Whether you’re a new or experienced slots player, you’ve likely come across the RTP term by now. Short for Return to Player, this attribute tells you much about the experience you will have with a slot machine. Learn from our guide what slot RTP is and how you can use it to your advantage.
- What is RTP in Slots
- What Makes Slots RTP so Important?
- How to Find the RTP Value of any Slot?
- Land-based vs Online Slots - Which Offer a Better RTP?
- How to use RTP to Your Advantage
- RTP vs Volatility vs House Edge
- Top 10 Online Slots with the Highest RTP
- Ready to Play High RTP Slots?
What is RTP in Slots
![what is rtp in slots]()
The Return to Player is expressed as a percentage, showing how much of the total bet amount on a particular slot goes back to the players as winnings.
Example
An online slot with a 95% RTP tells you that out of €100 put into that game, €95 is paid back to players.
Don’t take this example too literally, though.
If you play 100 €1 spins on a 95% RTP slot, you won’t end the session with €95. Where’s the fun in that?
The Return to Player percentage is calculated over millions of spins, and in the short term, anything can happen. Being calculated over so many spins, it may not be accurate for an average reel-spinning session. This means you can get more, but you can also get less.
However, you shouldn’t ignore the RTP value either, as it can help you improve your winning chances in the long run.
Pro Tip
To further improve your winning chances when playing slots, make sure to check out our online slots guides written by gambling experts and experienced players, starting with how to play slots for beginners.
They hold all the information you need, whether you are completely new or you just want to dive deeper into the inner workings of slot machines.
What Makes Slots RTP so Important?
Understanding RTP is essential when playing slots as it helps you determine the potential profitability of the game.
Knowing how the Return to Player percentage works allows you to compare different slots and pick the ones that put you in a better position to win. This is especially important when playing online slots for real money, as your own funds are at stake.
How to calculate RTP
In theory, you divide the total amount returned to players by the total amount gambled by players.
In practice, the mathematical formula to calculate the RTP is intricate and depends on volatility, slot features, jackpots, paylines, and many other variables.
However, at the end of the day, a slot that gives back €97 out of €100 is a better choice than one that only returns €95, right?
How to Find the RTP Value of any Slot?
There are several ways to determine the Return to Player for any given casino game:
Check the paytable
The most straightforward way to know the RTP of a slot you’re playing is by checking the paytable. After opening the game, look for the cogwheel symbol or an “i” in one of the corners.
Click it, and you’ll open the paytable where the RTP is also specified along with payline information, special symbols, and details for bonus features.
Checking the paytable is also an excellent way to familiarize yourself with the slot to make better decisions regarding special features or bonus symbols.
Check out the game on our website
Every slot on CasinoFreak comes with complete information which helps our users compare games and choose the one best suited for them.
Most of the games have the RTP stated on their individual page. The ones where it is missing it is because even our team was unable to find it.
Moreover, you can test them out in our free online slots section and see what they are all about before moving on to try them for real money.
Some online casinos display it in the lobby
Sometimes, you won’t even have to open the game to find the Return to Player value. Most online casinos display this information upfront, in the game lobby, together with other important information like volatility, multiplier levels, and so on.
Furthermore, some operators even offer a “High RTP Slots” filter, so you only see the ones with above-average percentages.
Land-based vs Online Slots - Which Offer a Better RTP?
![Land-based vs Online Slots - Which Offer a Better RTP?]()
This is one of the age-old questions among gambling enthusiasts. While some claim brick-and-mortar casinos pay better, just as many support online operators as the ones offering higher RTP slots.
It’s time to settle this one right here, using hard facts.
If you look at the slots RTP values for land-based casinos, it’s easy to observe that few of them go over 93%, and in some sad cases, it can drop to 85%.
On the other hand, online slots frequently stay in the 95-97% RTP range.
Pro Tip
Steer away from slots with RTP under 94% when playing online, to make the most out of your gambling budget. The best payout online slots are those that have a high RTP.
Before thinking it’s some kind of brick-and-mortar casino plan to take your money, let’s check the reasons why their RTP is lower.
Land-based casinos have limited space and need to generate more revenue from physical machines to cover their expenses and make a profit. Furthermore, an online casino can host thousands of slots, so they can afford a higher Return to Player percentage.
To get a better idea of the differences in slots RTP value variations, check out the table below:
| Slot Name | Online Casino RTP | Land-based Casino RTP |
| Monopoly Party Train | 96.1% | 92.5-94.5% |
| Book of Ra Deluxe | 95.5% | 90% |
| Lucky Lady’s Charm | 95.3% | 91% |
Keep in mind
While the RTP is set by the software provider, online casinos can choose to change it. This does not happen very often, as it can negatively impact their popularity.
When it does happen, the differences are usually small so that players still want to play that game on their website.
