Let’s start with the meaning of “Return to Player”. It’s the amount of money that (over time) can return to the player in the form of winnings when playing slot machines.
To make it clearer, let’s look at an exhaustive example: if a slot machine offers an RTP percentage of 98%, it means that for every 10 Euros wagered on a slot machine, 9.8 Euros return to the player.
Obviously, each player can win or even lose different amounts. This percentage is simply the value that is meant to indicate how much is returned, in the long run, and on a statistical basis, by the slot machine.
Some players will win something, others may lose two cents, and others even more. However, the slot machine will always give the player back the stated RTP in the long run.
Therefore, the logical reasoning is to choose the online slot machine with the most advantageous (higher) RTP because it offers a better chance of winning cash prizes.
The suggestion makes no bones about it, and as mentioned above, it is logical, but there is a but, and you must also consider the flip side of the coin. If all players have a better chance of winning, it means that more of them will win at a slot machine that offers a lower RTP, and this makes the jackpots less important and therefore less valuable.
Another way to look at RTP is as opposed to house advantage, which is how much profit on average the house has on each hand of play. To be clear, the banker almost always wins, and this applies to slot machines as well: there are no video slots with an RTP percentage of 100% or even higher. However, there are slot machines that are very close to 100%.
Slot machines with low or high RTP: which is the correct choice?
First of all, I want to explain what I mean by low or high RTP. Let’s start immediately by saying whether an RTP not higher than 94% is to be considered low. Even some slots offer an RTP of no more than 90%, which is an awfully low percentage.
An RTP between 94 and 98 percent is neither low nor high, but many slot machines often offer standard.
An RTP in excess of 98% is certainly high, even some slot machines go as high as 99%, but they are very rare.
At this point, you may wonder why some slot machines offer a low RTP and who makes this kind of choice. Let’s start by saying that not all fans play just to win. In fact, some play for the fun of it and then their choice is more towards the theme, graphics and features in the slot machine.
Not only that but as explained in the article, a high RTP, offers higher odds of winning. However, if all video slot players have higher odds of winning money, then the machine will have more users winning, but with smaller jackpots, so as not to go into the red.
Some online slots, not surprisingly, offer more lucrative prizes, such as valuable Progressive Jackpots. Often this type of slot machine, so with a progressive jackpot, offers an RTP not exceeding 90%, a rather low value, but thanks to this low percentage, can offer valuable progressive jackpots (even millionaires).
On the other hand, choosing a slot machine with a high RTP offers many advantages, such as the possibility of increasing the chances of winning. If you want to play just for fun, without any particular worries, a slot machine with a high RTP can also make you win some money, and that would not be bad.