RTP is the share of every dollar bet that a casino game pays back to players over time, and house edge is the share the casino keeps. They are two sides of the same coin. A slot with 96% RTP has a 4% house edge.
That is the whole idea in one line. But the details matter, because they decide how fast your bankroll drains. This guide explains how RTP and house edge work in plain English. You will see the simple math, real numbers by game, the myths to ignore, and how to use RTP when you pick a game.
Key Takeaways
- RTP + house edge = 100%. A 97% RTP game has a 3% house edge.
- It is a long-run average. RTP says nothing about what happens in your next spin or your next hour.
- Game choice matters a lot. Full-pay Jacks or Better video poker returns about 99.5%. American roulette returns about 94.7%.
- No machine is “hot,” “cold,” or “due.” Every spin and hand is independent.
- Check the game’s info screen. Many online games list their RTP there. The same slot can run at different RTP settings on different sites.
This guide was researched and fact-checked by the Daily Wager Zone editorial team. House edge and RTP figures come from published game math, mainly the Wizard of Odds house edge tables, and are listed in the References section below. We did not play, test, or audit any casino for this article.
Affiliate Disclosure: Daily Wager Zone may earn a commission if you sign up through our links at no extra cost to you. This does not influence our analysis or recommendations.
What Is RTP?
RTP stands for return to player. It is the percentage of all money bet on a game that the game pays back as wins over a very long time.
Say a slot has 96% RTP. If players bet $100,000 on it in total, the game is built to pay back about $96,000. The other $4,000 is what the casino earns.
Here is the key part. That 96% is spread across millions of spins and thousands of players. One player might hit a big win. Another might lose every spin. RTP only describes the average when you add everyone together.
What RTP Does Not Mean
RTP does not mean you get $96 back if you bet $100. You could walk away with $0. You could walk away with $500. In a short session, luck swings the result far more than RTP does.
What Is House Edge?
House edge is the casino’s built-in advantage. It is the average percentage of each bet the casino expects to keep.
House edge is just RTP flipped around. Subtract the RTP from 100% and you get the house edge. A 98% RTP game has a 2% house edge. A 94.74% RTP game has a 5.26% house edge.
Table games are usually described by house edge. Slots are usually described by RTP. It is the same idea either way, just told from a different side of the table.
How Are RTP and House Edge Calculated?
You do not need advanced math. The casino earns its edge by paying a little less than the true odds of winning.
A Simple Roulette Example
An American roulette wheel has 38 pockets: 1 through 36, plus 0 and 00. A bet on one number pays 35 to 1. But the true odds are 37 to 1, because there are 37 ways to lose and 1 way to win.
Imagine you bet $1 on the same number for 38 spins, and every pocket comes up exactly once. You win once and collect $35. You lose the other 37 spins, which costs $37. You end up $2 down after betting $38. That is $2 divided by $38, or about 5.26%. That is the house edge. The RTP is 100% minus 5.26%, or 94.74%.
A European wheel has only one zero, so it has 37 pockets. Run the same math and you lose $1 for every $37 bet. That is a 2.70% house edge, or 97.30% RTP. One extra pocket nearly doubles the casino’s edge.
How Slot RTP Is Set
Slots are different. You cannot see the odds, so you cannot do the math yourself. The game maker sets the RTP when it designs the paytable and the random number generator. The number is then shown in the game’s help or info screen on many online casinos.
What Your Real Cost Looks Like
House edge applies to every dollar you bet, not just the money you bring. That is why fast games cost more than people expect.
You play a 96% RTP slot at $1 per spin. You make 500 spins in an hour. That is $500 in total bets, even if you started with only $100. The expected loss is 4% of $500, which is $20. Your actual result will almost always be higher or lower than $20. But $20 is the average cost of that hour over the long run.
What Is the RTP of Each Casino Game?
RTP varies a lot by game. The table below ranks common casino games from best to worst RTP. The table game numbers assume you make the best bet and, for blackjack and video poker, play correct strategy.
| Rank | Game (best common bet) | Typical RTP | House Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Video poker: Jacks or Better, full pay (9/6) | 99.54% | 0.46% |
| 2 | Blackjack: basic strategy, good rules | About 99.5% to 99.7% | About 0.28% to 0.5% |
| 3 | Baccarat: Banker bet | 98.94% | 1.06% |
| 4 | Craps: Pass Line | 98.59% | 1.41% |
| 5 | Roulette: European (single zero) | 97.30% | 2.70% |
| 6 | Slots | About 85% to 98% | About 2% to 15% |
| 7 | Roulette: American (double zero) | 94.74% | 5.26% |
A few notes on the table. Blackjack only gets that low edge if you follow basic strategy and the rules are player-friendly. Guessing, or playing a table that pays 6 to 5 on blackjack, raises the edge. Video poker only hits 99.54% on the full-pay 9/6 paytable. Machines that pay less for a full house or flush return less.
