RTP is a term you here fairly often in the Sweepstakes Casino community. We toss it around all the time in our slot reviews, but what does RTP really mean for players. Is it as important as it’s made out to be? We decided to debunk some myths about RTP and make it clear when it matters, and when it’s just marketing.
So what exactly is RTP? It means return to player. It’s how much a slot machine is programmed to return to players. So, say you spent $100 on a slots machine, in theory, a machine with a 94% RTP would pay out $94 after 100 $1 spins. However, that’s the simplified version, and not exactly how things work in the real world. In reality, those numbers come from the mathematical curves these machines are set to. Modern slot machines rely basically on seeds to produce the outcome of a spin, and the frequency of winning seeds is how much the RTP is. They’ll often run these slots millions of times at different levels to see exactly what the RTP for a game is, but at the end of the day, RTP is a theoretical number and not guaranteed. Meaning that same days, a slot could have an RTP of 90% and another 98%, it’s an average more so than a specific rule the slot machine has to follow.
RTP for sweepstakes casinos serves more as an advertisement than a genuine indication of the difficulty of winning at a specific game. Most of the time, you’ll see sweepstakes casinos promoting RTPs over 96% to entice players, trying to convince them that it will impact their chances of winning. While it does theoretically influence outcomes, it may affect how much players win in relation to how often. This aspect of RTP is tricky; it simply has to pay that amount back. It doesn’t matter if it does so through many small wins or one massive win. As long as it pays out the correct percentage of the money deposited, it has done its job. This is where we delve into the relationship between volatility and RTP.
Volatility might matter even more than RTP because it basically represents the player's risk per spin. On a high or very high volatility slot, the player should know that they have a high risk of winning nothing. However, if you win on a high volatility slot, your reward is likely to be much higher. So essentially, the higher the volatility, the fewer payouts a machine typically gives out, but the larger the reward. That’s why most slot players prefer high volatility slots. They give every spin a chance to hit it big, and because each spin typically has the same odds of winning, it means you can hit early and come out ahead. Low volatility slots do exist; they’re just far less popular. On those, you can expect to win frequent small rewards, but rarely a massive one. The way this pairs with RTP is fascinating because RTP basically tells you how large a potential reward could be. So, say you’re playing a slot that has a high RTP with a 95% return to player rate. That slot will probably pay you out slightly more for winning than a similar volatility slot with a 92% RTP. That’s not always the case, and it really is up to chance, but just mathematically, that’s why higher RTPs are often advantageous for players.
So what does this mean for players? Are these just numbers slapped on the side of a machine to give players confidence? Well, yeah, kinda. Slots are inherently random, and when we’re talking about theoretical RTP numbers, we’re discussing millions or tens of millions of spins, far more than the average player would make. So, trying to play for RTP is like a drop of water in the ocean. You spin a game, and even if you play thousands of times, you could still fall below or exceed the theoretical rate. So, should they still matter to players? Yes. Mainly as a tool to gauge risk in a game. In the most general sense, RTP can be used to find games that give players a slight advantage, even though most of it is up to luck.
So, should players only play games with high RTP rates? Absolutely not. The point of playing slots is to have fun; trying to squeeze out percentage points from a slot is a fool's errand. In other casino games like blackjack, strategy and slight statistical edges can make the difference between winning and losing; however, slots just don’t operate that way. Ultimately, it comes down to what you’re playing for. Most people in sweepstakes casinos are playing for fun and entertainment, while those seeking an advantage should likely stick to high RTP games. In the end, it’s all about what you’re playing for, but in most cases, as long as the game is enjoyable, that’s the most important part.
Finding High RTP games isn’t too challenging most of the time. The number one thing we do when we get onto a new sweepstakes casino is check out the popular games. Most of the time, other people have already found some of the best RTP games and play them routinely. So they’ll slow trickle to the top of the playlist. The next easiest method is just checking the game. It can be a bit tedious to go through multiple games, but find one that you like, then go to the information section where they’ll have a theoretical RTP rate listed. This is the best way to find games that have high RTP rates. We’d recommend always checking games before you start playing, too. RTP can change between vendors or sweepstakes casinos operate, so what is a 96% RTP at one casino could be 92% at another.
Lastly, there are a couple of common myths about RTP that we wanted to address.
High RTP Means Players Win More: While this is not entirely untrue, the scale of RTP makes it unlikely to affect a single playthrough. You can still easily lose money on a slot that advertises 99% RTP. So be careful when slots broadly advertise super high RTP rates, because there might be some other factors at play before players can achieve those returns!
Low RTP rates aren’t necessarily rigged. You can still win a ton of coins from a slot with a low RTP.
RTP is affected by the number of spins you make. This simply isn’t true; just because you had some good luck early doesn’t mean the machine will lower the RTP on you. You’re more likely to experience the intended ups and downs of the game the longer you play. Playing 5 spins or 5000 spins doesn’t affect how the machine will pay you out!