage when it’s time to play.
The easiest way to do so is of course by picking games with a higher RTP %, plain and simple. Like everything else, it’s far from a fool proof system and not a guarantee that you will be winning big. However, the number is there for a reason and is a clear indication of how the game will perform over time.
RTP On Display
Cloudbet is one casino that is kind enough to put all RTPs on display, which I think is very smart.
Cloudbet RTP
Does RTP Really Matter in the End?
Players’ opinions tend to be split when it comes to how much emphasis you should put on RTP. To be honest, it pretty much comes down to how long you are looking to play and how serious you are.
Why? Because as you have probably understood by now, the RTP effect will not be obvious at first. I mean if you play a few rounds of any casino game, you can win or lose regardless of what the RTP says.
The trick is that the longer you play a game, the more the RTP will come into effect. If the game then has a high RTP, the more likely you are to win. Bottom line, the RTP effect has less importance if you are only looking to play a few spins or hands but if you’re looking to spend a couple of hours, you may want to take it into consideration.
Put It to the Test
You have now graduated from the School of RTP so don’t be afraid to go out there and put it to the test. Good luck!
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