If you’re exploring the exciting world of online slots for the first time, you’re likely going to come across some confusing terms and unfamiliar concepts. Slots can seem complicated, but it’s important that you understand them before you start playing.

One of the terms you’re certainly going to come across is RTP. This can be a confusing concept, so to help you out we’ve written up a guide that explains exactly what RTP is, how it works and why it differs from slot to slot.

What is RTP?

In the world of online casino, RTP stands for Return to Player. Essentially, it is a percentage rating that represents how much a player can expect to see returned to them after placing a wager on a casino or gambling game. All gambling games have an RTP rating, but the term is most commonly used in the world of slot machines.

Generally, RTP is expressed as a percentage value, as this is the easiest way to visualize how much you can expect to get back from a wager. Let’s take an example. If you are playing a slot that has an RTP of 99% and you wager $1, you can expect to see a return of $0.99.

However, it’s important to note that RTP is an average that operators reach after simulating millions of spins. This means that, if you are only playing a few spins, the RTP might not accurately reflect your results.

Why Does RTP Differ From Slot to Slot?

There are hundreds of thousands of different slot machines out there. While some are similar, many are wildly different, using varying themes, colours and gameplay mechanics.

Modern slots are designed by expert software developers who use their skills to build the code that runs the game. While this code is used to design game features and functions, it is also used to establish the RTP of the slot.

For this reason, RTP will usually be different from slot to slot. It will depend on how it has been programmed by the developers and how well a particular rating works with the slot’s gameplay and mechanics.  

Certain jurisdictions may have regulations in place that stipulate minimum RTP ratings. This is why you may see different RTPs depending on where you are in the world.

However, slot developers don’t want to set the RTP of their games too low. If they do, players will never win anything. People don’t like to lose, so if they do then they’ll quickly move onto a slot with a more generous rating. As a result, slot RTP ratings usually range from between 94% to 98%.

How to Find Out the RTP of a Slot

Knowing what RTP is and how it works is all well and good, but how do you actually find out what the RTP of a particular slot is? Knowing how to do this is important and is something you need to know before you start playing online slots.

Open your slot game of choice and, on the main screen, look for a small button with a lowercase ‘i’ on it. This can usually be found in the upper or lower corners of the screen. Clicking this will open a new window with game information and you should be able to find the RTP of the slot.

If not, check out some reviews for the game, as the slot’s RTP might be listed there.

Conclusion

RTP is an important concept that all online gamblers need to be aware of. However, knowing what it is isn’t enough, you also need to know how to actually find the RTP of a slot machine before you play it.