When deciding which online casino games to play, players should consider the game’s Return to Player (RTP) payout ratio as it is an indicator as to how much a player is likely to invest over time.
RTP is calculated over the long term so it does not account for what can happen in the short term—known as Short Term Volatility—but is still a mathematical way for players to pick an online casino game with favourable odds.
RTP is the overall average return to players calculated over a long period of time, over many hands, spins, rolls of the dice etc.
For example, in a casino game where there is a 90% RTP ratio, players can expect to get back $90 in winnings for every $100 wagered.
The formula for determining RTP percentage for any casino games can be worked out by using the following equation:
RTP = (Total amount returned to players) / (Total amount bet by Players)
Total Amount Bet by Players means the dollar amount of each bet for every round by each player.
Amount Returned to Player is the net amount the game will return as winning to players. Note, this is an average and does not represent the amount to be paid out on each and every roll, hand or spin.
Audits of the online casino machines are usually carried out over the course of each calendar month to determine the above factors.
The RTP for individual games can be found in the game rules section of most casino websites.
It is not uncommon for online casinos to offer RTP upwards of 90% compared to their bricks and mortar counterparts which hover around the 80% mark. This can be attributed to the fact that that online casinos have much greater competition in the global market, so they need to stay competitive to appeal to new customers and retain existing ones.
In a recent study by the UK Casino Site casinoreviews.co.uk comparing RTP across 10 different online casinos, they found that classic games like roulette, blackjack and video poker had mid to high 90% RTP consistently across the board. They attribute this to the fixed rules of the game.
Online slots on the other hand have a wider range of RTP variance across the different online casinos included in the sample, ranging from the low to high 90s—meaning it is worth players researching the game rules for the slot machines to see which specific game gives the highest return on investment.
