RTP (Return to Player) is the theoretical percentage of the total amount wagered that a casino game returns to all players over millions of rounds. It is a statistical and long-term value: it describes the cumulative behavior of the game, not what may happen in a single session. Each game publishes its own RTP, and you can check it within the game itself before starting.
How RTP is calculated
The RTP of a casino game is calculated theoretically, based on the mathematical rules of the game and a simulation of millions of rounds. It is not obtained by measuring what players win or lose on any given day.
The result is always expressed as a percentage of the total amount wagered, not of an individual player’s money. An RTP of 96% means that, adding up all bets from all players over a very long period, the game returns in prizes the equivalent of 96 out of every 100 wagered.
Why RTP does not predict the outcome of a round
The RTP does not indicate how much you will receive in a game or session. Each round of a casino game is an independent and random event, generated by an RNG (Random Number Generator), and is not influenced by previous rounds or the published return percentage.
For this reason, a game with a high RTP can have a session without any wins, while a game with a lower RTP can give a big prize. The figure only has statistical meaning when accumulated over huge numbers of rounds, far beyond what a single person plays.
What the house edge is and how it relates to RTP
The house edge is the complementary percentage to the RTP: what the game theoretically retains from the total amount wagered over the long term. It is calculated by subtracting the RTP from 100.
A game with an RTP of 96% has a house edge of 4%. Both values describe exactly the same thing from opposite perspectives, so a higher RTP always equals a lower house edge.
The difference between RTP and volatility
The RTP indicates how much a casino game returns in the long term; volatility indicates how it returns it. They are two different indicators and do not depend on each other.
A game with high volatility pays out prizes less frequently but of larger size. A game with low volatility pays smaller prizes more often. Two games can have the same RTP of 96% and behave completely differently during a session.
How to check the RTP of a game
You can see the RTP of any game within the game itself, before placing a bet:
- Open the game you want to check.
- Go to the Info or Paytable section of the game.
- Look for the RTP percentage within the game rules.
The exact name of this section and its position on screen vary depending on the provider who develops each game, so it may appear as Info, Information, or Paytable depending on the title. This same section also shows the full rules, the prize table, and the special features of the game.