Written By: Lauren Lister | Fact Checked By: Sarah Lunness
For those of you that are new to the world of gambling online or even those who have experienced the excitement of online slot machines, there may be some terminology or acronyms that you might not know or understand. Luckily for you, this is where our team of experts comes in! In this article, you can expect to find a complete guide on the meaning of RTP, which casinos and casino games have the highest RTP and how to calculate RTP at an online casino.
Best RTP Casinos Listed:
What Does RTP Mean?
So, what is “RTP” anyway?
RTP is a well-known and frequently used acronym in the online casino industry, and it stands for Return To Player. The meaning behind Return to Player and how it is calculated is easy to understand; the RTP is represented as the amount of money returned to a player, on average, from a particular online slot or casino game over time. This value is normally displayed as a percentage and is really simple to calculate.
To put this into perspective, we will take the example of a popular slot game from Netent, Fire Joker that has a whopping 99% Return to Player percentage. When a game has a 99% RTP percentage you can expect to earn back 99% of your wager, on average. If you invest $100 you can expect to make a return of $99 on average. It is important to stress, however, that this is not a guaranteed figure; it is simply calculated as an average based on hundreds of thousands of games and their results.
Despite not being the most accurate figure, RTP or Return to Player percentages can be an excellent way to estimate how much money you could potentially see returned. This does not mean to say that games with lower RTP levels are not equally as entertaining or exciting, but Canadian casino players can take advantage of some fantastic high RTP games at the recommended casinos above.
How Is Return To Player Calculated?
It is so much easier than you might think to calculate the Return to Player percentage of a game. All you have to do is divide the returned amount from your game by the total amount staked. So, if over the entire time you have spent playing a game, you have seen a return of $100, you will need to divide $100 by the amount that you have invested in that time. For example, if you have invested $110, the RTP for that particular game would be 90.9%. In the online gambling industry, however, RTP is calculated virtually using this method. This calculation is made by a computer system that replicates the game, not based on the results of real-life games. Using this method is the fastest and most accurate way to find a game’s RTP percentage because the computer can “play” hundreds of games in a short period of time.
It can be slightly more complex to calculate the RTP percentage of other casino games such as roulette, blackjack, baccarat, poker and craps. Because these games require more skill, strategy and circumstantial thinking, it can be difficult to replicate this using a computer. In a game of blackjack, for example, certain players may risk a “hit” on a hand that is higher in value; this has a huge impact on the overall RTP, for the player as an individual and for the game as a whole. You can find the average RTP for classic casino games here:
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Slot Games - 94%-99%
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Roulette - 93%-97%
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Blackjack - 95%-99%
RTP for Roulette Games
One of the classic casino games with the highest average return to player percentages is online roulette, despite being known as a chance game. In a game of roulette, you have two types of bets, inside and outside. An inside bet is generally considered a “high-risk” bet because you bet that the ball will land on one number, which means that in the event of a win, you will typically get a higher payout. In contrast, an outside bet is lower risk because there are lower odds and you have a higher chance of winning. Despite the differences in the bet types on a roulette game, when it comes to calculating its RTP percentage, each bet type is considered the same. You can find an example of this in the table below.
| Type of Bet | Odds | RTP |
| Straight-up (Inside) | 33/1 | 94% |
| Corner (Outside) | 10/1 | 94% |
| Red or Black (Outside) | 1/1 | 94% |
RTP in European Roulette and American Roulette
Talking about online roulette and its RTP can become quite confusing if you don’t know the difference between European roulette and American roulette. Despite the games being largely the same, there are some minor differences we need to be aware of that affect the game’s RTP. Due to the additional “pocket” on an American Roulette wheel, the double zero, there is an added option for betting. This means that if a game’s RTP level will impact your decision on whether to play, American Roulette has an average RTP that is lower than European Roulette.
Summary
RTP, otherwise known as Return to Player, can be an excellent way to choose a new game to play. Most online casinos offer upwards of 500 games, so getting to know RTP and how to calculate it, can help you make the tough decision. Our team of experts work hard to recommend the best online casinos on the market and the online casinos with the highest payouts, and RTP percentages make this process much easier.
The games with the highest RTP percentages are generally online slot machines, but for those who enjoy playing classic casino games like blackjack, roulette, baccarat, poker and craps, we would recommend playing blackjack for the highest return to player percentage.
