While land-based establishments generate as much as 90 per cent of all casino revenues, the online sector is booming and set to take over. According to Evolution Gaming’s CEO Martin Carlesund: “The evolution has only begun. Soon, 50 to 70 per cent of all gaming revenues will come from the online sphere.”
In the first quarter of 2020, the Spanish market noted a growth rate of 13.2 per cent, and the US one grew by 11.5 per cent. Thus, the transfer of offline to online is visible in countries worldwide, as, in the past two years, the digital user base increased by 70 per cent.
With so many people expressing an interest in playing games of chance on the internet, the first titles naturally gravitate toward fall into the most popular genre of casino gambling, slots. The proverbial one armed bandits dominate gaming floors and are the industry’s golden geese in both the real and digital world. While reel-spinners may be the most straightforward gambling game of all, before sitting down to play, you must become aware of a few key concepts, most importantly, return-to-player, better known as – house edge.
What is Slot RTP?
Yes, it is accurate that slots require no skill. All you do is press the spin button and await your result. A computer algorithm called a random number generator (RNG) indiscriminately produces all your spins’ outcome, and you cannot affect its behavior in any way. However, since the RNG is software, and since casinos need to stay in business, it follows programming, determining how much of all the bets placed, the game will pay back over time. It expresses this via its payback percentage or RTP, which are the same thing. They signify the theoretical amount of money a slot will give back over millions of spins.
Volatility is a game specification that expresses the probability of you landing a win in the short term, and it also tells you what sized prize you can expect. The RTP shows you what the game should pay out in the long haul.
For example, if a slot has a return-to-player of 96 per cent, for every $100 wagered on it, it should theoretically pay back $96. Meaning, for every $100 played, the casino will keep $4 and will give the rest back to the players, making the house edge 4 per cent. Higher RTP titles give you better odds of winning, and the average payback percentage in the digital sphere hovers around 96 per cent.
Developers can create games with several RTP options or a fixed one. If a title comes with multiple return-to-player percentages, both digital and land-based casinos can pick one, setting it to best suit their needs.
However, gaming licensors do not allow slot RTP percentages to fall below a specific limit within their jurisdictions. For instance, New Jersey has an 83 per cent payback minimum in the US, while Maine casinos have an 89 per cent minimum.
The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), under regulation 46A, requires the minimum return-to-player be above 92 per cent for all titles featured at platforms under their jurisdictions. Having an MGA license forces licensees to undergo audits from independent testers, who check these percentages and all the games’ overall fairness.
How to find RTP on a machine
Finding a slot’s payback percentage on an online game should be easy. You can Google the title in question, and the developer should have a spec sheet on their site, which lists attributes such as RTP, volatility, and max exposure.
Alternatively, you can look at reviews available at quality iGaming info hubs. Players can find high RTP slots on online slot casinos for their location on OnlineUnitedStatesCasinos.com.
As mentioned, you need to be aware that many titles come with multiple possible return-to-player settings. It is smart to look up each particular game’s specs at your chosen site. The platform may feature this percentage alongside the title listing, and this information should also be available inside the game’s info panel. If it is not, it’s best to contact the site and ask what setting are they utilising.
Finding the RTP of a game at brick-and-mortar casinos is harder, as these venues are not as transparent regarding this matter, and such info isn’t as easily accessible.
Different casinos ordered different RTP versions of the same game. In Las Vegas, you can find the WMS Gaming slot – Monopoly Party Train at Caesars Palace with a 93.5 per cent payback, while at the Venetian, this percentage is 92.5 per cent. Again, to find this info, you can call and ask, try to Google, or reach out to other players via message boards.
Looking at gaming reports from regulatory bodies could prove useful, as they often feature the average win within their jurisdiction from various coin denominations. Data concerning specific games is unlikely to be available in these reports. However, you can deduce and get an idea regarding which coin denominations house-take percentage applies to which game by looking at the bet sizes that specific titles allow.
Best RTP slot
You should know that the term one-armed bandit comes from the belief that slot machines are the most expensive gaming attractions on the casino floor. They can drain a player’s bankroll faster than any other game. The above statement is not valid for gaming sites. These platforms are obligated to feature a higher return-to-player percentage than their real-life counterparts because of lower overhead costs.
Payback percentages for individual land-based slot machines aren’t public information. IGT’s Megabucks is likely one of the most famous gambling machines in the world, responsible for some of the most massive wins in gambling history. It is also a rare industry exception, as it reveals its return-to-player, which is 87.93 per cent. You can locate this game at the most established gaming venues. If you find yourself in Vegas, you can spin its reels at Paris Hotel & Casino, the MGM Grand, the Bellagio, the Aria, The Palms, and pretty much any brand casino out there.
Since it’s hard to find data regarding the RTP of land-based slots, useful information from a University of Nevada (UNLV) 2018 report states that most nickel slots in Vegas have a 94.39 per cent RTP (5.61 per cent house edge). According to UNLV Professor Anthony Lucas – “High-house edge titles win quite more than low-house edge ones.”
Best RTP online slots
When talking about the internet side of things, these are the online slots that in the long-term will give back the most money bet on their reels:
1. Swindle All the Way (98.5 per cent)
2. Good Girl, Bad Girl (97.79 per cent)
3. Who Spun It? (97.64 per cent)
4. SugarPop (97.6 per cent)
5. Quest to the West (97.53 per cent)
6. Enchanted Garden (97.5 per cent)
7. Mermaid Queen (97.5 per cent)
8. Diamond Dozen (97.5 per cent)
9. Derby Dollars (97.5 per cent)
10. Lion’s Lair (97.5)
You can find them on OnlineUnitedStatesCasinos.com approved online casinos. All of these are reputable and licensed sites that have impeccable track records.
Final advice
Knowing the RTP of a slot you are considering could be a useful tool on your gaming journey. It lets you know what kind of reel adventure you are getting yourself into and what kind of payback you can expect. However, this specification is not the end-all and be-all. It tells you what should happen over millions of spins, far longer than you can afford to sit and play.
Remember, in the short-term, anything is possible, and that’s how you should approach gambling. That is not to say that you should not look at a title’s return-to-player, volatility, and max exposure before spinning reels. You should, as they give you an idea regarding your chances, your win probability. However, they in no way will guarantee that you will earn prizes. Lady luck is the one responsible for that. While it’s crucial to check specs, keep in mind that all spins are random, and it’s possible to land a progressive jackpot prize on a single spin, even if the RTP of that given game is super-low.
Disclaimer: Play responsibly. Players must be over 18. For help visit https://www.gamcare.org.uk/.