What is RTP?
RTP stands for Return to Player. It's a percentage used to show how much a game is designed to pay back over a very large number of plays.
You might have come across RTP while exploring slot games. It's one of the most common terms you'll see when looking at game information. While it can help you understand a little more about how a game is designed, it doesn't tell you what will happen in your next round or guarantee a particular result.
In this guide, we'll explain RTP in plain English and look at how it differs from other terms, including volatility.
What does RTP mean?
RTP stands for Return to Player. It's used to describe how much a game is designed to pay back over time across a very large number of plays.
You'll usually see RTP shown as a percentage. For example, a game might have an RTP of 95% or 96%.
A long-term figure
RTP is based on the way a game has been designed and tested over a significant number of plays.
It's important to remember that RTP is a long-term figure. It isn't a prediction of what will happen during a single session, and it can't tell you whether you'll win or lose when you play.
One part of the bigger picture
RTP is just one piece of information about a game. Other factors, such as features, prizes and volatility, can also influence how a game feels while you play.
That's why two slot games can feel quite different to play, even if they belong to the same category.
How does RTP work?
RTP is calculated over a very large number of plays across all players, and it should be viewed as a long-term figure rather than something that applies to a single session.
A simple example
If a game has an RTP of 95%, it means the game is designed to return £95 for every £100 staked over a very large volume of play.
That doesn't mean a player who stakes £100 will get exactly £95 back. Some players may receive more, some may receive less and some may receive nothing at all.
Why don't individual results match the RTP?
Every round is random, which means short-term results can vary.
For example, two players could play the same game for the same amount of time and have completely different experiences. One player may win prizes during their session, while another may not.
That's because RTP isn't designed to predict individual results. Instead, it's a long-term figure that helps describe how a game is designed to perform over time.
RTP vs volatility: what's the difference?
RTP and volatility are both used to describe slot games, but they focus on different things.
RTP
RTP looks at how much a game is designed to pay back over a very large number of plays.
Volatility
Volatility is a way of describing how wins tend to behave in a game. It can help explain whether wins are generally smaller and more frequent or larger and less frequent.
At a glance
- RTP looks at how a game is designed to pay back over time.
- Volatility looks at how wins tend to be spread throughout a game.
Because of this, two games can have a similar RTP but still feel very different to play. One might offer smaller wins more often, while another may have wins that happen less regularly but can be larger when they land.
If you'd like to learn more about volatility, read our guide to What is volatility?
Why can two games with the same RTP feel different?
Two games can have the same RTP and still offer very different experiences.
For example, one game may include bonus features that appear more often, while another may focus on larger prize opportunities. Even with a similar RTP, the experience of playing those games may feel quite different.
This is why it's useful to look at all the information available about a game rather than focusing on a single number.
Things to remember about RTP
RTP can be useful when you're learning about slot games, but it's only one part of how a game is designed.
In simple terms:
- RTP is a long-term figure
- it doesn't predict future results
- individual sessions can vary
- every round is random
- features and volatility can also affect how a game feels
If you're exploring a new game, it's always worth checking the game information to understand its rules, features and any available details about RTP or volatility.
Ready to learn more?
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A quick recap
RTP stands for Return to Player. It's a percentage used to describe how much a game is designed to pay back over a very large number of plays.
It doesn't predict what will happen in your next round, and it doesn't guarantee what you'll get back during a session. Instead, it's one of several things that can help you understand how a slot game is designed, alongside factors such as features and volatility.