RTP And Volatility
Volatility and RTP
The payout of online pokies largely depends on such factors as the Return to Player (RTP is the abbreviation for ´Return-to-player´) and volatility. RTP and volatility are two different concepts, but in the end, they determine and describe your probability of winning while you play pokies. That is why it is highly important for every casino player to understand these terms correctly.
Here we explain what you need to know about this great indicator when looking for your next favorite slot.
What means RTP
RTP is expressed in percentages, for example 98%. This RTP rate determines the overall payout of a particular game in the long-term run whereby several million spins are considered. In other words: RTP is the amount of all wagered money paid back to players over time.
Indeed, Slot games are completely random thanks to their RNG technology, but the Return to Player value gives a helpful indication. That is because, when choosing an online slot game, the higher the RTP, the better your chances are of winning.
Or formulated vice versa: the ´Return to Player value´ gives online casino players an idea in advance, an estimate, of how much money they risk when playing a particular slot title.
That is why experienced slots players look carefully to this most important piece of information, the casino game´s RTP.
General RTP standards
- A high RTP is anything at or above 98%.
- A mid-range or average RTP is anything that falls between 95% and 97.99%
- RTP values below 94.99% would be considered low.
Our TIP! Choose anything from a RTP rate between 95% and 98%.
An example: Starburst slot
We take Starburst slot as an example. NetEnt as software provider tells us that the RTP for Starburst is 96.1%. Theoretically that means that players will get back 96.1% of the money they wager.
Of course, this doesn´t mean that for every £,€,$100 wagered on Starburst a player will necessarily win back £,€,$96.10. This statement is not totally correct: RTP is calculated over the long-term, not per wager.
What means Volatility
Volatility describes the probability and amount of your winnings within a short-term session. Slots volatility ranges from high to low. In general, one can speak of 3 options: high, medium and low volatility:
- With low volatility, a player is likely to win regularly, but payouts will be small. In other words: a slot with high volatility typically pays out big wins spread apart;
- Medium volatility slot machines make a fine compromise between low volatile and high volatile machines. These slots usually offer tons of bonus features.
- With high volatility, a player will lose more frequently, but if you win, the game will bring you significantly more real money. In other words: a slot with low volatility pays out small wins in quick succession.
An example: Roulette
If you play roulette, you know that the more numbers you bet on, the higher your chances of winning. For example, betting on black or red means betting on 18 different numbers at the same time and pays double or nothing.
On the other hand, you can bet on just one single number. That would pay out 35 to 1.
Needless to say, players can expect to win the double or nothing bet (low volatility) more often than the 35 to 1 bet (high volatility).
Volatility vs. RTP
Slots volatility is how often a slot typically pays out, whereas Return to Player (RTP) is how much a casino game pays back to players.
For example, an RTP of 90% means the slot pays $90 in winnings for every $100 wagered. Both high volatility and low volatility slots can have a 90% RTP.
Like with volatility RTP represents the average and does not guarantee results. A slot´s RTP of 90% can still mean you can lose your entire bankroll, just like you could walk away with the million-dollar progressive jackpot.
A perfect example of a high volatility game is the Book of Dead by PlayN GO.
There are lots of medium volatility slots, i.e. Gonzo’s Quest by NetEnt, Wolf Hunters by Yggdrasil among others.
