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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RTP and Volatility Explained is a short narrated video guide from Casino Compare. 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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