If you are an avid player of online slots, you have probably come across RTP. This acronym means “return to player rate” and is normally represented as a percentage. RTP is a key factor in a slot game. How well you understand it can determine whether or not you reap some gains. 

Fortunately, RTP is not a complicated concept. With our guide below, you will learn what it is and its importance in no time.

What is RTP%?

In simple terms, Return-to-Player Percentage represents the rate at which the slot you choose gives you back your money. It is a percentage of the total wins against the total stakes ever waged on the slot.  So, if you see a slot with a 96% RTP, it means out of all plays, 96% have been wins. In other words, the probability of you winning, based on the slot’s history. Is 96%.

A Return-to-Player rate can help you decide whether or not to place a wager. However, it is crucial to understand that these percentages are theoretical. They are not actual representations of what will happen in your gaming session. After all, if they were, it would not be gambling. 

The importance of RTP

Justifying the importance of Ready-to-Player percentage can be difficult because it is all theoretical. However, RTP plays a critical role in slots.

Every casino, be it online or physical, has a house edge. This amount is what it takes as profit. You may not like it, but a casino has to make money from your gaming to stay in business. 

The house edge is the opposite of RTP. So, while RTP shows you how likely you are to win, the house edge is the likelihood that the casino will beat you. For instance, if a slot’s RTP is 96%, the house edge would be 4%. Therefore, RTP helps you to decide if the game is worth playing. 

Like RTP, the house edge is not a precise representation of what will happen in your game. You cannot accurately determine how much the odds are stacked against you. 

Nevertheless, a slot machine should not offer anything less than a 94% RTP rate. 

RTP vs. Volatility

From our guide so far, it seems obvious you should avoid slots with low Return-to-Player rates. However, this strategy is not always the most effective. As a player, you must also consider the slot’s volatility. 

Slot volatility represents a slot’s risk level. The higher the volatility, the riskier the slot. Generally, Low volatility slots play out lower amounts than high volatility slots. However, because they tend to have higher RTP than highly volatile slots, winning is presumably more likely.

Therefore, sometimes deciding whether a game is worth playing by simply considering its RTP can lead to missed opportunities. Staking in a high volatility slot gives you the chance to win more money, even though the RTP says your losing probability is higher. You might have to spin the game dozens of times before winning anything, but a win will be worth the wait. 

Bigger payouts make it reasonable for high volatility slots to have lower RTPs. However, be sure to check the game’s paytable to see if the larger rewards are available for winning. 

A slot’s Return-toPlayer rate and its volatility are two sides of the same coin. So, before you play, decide what you want from your game. If your aim is to play for a long time and keep your returns small but steady, a low volatility, high RTP game is the way to go. On the other hand, if you want the chance of winning a huge amount at once, embrace the high volatility, lower RTP slot. Your risks might just pay off!