What is a payout percentage?
Payout percentages are very important when you are considering which online casino to use.However, they are generally not written or spoken about a great deal.
This is the amount – expressed in a percentage – that is returned to the player from a casino game. This is sometimes referred to as RTP: standing for Return to Player. This represents the amount that particular slot games pay back to players: therefore, the remainder then is effectively the “edge” for the casino: also referred to as the advantage for the house.
To put this in simple terms, it means that for each online casino game that has a payout of 95 per cent. It means that for every $100 stake you make you will get an average of $95 returned to you. Meanwhile, the house will collect the remaining five per cent – which is $5 on average. Of course it should be noted that this will not always be the case – in fact, it applies to an average of all activities covering thousands, or potentially millions of slot players around the world.
However, finding these payout percentages is not always easy. For example, Microgaming, the software provider, has a policy of not disclosing percentage payouts. However, you should be able to see individual payout percentages at most online casinos.
Best online casino payout percentages
A quick scan online will reveal that there are some incredible payout percentages to be enjoyed. For example, some casinos offer payout percentages in the region of 96-97 per cent. Therefore it’s fair to say that there are plenty of online casinos out there that can offer you a decent chance of taking home returns.
How can you trust these online casino payout percentages?
Payout percentages should be calculated independently with a clear certification from a third party audit report. Among the audit reports to look out for are:
- Gaming Laboratories International – Also known as GLI, it is an industry accredited testing agency with headquarters within the USA. GLI will analyse a large enough level of data to assess statistical randomness reducing any chances of gaming results being rigged.
- TST – TST is part of GLI and will also assess payout percentages using random selections.
Is it possible for payout percentages to be weighted?
Each auditing report of an online casino should show an average for each area of game play. A table should look something like this:
Slot Machine Games – 95.49 per cent
Table Games – 97.66 per cent
Card Games – 97.49 per cent
Video Poker Games – 96.74 per cent
Poker Games – 97.40 per cent
Fixed Odds – 96.70 per cent
Overall payout percentage: 96.39 per cent.
Therefore you’re getting a general breakdown of every area of gameplay, as well as an overall assessment. Bear in mind that the example above is just a sample of what you can expect to see.
So what should you bear in mind when looking for a payout percentage?
Transparency is very important in all aspects of online casinos. To prove a casino is authentic it should be fully regulated; within a popular licensing jurisdiction; using popular software; and incorporating a name and address on its About Us page. In addition however, it should also be clear and transparent about its payout percentages.As the examples show, payout percentages should usually be in the region of 95-98 per cent. Anything below this means you may be missing out on winning opportunities because the gameplay is tipped too favourably towards the house.