Highest RTP slots: how to find them and check the setting you get

What counts as a high RTP

Return to player is the share of all stakes a game is designed to pay back over a very large number of spins. A 96% slot keeps 4% on average; a 98% slot keeps 2%, half as much. The difference is invisible in a short session and decisive over a long one: at 600 spins an hour and $1 a spin, the expected hourly cost is $24 at 96% and $12 at 98%.

RTP says nothing about how wins are distributed. That is volatility, and a high-RTP game can still be very volatile.

Why the same slot has different RTPs

Studios commonly certify a game at several return settings, for example around 96.5%, 95.5% and 94.5%, and let each operator pick. Some games also change RTP when an optional feature such as an ante bet or bonus buy is used. As a result, “the RTP of” a slot is often a range, and the top figure quoted in reviews may not be the one you are playing.

Our [games catalogue](/games/?sort=rtp) lists the figure each studio publishes on its own site and notes where other settings exist.

How to check the RTP you are actually getting

1. Open the game and find the information, help or paytable screen, usually behind an “i” or menu icon.
2. Scroll to the rules text. Look for “RTP”, “theoretical return” or “return to player”.
3. Compare it with the studio’s published default. If it is lower, the casino has chosen a reduced setting.
4. If the game offers a feature buy or ante bet, check whether a separate RTP is stated for it.

In Great Britain, remote gambling rules require information that lets customers understand their chance of winning, such as the theoretical RTP, to be easily available for each game. Regulators elsewhere set their own rules, and some set a minimum return.

Do some casinos pay out more than others

For slots, the only real difference between licensed casinos is which RTP setting they choose for each game. Table games differ by rule set instead; see blackjack rules that change the edge. Sites that advertise a single “payout percentage” for the whole casino are quoting an average across every game and player, which tells you little about the game you intend to play.

High RTP and jackpots

Progressive jackpot slots usually have a lower base-game return because part of each stake feeds the prize pool. The headline RTP may include the jackpot contribution, most of which is returned to a very small number of winners. How progressive jackpots work explains the split.