RTP meaning: return to player is the percentage of all money staked on a game that it is designed to pay back as winnings over a very large number of rounds. A slot with 96% RTP returns about £96 for every £100 staked in the long run, and keeps about £4. It is an average across millions of spins, not a promise for your session.
RTP is a long-run average, worked out over millions of game rounds.
100% minus RTP gives the house edge: 96% RTP means a 4% edge.
UK casinos must show RTP or the likelihood of winning before you play.
Free spin value at RTP: 100 spins × 10p × 96% is about £9.60 on average.
Some slots come in more than one RTP version, so check the help screen.
Stands for
Return to player
Most slots in our data
About 95% to 97%
Linked term
House edge = 100% − RTP
UK disclosure rule
RTS 3: shown before play
Time frame
Very long run, not one session
RTP meaning: return to player explained
Every casino game is built with a pay table and a set of probabilities. Multiply each possible win by its chance of happening, add them up and you get the theoretical return to player. A slot rated at 96.09%, such as NetEnt's Starburst, is designed to hand back £96.09 of every £100 wagered on it across a vast number of spins. The remaining £3.91 is the game's margin.
That margin is called the house edge, and the two numbers always add up to 100%. RTP sits at the heart of every bonus calculation on this site, which is why it has a central place in our casino bonus glossary.
RTP doesn't tell you what will happen next. After 50 spins your balance could be well above or well below the RTP figure. Only over a very large number of rounds does the average settle near it.
What RTP means for free spins: worked values
Casino free spins value is easiest to estimate with RTP. Multiply the number of spins by the stake per spin to get the face value, then by the RTP to get the average return. The RTP figures below are published figures for each game; the spin counts are illustrations.
Average return from 10p free spins at different RTPs
Slot
RTP
Volatility
50 spins (£5)
100 spins (£10)
Blood Suckers (NetEnt)
98.00%
Low
£4.90
£9.80
Big Bass Bonanza (Reel Kingdom)
96.71%
High
£4.84
£9.67
Book of Dead (Play'n GO)
96.21%
High
£4.81
£9.62
Starburst (NetEnt)
96.09%
Low
£4.80
£9.61
Rainbow Riches (Barcrest)
95.00%
Medium
£4.75
£9.50
The gap between a 95% and a 98% game on 100 spins at 10p is about 30p on average. That is real but small; volatility has a much bigger effect on what you see in one batch of spins. PlayOJO's 80 offer spins run on Big Bass Bonanza at 10p, so their face value is £8 and the average return at 96.71% is about £7.74, though most batches will land some way either side of that.
How RTP shapes the cost of wagering requirements
When a bonus carries wagering requirements, RTP tells you roughly what clearing them costs. The expected loss is the total wagering multiplied by the house edge. Casumo's 50% bonus up to £100 needs 10x wagering, so a full £100 bonus means £1,000 of play. At 96% RTP that costs about £40 on average; at 94% it is about £60. On 10bet's £25 bonus, £250 of wagering at 96% costs about £10.
This is why our guide to high RTP slots for bonuses matters. It is not a way to win, since every game still has an edge, but a lower edge means the wagering eats less of the bonus on average. The offer's selected games and contribution rules come first, though: a game that doesn't count, or counts at 10%, changes the sum entirely.
UK rules on showing RTP
Under the Gambling Commission's technical standards, the return to player or likelihood of winning must be available before you play. RTS 3 on game rules and the likelihood of winning (opens in a new tab) also requires the rules and pay table to be on hand before you commit a stake. You'll usually find the RTP in the game's help or information screen.
A second standard, RTS 7 on random outcomes (opens in a new tab), bans adaptive or compensated games online: a slot can't tighten after a big win or loosen after a losing run to hit its target return. Rules, payouts and probabilities also can't change while the game is live. Our page on UK RTP information rules goes into both.
Why the same slot can have different RTPs
Developers often supply a game at several RTP settings and let each casino choose. Push Gaming's Big Bamboo has a published 96.13% version and a 94.13% version; Eyecon's Fluffy Favourites comes at 95.39% and 93.29%. Two casinos can host the same slot with different returns, so the only figure that applies to you is the one in that casino's help screen.
