Casino Payout – RTP

RTP (Return to Player) is an overlooked, yet highly important, factor in online casino games. Essentially, RTP is a built-in house edge for virtual casino games. If we said, for example, a slot game had an RTP of 96%, this would mean that over time the slot would pay out £96 for every £100 it takes in. Now, these figures are measured over a lengthy period and over thousands, perhaps millions, of spins. So, it doesn’t mean that every session where you spend £100 you will be guaranteed to get £96, nor does it restrict the amount you can win or lose. It is just an average over time of the amount returned to the players.

All virtual (non-live dealer) casino games will have an RTP and the majority of top casinos will have these figures available on their sites. In saying that, RTP will vary with different casino game genres and within individual game types. For example, video poker and classic blackjack usually have a high RTP of 98-99.5%, whereas slots’ RTP often sit between 90-96%. Does this mean that card games are better to play than online slots? Not at all. One spin on a slot could lead to a payout of thousands of times your stake, so it’s just a matter of weighing up volatility between different types of casino game, and factoring in your preferences regarding game type.

Audited Payout Percentages
Many casinos provide links to official audits of payouts at the bottom of the homepage.

Despite a heavily regulated online casino industry in the UK, the question of ‘rigged’ and unfair gaming practices still comes up. So, the question begs: who monitors these RTP figures to say that they are fair? The short answer is that there are several independent bodies who carry out testing and authentication of these casino games. Take, for example, 888casino. It supplies links on its website to an eCOGRA certificate. Bodies like eCOGRA, ITech Labs and others will carry out the testing on the games, publish the figures and provide casinos with the necessary credentials. Moreover, you must remember that the casino industry thrives on trust, any malpractice and sites like PlayRight, the Pogg and AskGamblers will be quick to steer players in another direction.

The RTP of individual games can change slightly each month, as too can the total payout of a casino. That’s why the overseeing bodies like eCOGRA are continually testing games and casino payout reports to make sure they are correct. We have highlighted the average payout percentages of our recommended casinos:

Casino Average Payout Bonus
888 Casino Review888Casino97.17%200% up to £500
32 Red Casino32Red97.38%320% Up To £160
Betway Casino ReviewBetway Casino95.57%Up To £1,000 Bonus
Leovegas Casino ReviewLeo Vegas95.63%100% up to £300
Casumo CasinoCasumo97.13%100% Up To £300
Dunder Casino ReviewDunder97.85%200% up to £600
Videoslots Casino ReviewVideo Slots95.10%100% up to £200
Mansion CasinoMansion Casino98.01%Up To £500 + 10% Cashback
CASINO
GAMES
888 Casino Review
888Casino
Average payout : 97.17%
Bonus: 200% up to £500
32 Red Casino
32Red
Average payout : 97.38%
Bonus: 320% Up To £160
Betway Casino Review
Betway Casino
Average payout : 95.57%
Bonus: Up To £1,000 Bonus
Leovegas Casino Review
Leo Vegas
Average payout : 95.63%
Bonus: 100% up to £300
Casumo Casino
Casumo
Average payout : 97.13%
Bonus: 100% Up To £300
Dunder Casino Review
Dunder
Average payout : 97.85%
Bonus: 200% up to £600
Videoslots Casino Review
Video Slots
Average payout : 95.10%
Bonus: 100% up to £200
Mansion Casino
Mansion Casino
Average payout : 98.01%
Bonus: Up To £500 + 10% Cashback

Royal Panda casino really looks like the top choice when it comes to the overall average payout for casino games. However, it doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily the best casino, as we must take into consideration that casinos like Casumo and Video Slots focus heavily on online slots, something that could perhaps bring the average payout rate down. Still, Royal Panda – which has its own big range of slots – still boasts a very high average payout and is a worthy choice for best paying online casino.

 

Best Payout Slots

Earlier we mentioned that most slots have an RTP rate lying between 90-96%. It is important to be aware of RTP when playing slots because even the drop of a few percentage points can be the difference between a winning session and a losing one. However, there can be a misconception at times. Having a high RTP doesn’t always mean a slot is ‘better’, nor does it mean the payouts are guaranteed to be bigger. For example, many of the biggest paying jackpot slots might have a lower RTP, because a (small) percentage of the players’ wagers are taken to fund the progressive jackpot.

NetEnt’s Megajoker is regarded as the slot game with the best payout rate at 99.00%.

Players are aware that they could be trading off a couple of percentage points in standard gameplay payouts, but there is also the chance of hitting that life-changing jackpot.

In the end, there is no golden rule to say that you are guaranteed to win more with a high RTP slot than with a low one. Indeed, the RNG (Random Number Generators) used to determine the outcome of a game ensure there isn’t a way to ‘cheat’ the system by always playing new slots, old ones, playing in the morning, late at night or anything else that falls into the category of ‘casino myths’.

Highest Payout Casino Game
Microgaming’s All Aces video poker is cited as the casino game with the highest RTP at 99.82%.

The outcome for each slot spin is random, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore the percentage payouts of slots. Take into consideration as part of your casino gaming strategy, because a little research can help make your session more profitable. In light of that, some of the most popular online slots and their RTPs are shown in the table below:

Slot Game RTP Software
Cleopatra95%IGT
Mega Moolah95%Microgaming
Thunderstruck 296.65%Microgaming
Spartacus95.94%WMS
Rainbow Riches 95%Barcrest
Game of Thrones95%Microgaming

Software Providers with High RTP

Another myth that sometimes crops up is that online casinos themselves determine the rate of payouts for each game. By and large, the RTP is decided by the software developers who create the casino games. Indeed, some developers are known for releasing games with notably high RTPs. The table below shows some of the usual payout rates for the best casino games developers:

Software Provider Average RTP
NetEnt95% - 98%
Microgaming94% - 97%
Playtech93% - 99%
Yggdrasil96% - 98%

Fast Payout Casinos

It should be clear that there is a difference between a high payout casino and a fast payout casino. High payout casinos, like those we have been covering, refer to those that payout a high percentage in comparison to the total amount that is wagered, whereas fast payout casinos, refers to those with which withdrawals are processed quickly. Players naturally want to access their winnings as quickly as possible, but factors like processing times, pending periods, etc. might lead to a longer wait until your cash is in your bank/internet wallet. The best online casinos process these payments quickly – some in a matter of hours – allowing you to access your cash that much faster.