Payout Percentages

Anyone that enjoys playing Pokies knows about setting the number of lines you want to play, setting the value of each line, and how lining up specific symbols across the lines result in multiplier payouts. Each line can win independently, and the multipliers apply to the bet per line, so the higher the line value and the more lines you play, the more chances you have to win, and the more money you stand to win. However, over the long term, how much can you expect to win based on how much you bet? That is where payout percentages come in. The term is often shortened to RTP, which stands for Return to Player, and here is everything you need to know about this useful bit of information.

How RTP Is Calculated

RTP is calculated by third-party audits. Online casinos that do not display their RTP either consistently has a low RTP, do not undergo third-party audits (avoid these casinos at all costs), or happened to have a low RTP that month, as RTP audits will take place over the course of a month. Percentage The audit will total the sum of every bet placed on every round by every player over the course of that timeframe. They will also determine the sum of how much each player wins per round. The way Video Poker and Pokies work is that the bet is given up when it is placed, and the game will either pay out or not, but either way that bet is lost. This is different from Roulette, Craps, or Blackjack, where your bet remains on the table during the game until the game ends, and that bet is either returned along with the winnings or taken by the house. The amount won by the players over the course of the month is divided by the amount the players bet, which determines the RTP.

Individual Game Session RTP

You can actually determine the RTP of an individual game session by keeping track of how much you bet and how much is paid out, then following the aforementioned formula. This is a good way to decide whether or not you want to return to that Poker Machine, or whether you should give a different one a try. For example, if you are betting $10 at a time and play 100 rounds of Pokies, you would have bet a total of $1000. If you won a total of $900, the RTP for that session would be 90%. The RTP is almost always lower than 100% in terms of a month-long audit, but can be much higher when calculated an individual session. For example, if you bet $1000 and won $3000, the RTP would be 300%!

What Constitutes a High Return?

A pretty good return to player percentage is 80%. Since online casinos are competing against each other for the attention of players, their global market is incredible saturated. This is why they will proudly display their RTP if it is a high one, which can be as much as 90% or even 99%. We would recommend only playing at an online casino that displays their RTP, and that displays their RTP at at least 80%, though it is not tough to find really high RTP’s at really great casinos at 97%+. At brick-and-mortar casinos, they are only competing against casinos that are nearby, which means that they do not need to claim to have very high RTPs. Those percentages are normally as low as 50%! This makes playing Pokies online a way better option in terms of winning in the long term versus playing at a land-based casino.

The Difference Between RTP and House Edge

While RTP and house edge are very closely related, they have a distinct difference. The RTP determines how much the players are returned of their wagers over the long term. The house edge is how much is given to the casino over the long term. For example, if the RTP for Blackjack is 99%, the house edge is 1%, because that is how much, on average, the player will be giving to the casino. It is possible to overcome the RTP and house edge in the short term, but the mathematical certainty of both percentages guarantee that in the long term, the player will lose, which means that practicing responsible gaming by setting a budget and knowing when to walk away is essential to being successful at a casino.