RTP tells you how much of all the money staked on a slot it is designed to pay back over a very large number of plays, while volatility tells you how those wins are distributed. In short, RTP is a long-run average, and volatility describes how that average is experienced from spin to spin.
RTP: the long-run number
RTP, or return to player, is the share of all money staked on a game that it is designed to pay back over a very large number of plays. An RTP of 96 percent means a theoretical £96 back for every £100 staked in the long run. The other 4 percent is the house edge, which is how the game makes money over time.
RTP is a theoretical average achieved over far more plays than any single player will have. It says nothing about a single session. A player can finish one session well ahead or well behind, and the game's RTP is unchanged either way. It is not a forecast of what an individual player will get back from a particular session.
Games licensed in Great Britain must make their RTP information available to players, so the figure can usually be found in the game's information or help section before playing.
What volatility changes
Volatility, also called variance, describes how wins are distributed. A low volatility slot pays small wins often, while a high volatility slot pays less often but can pay larger amounts when a win does land. It is about how far results in the short run tend to swing away from the long-run average.
A game's features often reflect its volatility: bonus rounds, multi-way wins and large top prizes all affect the way a player experiences the game over the short run. None of this changes the RTP the game is designed to return in the long run; it changes the path taken to get there.
Same RTP, very different experience
Two games with the same RTP can feel completely different because of volatility. Imagine two slots that both have an RTP of 96 percent. On the low volatility game, that return tends to arrive as a steady trickle of small wins, so a balance moves up and down gently. On the high volatility game, the same return is spread across long runs without much coming back, broken by occasional larger wins, so a balance can fall faster and swing much further.
When comparing slots, look at both figures rather than RTP alone. RTP shows the long-run return and the size of the house edge; volatility gives a sense of how bumpy the ride is likely to be. A low volatility game may suit someone who wants smaller, more frequent wins from a set budget, while a high volatility game means accepting longer losing runs. In both cases the house edge still applies in the long run, and no setting or choice of game turns a slot into a way to make money.
Gambling is for adults 18 and over and costs money; UK players can set deposit limits, use GAMSTOP or call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133.
