Return to player, or RTP for short, is one of the most important metrics used
by online casinos. It tells you the percentage of money put into a game that
will eventually be returned to players through winnings. However, RTP data can
be complicated because there is a difference between the live RTP of a game and
the theoretical RTP.
As a player, you can potentially use RTP data to select the slots games that
are most likely to pay out. However, to use this information effectively, it
needs to be used in conjunction with information about volatility. It can also
be helpful to understand both live and theoretical RTP data and use both to
inform your choices.
In this article, we will explore how RTP data impacts real-time gameplay in
slots.
Return to player, or RTP, is an important metric used in casino games like
slots. In simple terms, it is a measurement of the amount of money wagered by
players that will eventually be returned to players through pay outs. This is
expressed as a percentage and the higher the percentage, the more money players
collectively win from the game.
For example, the popular slots game '9 Bells' has an RTP of 96.16%. This means
the game will return just over 96% of all wagered money to players through
winnings, with the casino collecting the remaining 4%. The additional money
that goes to the casino is referred to as the 'house edge' and this is how
casinos make a profit.
Casino games like slots can either be compensated or fully
random.
Both of these approaches use random number generators to determine outcomes and
in both cases, the outcomes can be thought of as random. However, compensated
games have an extra control element within their software to guarantee the RTP
over shorter time spans.
With fully random games, the RTP is a very long-term measurement of random
outcomes, typically realised after millions of spins. By contrast, with
compensated games, the RTP figure can often be achieved after thousands of
spins.
Most slots games will have a RTP between 94% and 97%, but you can find games
outside this range.
The RTP metric can be further broken down into a live RTP and a theoretical
RTP. The theoretical RTP is the main RTP number listed for a game. This is
often available on the game's web page or elsewhere on the casino website.
The best casinos will allow you to view live RTP slot data too. So what do these two metrics
actually mean?
The theoretical RTP is the long-term measurement previously mentioned. It tells
you the return to player over many millions of spins. So, when you see that a
game like 'Cube Mania Deluxe' has an RTP of 96.59%, this means that over time,
that is the percentage of money put into the game by players that will be
returned through winnings.
Live RTP figures are calculated on a much more short-term basis. Some casinos
will break live figures down into an hourly, daily, weekly and monthly RTP.
This metric gives you a sense of how the game is currently performing. While
the theoretical RTP will stay the same over time, live RTP figures can vary
considerably from day to day.
Crucially, the live RTP can be drastically different from the theoretical RTP,
because smaller time frames are subject to bigger reactions to individual
events. Even if a game has a theoretical RTP of 99%, it is still perfectly
possible for several random games in a row to pay out nothing. It is only over
the longer term that 99% of wagered money would be paid back out. This is why
you may sometimes see a 96% RTP game with a live daily RTP closer to 70%.
RTP is a valuable metric for casinos and players alike, succinctly explaining
the amount of money returned to players by a game over time. So how does all of
this data affect real-time gameplay?
For players, it generally makes sense to choose a game with a high RTP. After
all, unlike going onto Sportsbet and placing a bet on
live sport, where you can study form guides, slots is a game of chance. The RTP
of a game is one of the only useful pieces of information to study if you want
to increase your chances of winning.
Remember, the higher the RTP, the higher the percentage of wagered money that
is paid back out, so many players will actively explore different online
casinos and slots games to find the one with the best RTP.
At the same time, players may go deeper, looking at live RTP information and
tactically choosing games at particular moments. For instance, some players
like to play when the live RTP is high. Others may see a low live RTP as an
anomaly and view it as an indicator that the game will course correct over
time, making winning more likely.
Both theoretical and live RTP data can also potentially influence casinos'
behaviour around slots games. As an example, online casinos often entice
players with bonuses, like free spins. The generosity of these bonuses may
depend on RTP data and how much money the casino is earning from their various
slots games at that particular time.
Finally, if it is a compensated game and the live RTP is lower than the
theoretical RTP, it is logical that the control system in the software will
start to correct the RTP over time. In these situations, the live RTP may
directly influence how the game is played and how likely you are to win.
However, again, it is important to remember this could take thousands of spins
and is far from a guarantee that jackpots are going to immediately become more
common.
Although return to player data is extremely useful, it is not the only piece of
information that can influence winnings. It is also worth paying attention to
the volatility of a slots game. This is sometimes referred to as the variance
and can be combined with RTP data to build up a big picture of how a game
works.
Slots games can be broadly divided into two categories:
● Low Volatility - Frequent wins, but smaller amounts paid for each win
● High Volatility - Infrequent wins, but higher amounts paid for each win
Essentially, this means volatility is also a measure of the potential risk vs.
reward of a slots game. It can also be more useful than RTP as a short-term
indicator of how likely you are to win a single game.
Games with low volatility are often ideal for new players, as the more frequent
wins can help to keep them engaged. A high RTP, low volatility game is also the
safest bet when it comes to slots, albeit without offering any guarantees. At
the same time, you are unlikely to get rich by playing slots games frequently
and earning small wins.
A very occasional player or a more experienced player may prefer to take their
chances on a high volatility game. While the odds of winning are going to be
much lower, if you do win, the pay out is likely to be higher.
Although slots games are games of chance, they are still designed in such a way
that the likelihood of pay outs can be determined over a very long period of
time. By paying attention to RTP data, you can get a better sense of how much
money a casino earns from a game and how much money goes back into players'
hands.
Some casinos also provide live RTP data and when you combine this with
information about volatility, you can make more strategic decisions about which
slots games to play and when to play them.
