RTP in slot machines: what is it and how does it affect the game?

Slot machines are the most popular attraction of casinos. They attract thousands of players and represent a large part of the profits of online casinos but also players. Slot machines work differently depending on the parameters that characterize them. In this article we will focus on the RTP of slot machines, what this term means and how it affects the game.

What is RTP?

The RTP from the English ‘Return To Player’ is the Redistribution Rate of a casino slot machines . This parameter represents over a fairly long period of time the winnings redistributed to the players, the rest being perceived by the casino as profit. A clear example is the following. If the players spend a total of $1,000,000 after a certain time on a machine with an RTP of 95%, $950,000 will be redistributed to the players, that is to say won by them, while the casino will make a profit of $50,000. The RTP of a slot machine therefore defines its gross profitability over a given period. This parameter is theoretical so it may not always apply exactly; which is fair since games are a matter of chance and probability. The RTP also has, contrary to popular belief, nothing to do with luck and is moreover not the only factor that characterizes a slot machine.

What is variance?

Variance is another important factor of a slot machine not to be confused with RTP. It defines the frequency at which winning combinations are selected by the machine. A slot machine with a variance of 30% for example displays a winning combination 3 times out of 10. We thus distinguish the "loose" type slot machines which have a large variance but a relatively low RTP. On these machines you will win more often but your winnings will be low. On the contrary, we distinguish the so-called "tight" machines which have a low variance but a high RTP, which means that you can win very big prizes with this type of slot machine but this rarely happens.

How does RTP affect the game?

The RTP you now know what it is, is not enough on its own to impact the course of the game on a slot machine; not at all on the scale of a single player. Whatever the payout rate of a slot machine, it is clear that it does not apply to you alone, but to all players who use the machine. Remember our definition of RTP, the calculation in addition to being theoretical is carried out on the basis of the expenses of many players and even if with the pseudo-random number generators used in slot machines, you can randomly be the one who wins the largest share of redistributed winnings, the probability that this will happen is low.

The machines of land-based casinos also have lower RTP (70% to 80%) than those of online casinos (up to 99%), this being due to the fact that online casinos have less operating costs to bear. Casinos have long kept the RTP of their machine secret preventing you from knowing what type of machine you were playing on, but this information is now public as proof of good faith on the part of gambling establishments. The competent bodies are also responsible for carrying out checks on casino machines according to the recommendations of the law, to prevent and punish various frauds on the part of gambling establishments.