On online casino slot machines, the Return to Player is around 96%. In real hell casinos, the RTP is between 85 and 90%.
How Does RTP Work?
The RTP is calculated over hundreds of millions of game spins. Before a slot machine receives authorization from the authorities, the game provider performs millions of spins on it over several weeks. This allows them to give players the most accurate RTP possible.
For example, when a machine shows an RTP of 96%, it means that for $100 invested, you should theoretically receive $96 in return. Of course, this is only theoretical. If luck is with you, you can win above this amount. On the contrary, you will also be able to receive much lower sums. This is just one example, as reality happens over hundreds of millions of spins.
The RTP Is Calculated Over the Very Long Term
As you can imagine, online casinos, just like land-based casinos, calculate RTP over millions of rounds of play, and therefore, over the very long term.
The more you play on a slot machine, the closer you will get to the theoretical return of this creation. The same goes for live games or original creations.
There is no slot machine in online casinos like in real casinos that has an RTP above 100. This would mean that the creation of the game provider would cause the company to lose money in the long run.
RTP and Variance – How to See Differences?
RTP and variance are two totally different things. The RTP is calculated over the very long term, unlike the variance which is only over the short term.
The RTP can definitely change. It depends on the way you play. So does the variance. Indeed, depending on your way of playing, the RTP will not be the same. For example, when playing blackjack, without a side-bet, the theoretical return will be around 99.29%. However, the variance will also be very small. The lower the RTP, the lower the variance/volatility will be.
However, let’s say that during a blackjack play you decide to bet on side-bets. Your RTP will be much lower:
95.5% for perfect pairs
99.30% for 21+3
For its part, the variance will become much more important.
The most graphic example is roulette. If you play in the colors red or black, the roulette RTP will be very high. But the variance will be very low, because the payout is only x2 your initial bet.
But if you choose to bet on specific numbers, your RTP over the long term will be lower. However, the variance in the very short term will be drastically greater, with a gain of 36 times your initial bet if you find the right number.
Variance/volatility is not just something reserved for live games. Indeed, if you play on a slot machine, the variance will be extremely high. If you want to get the most important bonus (the progressive free spins), you could spend a lot of money to get it without being sure you have money in return.
However, if luck is with you, the explosiveness of slot machines means that you can walk away with very high winnings, even with a low bet.
The Variance According to Your Balance
If you are looking for a balance boost, you are going to tend to play on very high volatility slot machines. If luck is with you, you can walk away with a much higher balance than when you arrived. But if the variance is extreme on the slot machine, it is very likely that you will spend a lot of money without having any bonus behind it.
Your bet also affects your variance. If you have a balance of $100 at the start and you decide to bet $0.50 per turn, your variance is very high. If luck is with you, you can drastically increase your balance. If not, your session at an online casino could end very quickly.
