Strategy reference
RTP Explained
Return-to-Player is the most useful number in gambling - and the one operators are most likely to obscure. Here is the long-run return rate of every game you'll see in an online casino, with what those numbers actually mean in play.
- RTP = 100% − house edge. A 96% RTP slot returns ~£96 per £100 wagered over the long run.
- "Long run" means millions of spins. Session results vary wildly around the expected value.
- Highest RTP games: blackjack (99.5%), video poker (99.5%), baccarat (98.94%). Worst: keno (~75%) and double-zero American roulette (94.74%).
RTP table - every common online casino game
Ranked by RTP, highest first. Variance describes how widely session outcomes cluster around the long-run average - high-variance games can swing big in either direction even at the same RTP.
| Game | RTP | House Edge | Variance | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackjack (basic strategy, 3:2 payout) | 99.5% | 0.5% | Low | European single-deck rules. American 6:5 payout drops RTP to ~98.6%. |
| Video Poker (Jacks or Better, full pay) | 99.5% | 0.5% | Low | Full-pay 9/6 paytable required. 8/5 paytables drop RTP to ~97.3%. |
| Craps (Pass Line + odds) | 99.59% | 0.41% | Low | Pass Line bet with 3x/4x/5x odds. Pass alone is 98.59%. |
| Baccarat (Banker bet) | 98.94% | 1.06% | Very Low | Banker is the lowest-edge baccarat bet after the 5% commission. |
| Crash games (e.g. Stake Crash) | 99% | 1% | Very High | Provably fair. Optimal at low auto-cashout multipliers; variance compounds at high. |
| European Roulette | 97.30% | 2.70% | Medium | Single-zero. Always pick European over American. |
| Sic Bo (Small/Big bet) | 97.22% | 2.78% | Low | Avoid speciality bets - many sit at 16%+ house edge. |
| Slots - low volatility | 96-97% | 3-4% | Low | Mature studio titles. Frequent small wins, fewer big hits. |
| Slots - medium volatility | 95-96% | 4-5% | Medium | Mainstream slot range. Most popular titles fall here. |
| Slots - high volatility | 94-96% | 4-6% | High | Megaways and bonus-buy slots. Rare big wins, long dry spells. |
| American Roulette | 94.74% | 5.26% | Medium | Double zero - almost double the house edge of European. Avoid if you have the choice. |
| Slots - jackpot-linked | 88-94% | 6-12% | Very High | Headline RTP excludes the jackpot pool. Effective edge is much higher. |
| Keno | ~75% | ~25% | Very High | Among the worst-edge games in any casino. Entertainment, not value. |
What RTP actually measures
RTP is calculated over the lifetime of the game's math model - typically tens of millions of simulated spins or hands. A 96% RTP slot will, in the long run, pay back 96p of every £1 wagered. The other 4p is the house edge.
In a single session, your result can be wildly different from the RTP. A 96% RTP slot can leave you up 5x your buy-in or down to zero. RTP tells you the direction the wind is blowing - variance tells you how strong the gusts are.
Why two copies of the same slot can have different RTP
Most major slot studios (Pragmatic Play, NetEnt, Play'n GO, Push Gaming) ship multiple RTP variants of the same visual slot. The headline title might come in 96.5%, 94.0%, 92.0% and 88.0% versions - visually identical, mathematically very different.
Operators pick which version they license. The 88% variant is more profitable for the operator and is increasingly common at offshore casinos. The fix: check the in-game info panel of any slot before you play - RTP is always disclosed there. If a casino runs the low-RTP variant of a popular title, it tells you something about how they treat players.
The games you should actually play if RTP matters
- Blackjack with optimal basic strategy. 0.4-0.5% house edge at single-deck European rules with 3:2 blackjack payouts. Avoid 6:5 tables - those inflate the edge to over 1.4%.
- Full-pay video poker. 9/6 Jacks or Better with optimal play sits at 99.5% RTP. Most casinos run 8/5 or worse - check the paytable before you sit down.
- Baccarat banker bet. 1.06% edge after commission. Higher than blackjack but requires zero strategy.
- European single-zero roulette. 2.7% edge. Never play double-zero American roulette if European is available - the edge nearly doubles.
- Crash games at reputable provably-fair casinos. 1% edge, but very high variance. Auto cash-out at 1.5-2x is a defensible strategy.
How to verify RTP at a real casino
UKGC and MGA require operators to disclose RTP on each game's info page. Open the game, find the "i" or settings icon, and look for "Return to Player" or "Theoretical Return". The disclosed value should match the studio's published value - if it doesn't, the operator is running a lower-RTP variant of that title.
For live dealer games, the RTP is fixed by the rules of the table (the cards/wheels are physical, not software). The disclosed RTP figure tells you the studio rule set - Lightning Roulette, for example, runs at 97.10% RTP on straight-up bets, lower than standard European Roulette because of the multiplier mechanic.