What Does RTP Mean in Online Casino Games
Table of contents
Return to Player (RTP) is how much of the total amount of money bet on a game is paid out in winnings after millions of plays.
If a slot has a 96% RTP, it is designed to pay back C$96 for every C$100 wagered on average, over a very large number of rounds. In one session, you could win more or lose your whole stake.
This is not an indicator of how much you will win in your session. Below we explain what RTP really means when gambling, how it is calculated and tested in Canada and why your personal results will rarely reflect the RTP shown on screen.
What Does RTP Mean?
RTP is the percentage of money wagered on a game that is intended to be paid back to players as winnings in the long-term. If a slot has an RTP of 96% the other 4% will be kept on average.
This can be found on the game details/help menu. It is available mostly on slots and some table games.
In Ontario and Alberta, operators must give you information about a game’s odds or return before you play. In Ontario, this is set out in the AGCO’s iGaming standards. In Alberta, the AGLC’s Standards and Requirements for Internet Gaming require the house advantage or RTP to be shown clearly.
How RTP Is Calculated
RTP stands for Return to Player. This is how much of each dollar bet on a game is paid back to all players over the life of the game. This can be calculated using the following formula:
RTP (%) = (Total Returned / Total Staked) x 100
Say you and everyone else who plays a slot wager C$1,000,000 in total, and it pays back C$960,000. The RTP is 96%.
The theoretical RTP of the game is determined by the game design and then verified by independent laboratory testing.
Gambling within Canada is regulated on a provincial basis. The game developers, independent testing labs and regulatory body all play a role in the gambling process.
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario regulates Ontario's igaming market, and iGaming Ontario conducts and manages it through agreements with operators.
In Alberta, the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission regulates online gambling, and the Alberta iGaming Corporation holds the agreements with operators.
Does 96% RTP Mean You Get 96% Back?
No. This does not mean you will receive C$96 back from every C$100 of your deposits. RTP means over the entire life of the game and for all players, you will on average receive 96% back. The 4% you are losing is approximately 4 cents in every dollar you stake.
Turnover is the key here. You've got the same amount of money being bet repeatedly. Let's say you put C$100 and play C$1 spins in. All your wins go straight back into the game, so a C$100 budget can turn into C$500 or more in total bets.
The RTP will apply to the C$500, not to your deposit, which puts the average cost at about C$20 (4% of C$500). Your actual result could be much better or much worse than this.
Why Your Session Rarely Matches the RTP
RTP is an average over the long term. So any individual session will be a tiny part of it, and your results could look nothing like what you see on screen. This is perfectly normal.
Losing more than 4% in a session is perfectly normal. A few hundred spins will not tell you if a slot has an RTP that matches its long-term RTP.
Just because you win doesn’t mean it’s paying out or that your chances of winning are higher in the future. Each spin is completely independent of each other.
Results can vary greatly between players. Outcomes are determined by random number generators (RNGs). Different games will have different return-to-player rates.
Many sessions end below the advertised RTP. This is because it is a long-term average, and there is no guarantee of hitting the advertised RTP. With some games having low chances of hitting a jackpot and bonuses, you may never hit them. This can lead to your results being much lower than the advertised RTP.
This does not indicate that there is an issue with the game; it simply is down to luck within a short period.
RTP vs House Edge
The RTP and house edge are two sides to the same coin and will always add up to 100%. If a slot has an RTP of 96%, then it will have a 4% house edge.
Slots usually show RTP figures, whereas table games like blackjack and baccarat will show house edge, as they are affected by rules.
A game of blackjack with standard rules and basic strategy will give you a house edge of around 0.5%. This means that, on average, you can expect to lose about C$0.50 for every C$100 you wager, or C$5 for every C$1,000. The figure depends on the table rules, and it's higher if you don't follow basic strategy.
Why Your Results Can Differ From the RTP
Volatility and the random number generator (RNG) also affect your results. Three other factors help explain the gap between your results and the published RTP.
- Short sessions vs the long run. The RTP is calculated after millions of spins, compared to just a few hundred in a session. So if you flip a coin 10 times and get 7 heads, it doesn't mean the coin is faulty.
- Where the RTP is paid out. Many slots have a large percentage of their RTP in rare features and jackpots that you may never hit. Many sessions end below the RTP, and some end above it.
- The game version you're playing. Developers may offer the same game with different RTPs. Operators choose which of the game provider's RTP versions they offer. Check the game information screen on the site you are playing on.
RTP in Sports Betting
Sports betting has a similar concept in the form of the bookmaker’s margin, sometimes called 'vig' or 'juice'. This comes into play with the odds and works exactly like a house edge in betting. The casino side is explained above in our RTP vs. House Edge section.
If we have a two-way market at odds of 1.91 (-110) for both outcomes and there are equal bets on both sides, the bookmaker will give back 95.5% of the money they received, keeping around 4.5% (around C$4.50 per C$100 of money wagered).
Responsible Gambling
All casino games have a cost. With an RTP of 96%, you can expect to lose around C$4 for every C$100 you stake, on average, over the long run. The more you stake in total, the more you can expect to lose. Treat gambling as entertainment, not a way to make money, and set a budget before you play.
You must be 19 or older to gamble online in Ontario, and 18 or older in Alberta.
In Ontario, you can use BetGuard to self-exclude from every provincially regulated online casino and sports betting site at once. In Alberta, the AGLC’s self-exclusion program lets you exclude yourself from land-based gambling and registered online gambling sites in one place.
If gambling is no longer fun, free support is available 24/7. In Ontario, call ConnexOntario on 1-866-531-2600. In Alberta, call the Alberta Health Services Addiction and Mental Health Helpline on 1-866-332-2322.
For more ways to get help, including Canada-wide support services, see our responsible gambling page.