RTP: The Secret Sauce That Makes Slots So Successful
Slot machines have been a popular way to have fun for a hundred and twenty-five years, and it shows no signs of slowing down. They are a cultural phenomenon, making appearances in countless videogames and movies, but what is RTP, and why is it the secret to the success of the slot?
What Is RTP?
This simple acronym dominates the world of slot machines in both offline and online casinos. The machines in bars and arcades also use RTP. But what is it, and what does it mean?
Return To Player helps to govern how a slot machine works, and when players are successful. It underpins every aspect of the slot, as it guarantees that the machine will spin winning reels if a player is patient. Whether a player profits or not is up to them, and how long it takes for a machine to satisfy its RTP value.
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How Does RTP Work?
Every slot machine, and many other machines you find in online casinos and real-world gaming floors, has a Return To Player value that determines how much of the money put into the machine it will pay out as it is played.
A slot machine with an RTP of 90% will return $90 of every $100 deposited in it. Some machines will pay out a Return To Player as 99%. This may sound like a losing situation; you can never get back the full $100. The way players win is by depositing the last ten of the $99, for example, and winning the money that other losing players put into the slot machine.
This basic principle has been powering slot machines for decades, and even plays a part in videogame slots and minigames in classic titles like Super Mario Bros. 3 and Sonic The Hedgehog 2. The RTP in those games was set to a lower level though, making it harder for players to win power-ups and rings.
Can The RTP On A Slot Change?
When a slot machine game is designed, the design house will usually set the RTP and use this as a marketing tool to sell the game to offline and online casinos. For real-world machines, changing the RTP is a time-consuming and expensive process.
Not all slots are linked to a network and can have their software updated remotely, requiring technicians to visit the casinos and make changes manually. For online slots, these changes could be made ‘over-the-air’, updating the slot machines like an app on your smartphone. However, this is a very rare event and usually only happens to correct a mistake rather than alter the win ratio of online slots.
RTP makes winning on slot machines possible. Now you know a little about Return To Player percentages you may be able to win playing slots too.
