To put it simply, the payout percentage is the average amount of money that will be returned to a player in the form of winnings, compared to the amount that the player wagered. The key word here to remember is average. The payout percentage can't guarantee how much you'll win in one session, or even in 100, but the more spins you make, the better the chances are that your results will be closer to the machine's payout percentage.
It's easy to see that a higher payout percentage favors the player. That's why it's really important for you to do the research and focus on the slots with the highest payout percentages.
Casinos make a profit by building an advantage right into the rules of the game. That's reflected in the payout percentage and it applies to all casino games, not just slot machines. But, like we said before, that's just an average. In a single session there's always the potential for a big jackpot or, on the other hand, a cold streak of rotten luck. That's one of the reasons people love slots. They give you the opportunity to blow the payout percentage out of the water with one big win.
Let's look at an example:
In addition to reading slot reviews, there are several other ways players can find slot games with the best payouts. Always check a slot's pay table before inserting money. This will tell you the maximum payout you can win on the symbols, as well as any caps a casino may place on a jackpot amount.
Players should always check what kind of slot game they are playing. That's not to say Vegas slots will never offer payouts as big as a progressive jackpot slots. However players expecting to win millions on a penny slot machine will be left disappointed. Finally, players should always check the payout percentage of a game. Find a slot title with an RTP of 90% or higher; these games will usually pay out more often than slot machines with an RTP below this.
Online and offline games operate on the same basic principles as far as how slot machines pay out. Remember, it's equally important to know the numbers whether you're playing on the internet or in a brick and mortar casino.
If you're looking for online casinos that actually pay out, taking a closer look at the payout percentages is a great place to start. You're probably wondering where you can look to find the stats. With online casinos it's usually pretty straightforward.
The payout percentage is sometimes posted on the rules or information page for the game itself, or as a list on either the online casino or the game developer's website. If you're having trouble finding where the slots payout percentage is posted, try a quick Google search of the game's name and either "payout percentage" or "return to player". If that doesn't work, a good last resort is to contact the casino directly using their live chat or customer support tools.
Generally speaking, online casinos offer better payout percentages compared to brick and mortar casinos. That's because they have lower overhead and an unlimited number of people can play the same game at the same time. It's common to see slots with payout percentages in the high 90s which is a lot harder to find in real life.
When it comes to payout percentages, it's all about how slot machines are programmed. To make matters trickier, casinos and game developers don't always publish the numbers for specific machines. However, there are ways players can figure out which machines have more favorable payouts.
Luckily, other people have already done most of the hard work for you. There are tons of great forums and resources for bettors online and the best place to start is with a quick Google search to find the numbers for the game you're looking for.
The geographic location can also tell you something about the payouts. In the US, casinos must meet a minimum payout percentage which is set by the gaming authorities in that region. It varies by state but is usually 80% or higher. It's also true that the payouts vary even within the same game depending on how much you're betting. Usually the more you bet, the more favourable the payout percentage is.
Another name for payout percentage is RTP. That stands for "Return to Player" and just like the name implies, it's the average amount that will be returned to the player in the form of winnings compared to how much the player wagered. It's represented as a percentage with 100 being an even-money game with no casino advantage.
Let's look at an example:
The most important thing to remember is that the RTP is a statistical average. The larger the sample size of spins on a certain slot machine, the closer the actual results will be to the RTP.
Even though the RTP can't guarantee results, choosing machines with a higher RTP is always a smart move. The more you plan to play, the more important it is to find a game with a great RTP.
When you hear bettors talk about "the house edge", they're actually referring to the same thing as the RTP and payout percentage. The house edge is the casino's statistical advantage that's built right into the rules of the game.
The house has an edge on almost every bet in the casino, but the size of that edge varies dramatically depending on the game, or even between different bets within the same game. The house edge is represented as the average percentage of your bet that the casino will keep. A game with a payout percentage of 95%, for example, has a house edge of 5%.
Another reason so many people love slots is the chance of winning a truly life-changing jackpot. Everyone knows it's a longshot but players love dreaming of what they'd do with millions of dollars if they get lucky and hit it big. In terms of RTP and payout percentage, however, there's always a trade-off with games that offer big jackpots.
Progressive jackpots work by taking a small piece of every bet and adding it to a prize pool that continues growing until someone wins it. It's not unusual for these jackpots to get into the millions of dollars. The biggest ever? A $39 million score at the Excalibur in Las Vegas.
If you're interested in the biggest prizes online, check out our progressive jackpot page for a comprehensive list.
It's true that the odds of winning a huge jackpot are slim, maybe even similar to winning a live lottery, but there's a big difference between the lottery and slot machines. With slots you can have lots of smaller wins in addition to a chance at the jackpot. The truth is, people play the lottery their entire lives and never win a penny, which makes slots a much smarter bet.
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