For those new to the spinin’ life, there some common terms thrown around the community that are often sited - but what do they actually mean?
RTP (Return to Player)
Let’s examine the details on one of my favorite games by Pragmatic Play, Madame Destiny Megaways:
Max Win & Return to Player (RTP)
Madame Destiny Megaways is a high volatility slot with a return to player (RTP) is 96.60% and a House Edge of 3.40%.
Now, let’s compare this to Stake’s enhanced rtp version Madame Mystique Megaways:
Max Win & Return to Player (RTP)
Madame Mystique Megaways is a high volatility slot with a return to player (RTP) is 98.0% and a House Edge of 2.0%.
First, a basic explanation. If you were to take the total amount of money wagered on the game, and divide that by the total amount of money won by players, the percentage would be the advertised percentages above. So in the enhanced RTP example above - for every $100 put in, the casino gives $98.0 back and keeps $2.00 as it’s house edge.
At face value this is great right? However, I know what you’re thinkin’. “This is not my experience. 1 slot with a high RTP has no problem eating my whole deposit.”
How does this work? It’s important to understand that the theoretical RTP is calculated using the particular slot’s pay table combinations simulated over millions of games. However, RTP isn’t the only slot machine attribute that determines how a slot behaves. To get the full picture we need to discuss volatility.
Volatility
Volatility shows how often a single slot machine pays out to the player.
Volatility and RTP are connected, but you cannot immediately predict the volatility of a game based on knowing only its RTP.
Two games with the same RTP might pay out differently, and the payout difference will depend on how volatile or variable the game is.
Low Volatility:
- Pays out more often but for smaller amounts.
High volatility:
- Pays out less often, but often with much higher amounts.
In general, high RTP online slots with low volatility pay out frequently, but the prizes are small and, most of the time, just enough to keep you going and enjoying the game.
Conversely, a slot machine with a high RTP and high volatility will pay out much less often but with much more valuable prizes.
If you are playing a high RTP and High Volatility slot, there’s a chance it takes $100 from you, and gives $98 of it to me. Leaving you with nothing.
Hopefully this helps clear up a few terms that are thrown around, and allows you to make a more informed choice when it comes to gambling on slots.
-Nick
