What Does RTP Mean in Casino Games?
RTP stands for Return to Player, and it represents the percentage of all money wagered on a casino game that is theoretically returned to players over millions of bets. It’s expressed as a percentage, so a game with 96% RTP has a theoretical return of 96 cents for every dollar wagered.
The keyword here is “theoretical.” RTP is calculated over an enormous number of game rounds, so it doesn’t tell you what will happen during your next spin, hand, or session. If you wager A$100 on a 96% RTP game, you could win A$2,000, lose the entire A$100, or finish somewhere in between.
RTP is directly connected to the house edge. As I have explained the other side of the calculation in my house edge guide, a game with 96% RTP has a theoretical house edge of 4%, meaning the casino expects to retain A$4 for every A$100 wagered over the long term.
What Is a Good RTP?
You’re probably wondering what counts as a good RTP. Obviously, the higher the percentage, the better the theoretical return for the player, but I find these benchmarks useful when comparing casino games:
- 99%+ – Excellent: Very high RTP and usually among the best options available.
- 97–99% – Very good: An excellent RTP that I’d be happy to see when choosing a game.
- 95–97% – Common: Fairly typical across many casino games, particularly online pokies.
- Below 95% – Relatively low: There are plenty of games with better theoretical returns, so I’d generally look for another option.
That said, there isn’t one RTP figure that automatically makes a game good or bad. The typical RTP varies between different types of casino games, and the rules, paytable, betting options and game configuration can all affect it.
A 96% RTP might be normal for one game but relatively poor for another, so it’s best to compare games within the same category.
Casino Games With the Highest RTP
If you’re looking for the best mathematical odds, it’s worth knowing which casino games tend to offer the highest RTP. This is also something I consider when reviewing top casinos, because I want to see a good selection of games with competitive theoretical returns.
Blackjack can offer an RTP of up to around 99.5% when you use perfect basic strategy, although the exact figure depends on the rules. The number of decks, blackjack payout, dealer’s soft 17 rule and doubling restrictions can all affect the final figure.
If you want to try it yourself, I’d look for a classic blackjack table at one of the top blackjack casinos and check the rules before playing. In blackjack, even the smallest rule changes can make a noticeable difference to the RTP.
Some video poker games, like Deuces Wild and Jacks or Better, can offer 99% RTP or even higher, although the exact return depends on the paytable and how well you play. Choosing the right version and following the optimal strategy is therefore very important.
You can find video poker at some of our top poker casinos, although the exact games available can vary, so I still recommend you check out the rules of each game before playing.
Baccarat is another game with a relatively high RTP, particularly when betting on the Banker. Under standard rules, the Banker bet has an RTP of around 98.94%, making classic baccarat one of the better choices if you want a simple table game with good theoretical odds.
You can try classic baccarat at popular Australian casinos such as DragonSlots, although I’d always check the specific rules and commission before playing.
The type of roulette you choose makes the biggest difference in the RTP of the game.
French roulette can reach around 98.65% RTP when the La Partage or En Prison rules apply to even-money bets, while European roulette has around 97.30%. American roulette drops to roughly 94.74% because of its additional 00 pocket.
If RTP is your priority, I’d therefore choose European or French roulette over American roulette whenever you have the option, both of which are widely available at popular roulette sites.
Instant-win games are another category worth checking if RTP is important to you. Games such as Plinko, Crash, Dice and Mines can offer RTPs in the high-90% range, although the exact figure varies considerably between games and providers.
For example, Plinko games can reach around 98-99% RTP, while some Crash and Dice games also offer RTPs of 97-99%. I particularly like these games because they give you more control over certain aspects of the gameplay, such as the risk level, cash-out point or bet settings, while still offering relatively high theoretical returns.
Pokies generally have a slightly lower RTP than the games above, but there are plenty of high-RTP pokies available that offer 97%, 98% or even 99% RTP, although you should always check the individual game’s information because different RTP configurations can exist.
The nice thing about them is that you can find high-RTP options across a huge range of themes and features, so if you’re going to play pokies anyway, I’d take a few seconds to check the RTP before choosing a particular game.
RTP Comparison Across Popular Casino Games
The RTP can vary quite a bit between casino games, so here’s a quick comparison of some of the options with the best theoretical returns:
| Game | Typical/Maximum RTP | What Affects It |
|---|---|---|
| Blackjack | Up to ~99.5% | Rules and using basic strategy |
| Video Poker | 99%+ | Paytable and using strategy |
| Baccarat | ~98.94% | Banker bet and other rules |
| Instant Win Games | Up to ~99% | Game rules and risk settings |
| French Roulette | ~98.65% | La Partage / En Prison rules |
| European Roulette | ~97.30% | Single zero |
| High-RTP Pokies | 97–99%+ | Game configuration |
What Can Lower a Game's RTP?
