The RTP% (Return to Player percentage) payout rate is a term that refers to the sum of all winnings expected to be paid back to players by a computer-generated online fruit machine or classic casino game, such as roulette, blackjack, poker, baccarat, or craps.
In other words, if an online fruit machine has a 98.60% RTP payout rate (which is considered high), and you spend $/€/£10.00 on that game, you should, mathematically speaking, receive at least $/€/£9.86, on average, in winnings. However, it doesn’t always work like this.
Similarly, if a fruity is pre-programmed to pay out, on average, 92.20% (which is considered low), you should, mathematically speaking, receive at least $/€/£9.20 in winnings, and so on. In other words, the RTP% payout rate is relatively easy to understand.
The question being asked here is, how fair are RTP calculations for online fruitys?
I’ve done plenty of research to bring you the answer in greater detail, so let’s dive in to discover more about how RTP% payout rates are calculated and if they are fair or not.
How are RTP% payout rates calculated in online fruit machines?
Hopefully, it doesn’t come as too much of a surprise to you, but each time we hit the spin button in our favourite online fruitys, the results are, in fact, pre-determined.
In other words, online fruit machines and all other computer-generated content we can play at licensed and regulated iGaming sites rely on highly sophisticated and advanced mathematical algorithm programs called RNGs (Random Number Generators) to produce the results.
However, RNGs are designed to mimic true randomness as closely as possible, and they are frequently tested in-house, by regulators, and by internationally accredited gambling software testing agencies, such as eCOGRA (eCommerce Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance), to name just one reputable testing agency.
Therefore, online fruity machines are designed to pay back a certain amount based on how much has been wagered on them.
eCOGRA, for example, will use its systems to test an online fruity by playing millions, or sometimes billions of spins at the same stake value to get more accurate results and to see if the RTP% payout rates stated in that fruity’s paytable are correct.
We can also find the latest RTP% payout rates for online fruitys by calculating how much money players have spent on a game and how much they received back in winnings. The best return to player slots are classed as those with a 97.00% to 98.00% or higher payout rate.
Why don’t I always receive anywhere near the average RTP% payout rate for certain games?
The important thing to remember is that hundreds of thousands or even millions of people could all be playing the same fruity as you at the same time.
If those players spend a combined $/€/£10,000,000.00 on, say, the Mega Moolah online fruity, collectively, they might receive a total of $/€/£9,567,000 back in winnings, which means this game has a 95.67% RTP payout rate, which is fairly average.
However, you might not have seen a penny of those winnings. You may have spent $/€/£500 on that game and got unlucky, only to receive $/€/£50 back in winnings, whereas another player may have only spent $/€/£5 or $/€/£10 but received $/€/£300 in winnings.
In other words, it’s all still random whether you win or lose. It’s not a precise science, and the RTP% payout rate tells us how much, on average, should be returned in winnings. It doesn’t tell us who is going to win or when they are going to win.
The main testing agencies that frequently monitor and test games to reveal their RTP% payout rates are the following:
eCOGRA Quinel Ltd iTech Global Pty Limited Global Lab Limited Technical Systems Testing BMM Testlabs Gaming Laboratory InternationalThey might test the games over four or six weeks and then publish the results on their official websites for the whole world to see.
Testing agencies like this ensure the players aren’t getting cheated in any way and help foster a sense of transparency and trust in the gambling industry.
Why do some players look for high RTP payout fruitys and avoid ones with low RTP payout rates?
I used to ONLY play online fruitys and other computer-generated classics with a high or above-average RTP% payout rate because I assumed I would be more likely to win.
While mathematically speaking, it is true, for the same reasons I’ve mentioned above, it still doesn’t guarantee I will win more. Therefore, these days, I’m not really bothered whether an online fruity has a low, medium, or high RTP% payout rate because it’s still random if I win.
In fact, I’ve had just as much success on fruitys with 93.00% RTP payout rates as I have with 97.00% or higher RTP fruitys. If I like a game, I will play it regardless of its current RTP payout rate.
I used to think it was a great strategy, which I can’t argue isn’t, but I’m less bothered about RTP% payout rates today and trying to find ones with a 98.00% or higher rate.
Final note
The important thing to remember is that while RTP calculations and payout rates are fair for players, they can only be trusted on reputable gambling sites that are fully licensed and regulated by one or more mid to top-tier licensing authorities – ones that trustworthy operators own.
The same cannot be said of unlicensed gambling sites, which may use faulty software that has been tampered with, or they will lie about their RTP% payout rates to make them appear as though they pay back more in winnings when, in fact, they don’t pay out more.
In other words, only stick to playing at trustworthy gambling sites and avoid ones that are unlicensed or licensed by what are known as bottom-tier/rubber-stamp licensing authorities.
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