There aren’t many games of pure luck in this world, but slots are one of them. You spin the reels—whether on Casinos.com’s collection of the best RTP slots of 2025 or at a dazzling machine—and watch the reels stop in completely random places, hoping that something will hit.
But let’s get real. No game is truly “pure luck.” When we say “pure luck,” there’s still a way to calculate it to some degree. Seasoned gamblers will talk about how certain machines pay out more than others or how pressing the button at a certain rhythm will manipulate the spins somehow.
While there’s no way you can predict what will appear on the reels next (otherwise, we’d all be billionaires), RTP (Return to Player) is a figure that can be used to improve your chances of winning.
What Is RTP in Slots?
To explain it as simply as possible, RTP is the percentage of money a slot game will pay back to players over time. For example, if there’s a 91% RTP, then it means that particular game will give back $91 for every $100 spent, $910 for every $1,000 spent, $9,100 for every $10,000 spent, and so on. Before you get overly excited, though, this is only an average across a huge number of spins. We’re talking millions or even billions of spins, not the odds for your individual session. Each spin relies on a random number generator (RNG) that provides that randomness, making the game fairer.
The RTP Formula
The RTP formula’s behind-the-scenes is quite complicated and nuanced, with all sorts of algorithms and data going into it. The formula, however, is straightforward:
RTP (%) = (Total amount returned to players / Total amount wagered) x 100
- Total Amount Returned to Players = The total amount the game gives back to players in winnings over a certain period of time.
- Total Amount Wagered = The total of all bets placed on the game by players over a certain period of time or number of spins.
- Multiply by 100 = Converting into a percentage.
To make this easier to understand, let’s look at an example.
If players wager a total of $10,000,000 over 5 million spins, and the game pays out $9,200,000 in winnings, here’s what it’d look like if we plugged those numbers into the equation:
RTP = ($9,200,000 / $10,000,000) x 100 = 92%
But since most of us don’t have the time, willpower, or money to wager ten million spins, why should we care about RTP?
Well, it helps with your decision-making. With such an extensive catalogue of games, you can choose one with a higher RTP for a theoretical advantage. Especially if you spend hours trying your luck at slots or are a big spender, you’re more likely to reap higher returns. It’ll give you an idea of volatility and help manage your expectations.
How Game Developers Use RTP in Slot Games
RTP is influenced by a couple of factors aside from randomly generated spins. While most people don’t know this, game developers carefully decide and craft RTP. This doesn’t mean that spins are rigged but that the payout percentage is pre-calculated to balance casino profitability and player fairness. After all, if slots favoured the player, casinos would go out of business.
The way a game is inherently designed, such as the number of paylines or bonus features, can influence RTP. Is the game particularly volatile? High-volatility games could provide huge jackpot-style wins but rare wins, which would put short-play patrons at a disadvantage.
Low-volatility games, on the other hand, are made to provide smaller but more frequent wins. Betting levels can also impact, where some games only offer higher payouts for those using higher bet amounts. RTP is about how the game works and is designed.
The more you know about a slot’s RTP, the better. But how would you even begin to find out this information?
Here’s where to look:
- Built-in information section: Many slot games have a help section that explains how to play the game and provides other details like the paylines and RTP percentage.
- Casino or developer website: Playing online or on an app? The casino app itself or the developer website may have RTP information on there under a section such as “Game details.”
- Review sites: For popular casino sites or popular slot games, you might find discussions on review sites that’ll give you some useful insight into certain games.
- Customer support: Customer support online or even in brick-and-mortar casinos may be willing to provide RTP information if asked.
RTP and the Player Experience
If you’re serious about winning and not letting fate take the reins, RTP can certainly impact the results of your gambling session. It’s a lot like learning the ins and outs of any other game, like chess. The more you know about it and how to play to your advantage, the better the outcome.
While slots don’t exactly have a strategy for playing them, knowing factors at play like RTP can give you a little more confidence in knowing how much of your wager could be potentially returned to you over time. Rather than pulling up to a slot machine or signing onto a casino app without any direction and trying your luck, you can play more intentionally and with more realistic expectations.
