RTP and Volatility Explained
What RTP (return to player) and the house edge really mean, why short sessions can go either way, and how volatility changes how a slot pays out.
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About this video: RTP and Volatility Explained
RTP and Volatility Explained is a short narrated video guide from The Casino Deals. What RTP (return to player) and the house edge really mean, why short sessions can go either way, and how volatility changes how a slot pays out.
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Two numbers describe how a casino game behaves: RTP, and volatility. Here's what they mean.
RTP, or return to player, is the share of all money staked that a game pays back over a very long run. A ninety-six percent slot pays back ninety-six pounds for every hundred staked, on average, across millions of spins.
The rest is the house edge: one hundred percent, minus the RTP. On a ninety-six percent slot, that's four percent: what you should expect to lose, on average, for every pound you stake.
In a single session, though, anything can happen. RTP is a long-term average, not a promise.
Volatility describes how that RTP is paid out. Low-volatility games pay small wins often. High-volatility games pay rarely, but can pay big.
Picture two slots, both at ninety-six percent. On the low-volatility one, a hundred ten-pence spins might finish with around eight to eleven pounds of your ten. On the high-volatility one, you might see nothing for eighty spins, then a single twenty-five pound win. Or no big win at all.
UK-licensed casinos must publish game RTPs, usually in the game's info or help screen. Some games come in several RTP versions, so check the one you're playing.
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