If we were to draw up a list of the biggest misconceptions in slot gaming, misunderstandings over RTPs – and what players can actually expect to win – are right up there.
A common complaint will look something like this: ‘The RTP of this slot is 96%... how come I didn’t win 96% of my stakes back!?’
The bottom line is that high RTP slot games, theoretically at least, offer more frequent wins than low RTP slots. However, that doesn’t mean that you will experience the stated RTP level of a game in your next session… you might win more, you might win less.
High RTP slots can pay out more frequently… but that doesn’t mean that they will.
So let’s take a look at this matter in closer detail. In this article, we’ll take a look at what RTP really means, how it’s calculated and why RTP doesn’t always correlate to the frequency and size of your wins.
We’re also going to serve up some examples of slots with the best RTP in the UK, their volatility and what sort of payment pattern you can expect.
What Does RTP Actually Mean?
In simple terms, the RTP of real money slots stands for Return to Player. So, this is the percentage of your total stake that you can expect to win back in a session.
However, that’s the theory. In reality, the RTP of a slot is tested over hundreds of thousands of spins – over such a huge sample size, a game will be very close to its stated RTP.
But, of course, you are likely to only play a handful of spins in your next session, which means that the RTP becomes more variable – as mentioned, that may manifest itself as you winning at a rate higher than the RTP. On the flipside, you may also win less than the Return to Player rate specified.
Another factor to consider is the volatility of high RTP slot games, which we’ll cover in more detail later in this article.
How Is Slot RTP Calculated?
A slot’s RTP is calculated quite simply as the percentage of the total amount staked in a session.
So when a slot game is tested, it could be as many as one million spins that are recorded. Then, the total amount returned is calculated… resulting in a Return to Player rate being documented.
At Prime Slots, all of our games are independently tested and verified by a third-party auditor, iTech Labs. So the RTP stated is as accurate as you would expect… albeit you may not win in accordance with the Return to Player rate published.
RTP, Volatility and Win Frequency
There’s another factor to consider when discussing real money slots that pay out: volatility.
Slot volatility is a function of the RTP. It defines how that RTP is distributed: let’s say a game has an RTP of 95% and you wager £100… purely by chance, the RTP proves to be accurate in your small session and you get £95 back.
Here’s two imaginary scenarios:
- 100 spins = 99 losing spins, one winning spin for £95
- 100 spins = 50 losing spins, 50 winning spins for £95
In the first scenario, this slot game would be classified as high volatility – 99 losing spins out of 100 is certainly volatile (this is an extreme example, but you get the idea).
In the second scenario, this would be a low volatility game – more frequent wins, but probably paid out at a lower rate.
This helps to explain the relationship between RTP and volatility with the top paying slots online in the UK. A slot game will have a published RTP, but how that actually manifests itself from one spin to the next is partly determined by the title’s volatility.
Popular High RTP Slots
So what are the slots with best RTP in the UK?
Anything above 96% would be considered ‘high’, but at Prime Slots we have options that exceed that percentage considerably.
- Hocus Pocus Deluxe has an RTP of 97.5%, which is permed from as many 40 paylines. There’s wilds, scatters and free spins, as well as a top payout of 1.5 million from this spooky Merker Gaming slot.
- Pyramids of the Nile boasts an RTP of 97.05% with 30 fixed paylines. It’s a high volatility slot, which as we’ve explored already won’t necessarily appeal to everyone, but there’s plenty to like about a slot that hands players 100 free spins when they land five scatter symbols on their reels.
- Silverbird is next on the list with an RTP of 96.87%. This Merkur slot is feature-packed to say the least, with re-spins and expanding wilds (hopefully) making an appearance in your next session. It’s a game that’s classed as medium in terms of volatility.
- Multi Wild comes with just four reels and three rows on each, but even so the RTP hits 96.68%. Inspired by classic fruit machine slots of yesteryear, Multi Wild features a wild symbol that plays a key role in multiplying payouts – this is a slot beloved for its simple gameplay, high RTP and medium volatility.
Play High RTP Slots Right Here at Prime Slots
Now you know what RTP stands for, what it represents and why it may not be reflective of your returns when playing slots, you can move on and play your favourite games armed with the answers to one of the most contentious areas of slot gaming.
Whether you prefer high RTP slots or low RTP games, and whether you need the more frequent wins (probabilistically speaking) of low volatility slots or the possible high risk-high reward balance of more volatility, Prime Slots has got you covered.
We’ve got slots of a wide range of specifications… you’re sure to find titles that you love here.
