Avid players of slots will have read the term RTP in almost every slot review there is online, I know it is included in every review we post however you may be wondering what it means. Here is everything you will ever need to know about RTP.
What is RTP?
Of course, the acronym RTP comes from the phrase Return to Player which refers to the amount of money in live and online casino games that is paid out in comparison to how much is put in. The RTP of a game is displayed as a percentage of 100 so for example if for every NZ$100 paid into a game it kept NZ$5.00 profit then the RTP would be 95%. However, the mechanics of these gambling machines is a lot more precise than this and the RTP can often go into the decimals.
Why is it important?
The importance of RTP in terms of casinos and online gambling sites in proving to their licensing that payers have a fair chance of winning money back from the games, without RTP there would be no way of knowing whether the games were fair. It is important for players to see what is offered by games when deciding to place their money on them although other variables should be taken into account when deciding what to play.
How does it work?
As mentioned earlier the return to player determines how much is paid out per the amount that is put in. Although, this does not mean if a player puts NZ$100 in to a 96% slot then they are guaranteed NZ$96. The algorithm works off money put in over time and would payout 96% of the total takings This is where the variance comes into to play as low variance games pay out little and often, medium variance pays out some big and small but less often and high variance will pay out big, but not as often.
RTP’s Effect on RNG
The RNG (Random Number Generator) is the software used by online games that decides which number a roulette ball will land on or the symbols that a slot will stop turning on. The software can generate a long string of randomly selected numbers, symbols, cards etc. All from an initial addition to the machine, called the seed. It is through this seed that software developers can manipulate the RTP rates of games.
Summary
So that is a basic overview of RTP, what it means and a peek at the inner workings of the software. When looking at game reviews it is important not to be blinded by a high RTP as there is no saying this will benefit you at all. This is the same with chasing losses as spending more money does not guarantee a payout and could leave players in a bigger hole than before. Put this newfound knowledge into practice at one of our great affiliate websites compatible across desktop and mobile devices.
