Online Slots bring you all the fun and thrills of the casino combined with the ultimate virtual gaming experience. The luck of the game is still completely random when playing online, and is not influenced by the player at all, but there are some things that are in place that can help you decide to play a game that suits you the most.
One of those things is the Return to Player (RTP) percentage, and this is probably one of the best pieces of information to help you choose the best slot game to play. We’ve put together a guide on understanding the RTP, so you can know what this online return to player rate means, and how it comes into effect for the probability of winning on the online Slots.
What Is Return to Player Rate or Percentage?
The Return to Player, known as RTP, is a rate measured in a percentage, to show how much a player can expect to receive in pay-outs of a particular slot game, from the total amount wagered and over a certain period of time.
For example, if you consider a slot with a RTP of 95.97%, this basically means that for every £100, you can expect to be paid £95.97 – or in the reverse, the house edge is 100% minus the percentage of the RTP, so in this case it would 4.03%. Theoretically, a game with a higher RTP percentage means that they will give more frequent or greater pay-outs over time, in comparison to a slot with a lower percentage.
Knowing this RTP for each game can help you decide which slot to play and how much to wager, as you can use the strategy that if a game has a higher RTP, you can supposedly win back more than your wager, if you play that game for long enough.
You can usually find the RTP in the description or information about the online slot. But this figure does not guarantee better pay-outs every time. Some of the mini-games and bonus features of a slot can have a different RTP to the main slot game, as well as the addition of a progressive jackpot, as certain slots include this in their overall percentage.
There are also several other factors you should consider when playing Slots, including the style and theme of the game that you prefer, for entertainment purposes, as well as the number of different pay-lines of the game. You can also look into the hit frequency and variance of the game, which is explained below.
What Are Hit Frequency and Variance?
Alongside the RTP, you should also check the other two systems of measurement for the slot game – the hit frequency and variance.
The hit frequency is based on how frequently the slot is likely to pay-out, whereas a variance is the likeliness of landing a winning combination. A slot designed to pay out more frequently may feature smaller prizes – which may be suited to those with smaller bank-rolls – would be a low variance game with a high hit frequency. In theory these replenish your account continuously, and you’re more likely to trigger more bonus features.
A slot that doesn’t provide a win too often but can include a large prize, would be a high variance game with a low hit frequency. These are usually popular amongst high rollers, who can afford to play longer and wait for a big pay-out – and they tend to also be progressive jackpot Slots, where there is the added possibility of winning a huge prize. As mentioned before, these games may have two-part RTP, or a higher RTP, that includes this potential to win a big jackpot.