How to use RTP to Your Advantage
Mastering slots RTP can bring you numerous benefits. From being able to choose slots with top values to a better bankroll management, there are lots of reasons why you shouldn’t disregard the Return to Player.
Here are the top advantages of knowing your way around this attribute.
Choosing the Right Slots to Play
Since the RTP gives you the measure of a slot’s predictability and fairness, games with a higher value will obviously have improved odds of winning than the ones with a low RTP.
Quickly look at this percentage, and you can easily pick the game that puts you in the best position to win.
Better Bankroll Management
Opting for games with a high RTP allows players to get better value for their money.
Even though every spin is random and the Return to Player is set over millions of bets, a game with a higher RTP will give back more money over time, leading to an extended playtime and improved bankroll.
Making Informed Decisions
Understanding RTP does more than enable you to choose the best online slots to enjoy. Even after you’ve picked a high-RTP game, this attribute can give you important insight into what decisions to make.
From choosing the moment to play with max bet or selecting an average bet size compared to your balance, everything can be used in your favor.
Complete Wagering Requirements
Another advantage that comes out of having a good understanding of RTP and how it works is related to meeting the wagering requirements.
As you know, most bonus offers come with these conditions attached, and you have to wager the bonus amount a number of times until you can withdraw.
This is where high RTP slots come in! Choosing a title with 97% RTP or above gives you far better chances of finishing the requirements with money in your balance.
Of course, volatility also plays a part in this strategy, and we’ll talk about it further below.
Promotions Assessment
Knowing your way around slots RTP values can be helpful when it comes to deciding which offer to go for. Say you’re faced with several promotions with the same amount of free spins.
Naturally, you will pick the one with the highest RTP to ensure you get the best winning chances.
At the end of the day, it’s all about having a great time. So, if you love a certain online slot, there’s no reason to avoid it simply because its RTP is lower. After all, a big win is mainly determined by the RNG, and luck is the only factor at play.
RTP vs Volatility vs House Edge
![Slots rtp vs volatility vs house edge]()
More often than you may think, casino players confuse RTP with volatility and the other way around. It’s understandable since the two concepts are closely related. However (and we cannot stress this enough), they are not the same!
Volatility, also referred to as Variance, is an attribute that gives you more information on how a slot’s RTP is realized. In other words, volatility defines how you get those €97 out of the total €100 played on a game.
A low-variance online slot will give you smaller wins more often, while a highly volatile game is defined by big wins that are less frequent. Furthermore, the low and medium payouts are also harder to get to compensate for these big wins.
Important
Volatility impacts the actual RTP of your regular slot machine gambling sessions by creating an upper and lower tolerance from the RTP value stated by the software provider.
The longer the session gets, and the more times you spin the reels of the slot machine, the more this tolerance will decrease. Reaching a long enough playing session (that usually means millions of spins), you will most likely notice an RTP very close or identical to the one stated.
Recommendation
To learn more about this very important attribute, check out our complete slots volatility guide and become a master of choosing slots and making the most out of each gambling session!
RTP vs House Edge
Having cleared the air on the slots RTP vs Volatility topic, let’s put Return to Player against House Edge as well to have a full picture.
Things are even easier in this case, as House Edge is an attribute that points out how much the casino will win from a game in the long run.
House Edge is mostly used for casino table games (roulette, blackjack, baccarat, etc), and it can be easily defined as the reverse of RTP. For example, if a game has an RTP of 97%, then the House Edge of that title is 3%.
Just like RTP, the House Edge can be influenced by players actions and game features.
Example
The values in blackjack can drop below 0,5% when using a good strategy, while some baccarat titles come with a vigorish (another synonym for House Edge) of 1,5%.
Top 10 Online Slots with the Highest RTP
We’ve been through all the vital aspects related to RTP and the way it can affect your online slots gameplay. Since you have all the definitions, and benefits, and know what separates it from Volatility or House Edge, it’s time to list some high RTP slots you can try.
So, if your aim is to only enjoy high slots RTP value every time, these are the titles you should be looking for:
As you can see, many of these titles come from the famous NetEnt. This software provider has some of the best and most entertaining online slots with a variety of themes and high RTP.
Therefore, if it wasn’t already on your list of favorites, it may be time to check some NetEnt slots out and fall in love with them like many of us have.
Ready to Play High RTP Slots?
Now we can say that our mission is complete. We’ve been together every step of the way, from answering “What is RTP in Slots?” to a list of the best slots to play. It’s vital to remember that the Return to Player can influence your overall online gambling experience in numerous ways.
Make sure to use it to your advantage when picking high-paying online slots, wagering a bonus, or deciding the perfect bet size for your session.
Also, don’t forget about its benefits for bankroll management, and you will be able to boost your winning chances when playing your favorite slots.
All that’s left now is choosing from the best RTP slots and practicing everything you learned in this article.
Don’t forget that CasinoFreak gives you access to thousands of slots for demo play and gives you the best online casinos where to enjoy them for real money!