Side bets are where the numbers get ugly. The Tie bet in baccarat has a house edge of about 14.4% when it pays 8 to 1. The Any Craps bet in craps has an 11.11% edge. Skip them if you care about RTP.
Why Does RTP Matter When You Choose a Game?
RTP decides how much each bet costs you on average. A small gap looks harmless, but it adds up.
Compare $1,000 in total bets on two games. At 99.5% RTP, the expected loss is $5. At 94.74% RTP, it is about $53. Same money wagered, roughly ten times the average cost.
So if two games look equally fun, pick the one with the higher RTP. If you like roulette, find a European wheel instead of an American one. Our roulette strategy guide for beginners covers the other basics. If you like cards, blackjack with basic strategy is one of the best deals in the building. See our list of the best online blackjack sites for places to play.
How Does Volatility Fit In?
RTP tells you the average. Volatility tells you how bumpy the ride is. A high-volatility slot pays big wins rarely and loses often in between. A low-volatility slot pays small wins more often. Two slots can both have 96% RTP and feel totally different. Pick volatility based on your bankroll and patience, then pick the highest RTP within that style.
What Are the Biggest RTP Myths?
Most bad casino advice comes from misreading RTP. Here are the myths to drop.
Is a Slot Ever Hot or Cold?
No. Online slots use a random number generator. Each spin is independent of the last one. A machine that just paid a jackpot is no less likely to pay again. A machine that has not paid in a while is no more likely to pay now.
Is a Machine Ever Due to Pay Out?
No. This is the gambler’s fallacy. RTP is not a promise the game has to keep during your session. It does not track your losses and pay you back. The 96% only shows up across a huge number of spins from many players.
Can a Betting System Beat the House Edge?
No. Systems like doubling your bet after a loss change the size and timing of your bets. They do not change the odds of any single bet. The house edge stays the same on every wager you make.
Does a Higher RTP Mean I Will Win?
No. A higher RTP means you lose less on average over time. In most casino games, the house still has the edge. You can win in the short run, but the math still favors the casino.
How Do Offshore Casinos Like BetOnline, Bovada, and MyBookie Compare?
Offshore casinos such as BetOnline, Bovada, and MyBookie serve U.S. players from outside the country. Other offshore names include BetUS, Ignition Casino, Slots.lv, Wild Casino, Café Casino, Super Slots, and BetNow.
Here is what matters for RTP. These sites are not licensed by U.S. state gaming regulators. That means no state regulator checks their game payouts. You should not assume a published RTP has been verified by a U.S. authority.
The math of table games does not change by site. A single-zero roulette wheel has a 2.70% edge anywhere, as long as the rules are the same. With blackjack and video poker, the rules and paytables are what count. Check them before you sit down.
Slots are trickier. Game makers often offer the same slot at more than one RTP setting. So one title could return a different percentage on two different sites. The only way to know is to open the game’s info screen on the site you are using. If the RTP is not listed, ask customer support. If you cannot get a clear number, treat that as a warning sign.
Bonuses also change your real return. Wagering requirements force you to bet the bonus several times over, and the house edge applies to every one of those bets. Read our guide to casino bonus terms and wagering requirements before you claim one.
How Can You Use RTP to Play Smarter?
Where Do You Find a Game’s RTP?
- Open the game and look for an info, help, or paytable button. Many online slots list RTP there.
- For video poker, read the paytable. Full-pay Jacks or Better pays 9 for a full house and 6 for a flush on a one-coin bet.
- For blackjack, check the table rules. Look for 3 to 2 on blackjack, not 6 to 5.
- For roulette, count the zeros. One zero is better than two.
- If you cannot find the number, ask the casino’s support team.
What Is a Good RTP?
For slots, 96% or higher is a common benchmark for a decent online slot. Anything under about 94% is on the low side. For table games, aim for a house edge under about 1.5%. That covers blackjack with basic strategy, the baccarat Banker bet, and the Pass Line in craps. Our list of the best online slots sites for real money can help you find where to start.
How Does RTP Affect Your Bankroll?
- Set a loss limit before you play. Treat that money as the cost of entertainment.
- Estimate your cost: total bets times house edge. $1 spins, 500 per hour, 4% edge is about $20 per hour on average.
- Slow down. Fewer bets per hour means a lower average cost, even at the same RTP.
- Avoid high-edge side bets. They drain a bankroll much faster than main bets.
- Never chase losses. The game does not owe you a win.
References
- Wizard of Odds: House Edge of Casino Games Compared
- Wizard of Odds: Roulette Basics
- Wizard of Odds: Baccarat Basics
- Wizard of Odds: Craps Basics
- Wizard of Odds: Jacks or Better Pay Tables
- Wizard of Odds: Blackjack House Edge Calculator
- National Council on Problem Gambling: Help and Treatment
Gambling involves risk. Only wager what you can afford to lose. You must be of legal gambling age where you live, and online casino gambling is not legal in every state. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-522-4700 (National Council on Problem Gambling) or dial 211.