A game’s RTP is the theoretical return calculated for that specific game and its rules, but those rules and configurations can vary between games. That means two versions of what looks like the same game can have different RTPs, and knowing what affects the calculation helps you understand why one version can offer better odds than another:
- Blackjack Rules: Blackjack is a great example of how small rule changes can affect RTP. For example, a 6:5 blackjack payout is worse for the player than the standard 3:2 payout, while rules such as the dealer hitting on soft 17 can also increase the house edge.
- Roulette Variant: The number of zeroes on the wheel has a direct impact on RTP. European roulette, with a single zero, has an RTP of around 97.30%, while American roulette, with both 0 and 00, drops to roughly 94.74%. French roulette can offer an even higher RTP on even-money bets when La Partage or En Prison applies.
- Pokies RTP Configuration: With pokies, the RTP depends on how the studio has programmed the game. Some games are available with different RTP configurations, so two casinos can offer the same pokie with different theoretical returns. I suggest you always check the game’s information to see which RTP version you’re playing.
- Side Bets: Side bets can have a significantly lower RTP than the main game. This is particularly common in games like blackjack, where bets such as Perfect Pairs or 21+3 can offer attractive payouts but usually come with much worse RTP.
- Video Poker Paytables: Video poker is heavily influenced by its paytable, so even though two games with the same basic format may look the same, they can have different theoretical returns.
Alex Notes: In all the casino games that require a strategy, the advertised RTP generally assumes that you’re making the mathematically optimal decisions. For games like blackjack, you can use our blackjack strategy chart to ensure you’re always making the right decision.
RTP vs Volatility: What's the Difference?
RTP and volatility are two completely different things, although they’re often confused and intermixed. RTP tells you the theoretical long-term return of a game, while volatility tells you how those wins and losses tend to be distributed.
A game with 96% RTP, for example, can be either low- or high-volatility. A low-volatility game might produce smaller wins more frequently, while a high-volatility game may go longer without a significant win but offer the possibility of much larger payouts.
For example, imagine two pokies with 96% RTP. One might pay small amounts more often, while the other could produce much longer losing stretches followed by a large win. The RTP is identical, but the playing experience can be completely different.
So, a higher RTP doesn’t automatically mean more frequent wins, and vice versa. If you care about how often you win versus how large those wins can be, you need to consider volatility as well as RTP.
How Do I Check a Casino Game's RTP?
Checking the RTP is usually pretty easy, although the exact location depends on the casino and the game. Before you start playing, I suggest you do the following:
1
Open the Info or Help section:
Most casino games have an information button somewhere on the game screen, often marked with an “i” or question mark.
2
Look for the RTP:
Search for RTP, Return to Player, or Payout Percentage. Some games display it directly, while others include it in the game’s rules.
3
Check the casino's game information:
If you can’t find the RTP inside the game, look at the casino’s information page for that particular title.
4
Check the rules for table games:
With blackjack and other table games, the rules are particularly important because things like the blackjack payout, number of decks and dealer rules can determine the game’s RTP.
Tip By Alex: Take a few seconds to check the actual game you’re about to play, especially when you’re choosing between similar versions.
Can Casinos Change RTP?
The RTP of a casino game is set by its mathematical configuration, but some games can be available in multiple RTP versions. This is particularly common with pokies, where the same title may be offered with different theoretical return settings.
That means a casino may offer a game at, for example, 96% RTP, while another casino could offer the same game with a different configuration and a different RTP. It isn’t necessarily the casino changing the maths after you’ve started playing; rather, the operator may have selected a particular RTP version provided by the game developer.
For that reason, I always recommend checking the actual RTP of the version you’re playing rather than searching for the game’s RTP generally. The number you find on another website may refer to a different configuration, and the only RTP number that affects you is the setting of the particular game.
Does Higher RTP Mean Better Odds of Winning?
Yes, a higher RTP does signify better odds of winning in the long run, but not necessarily in the short run. Over time, a 99% RTP game has better theoretical maths for the player than a 95% RTP game, because it is designed to return more of the money wagered over a very large number of plays.
However, that doesn’t mean the 99% RTP game will be more generous to you tonight. You could play the 99% RTP game and lose your entire bankroll, while someone else could get lucky on the 95% RTP game and walk away with a big jackpot win.
Short-term results are affected by randomness, and RTP only becomes meaningful when you’re looking at a huge number of bets.
So, you can use the RTP figure to compare the long-term maths of games, not to predict what will happen next. A higher RTP is generally preferable when everything else is equal, but it cannot predict your next spin, hand or round.
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