Jackpot games add another twist. Mega Moolah's published RTP is 88.12% for the base game, with the progressive jackpot contribution on top, so its everyday return looks low by design. See free spins on high RTP slots for slots at the top of the range.
Open the slot and find the information or help icon.
Look for the line headed RTP, theoretical return or payout percentage.
Note whether it lists more than one figure, for example with a feature active.
Compare it with the version you expected before you play with bonus funds.
RTP myths that cost players money
"The slot is due a win." Each spin is independent. A losing run doesn't make the next spin more likely to pay.
"Bonus spins have a lower RTP." The game's maths doesn't change because a spin is funded by an offer.
"High RTP means I'll come out ahead." Even at 98% the average result is a loss of 2% of everything staked.
"RTP is checked on my account." It is measured across all play on the game, not your personal results.
PlayOJO is the one partner where the game is fixed: 80 free spins on Big Bass Bonanza (96.71% published RTP) at 10p each after a first deposit of at least £10, with winnings paid as cash and no wagering. Coral's 100 free spins (10p each) come after you deposit and bet £10 on slots, and Ladbrokes pays 50 spins a day for 10 days (up to 500 at 10p) after a £10 slots spend; both list their own selected games, so check the promotion page for which titles and RTPs apply. All three are 18+ and for new customers, with payment exclusions and full terms. See free spins for side-by-side terms.
Coral and Ladbrokes are both run by LC International Limited (Entain). If you already hold an account with one Entain brand, you may not be able to open a new account with another; check the terms before signing up.
Significant terms: 18+. New players only. Offer runs 01/10/2026 to 01/02/2027. Deposit (certain types excluded) and bet £10+ on slot games to get 100 free spins (selected games, £0.10 each, 48 hrs to accept, valid 7 days). No wagering on free spin winnings. Deposits by Neteller, PayPal, Paysafe, Skrill, prepaid cards and certain debit cards do not qualify. Restrictions and T&Cs apply. GamCare.org.uk
Read the Coral reviewLicence: LC International Limited, UKGC account 54743. Offer checked 5 October 2026.
Significant terms: 18+. New customers only, from 14/11/25 until further notice. Certain deposit methods excluded. Deposit and spend £10+ on slots for 50 free spins a day during the first 10 days after first deposit and registration (max 500, £0.10 each, selected games, claim before 23:59 each day, valid 7 days). No wagering. Prepaid cards, PayPal, Paysafe, Neteller, Skrill and Moneybookers deposits do not qualify. Restrictions and T&Cs apply. GamCare.org.uk
Read the Ladbrokes reviewLicence: LC International Limited, UKGC account 54743. Offer checked 5 October 2026.
Significant terms: 18+. New UK customers (excluding Northern Ireland). First deposit only. Minimum deposit £10. 80 free spins on Big Bass Bonanza, £0.10 each. No wagering requirements; winnings paid in cash. Cannot be used with any other offer. Only available to players who arrive through the designated offer link. Full T&Cs apply. GamCare.org.uk
Read the PlayOJO reviewLicence: Skill On Net Limited, UKGC account 39326. Offer checked 5 October 2026.
18+. Gambling should be entertainment that costs money, not a way to make it. Decide a budget before you play: set a budget. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.
Frequently asked questions
What does RTP mean in slots?
RTP stands for return to player: the share of all money staked on a slot that it is designed to pay back as winnings over a huge number of spins. A 96% RTP slot returns about £96 for every £100 staked in the long run and keeps about £4. It says nothing reliable about one short session, where results swing widely. The figure must be shown before you play under UK rules. Our house edge entry explains the other side of the same number.
Is a higher RTP always better?
A higher RTP means a smaller average loss per pound staked, so all else being equal it is the better deal. The difference is often small: on 100 spins at 10p, 98% versus 95% is about 30p on average. Volatility, max win and whether a game counts towards your bonus can matter more for your experience. A high RTP also doesn't stop you losing. Our guide to high RTP slots for bonuses puts the figures in context.
How do I calculate the value of free spins using RTP?
Multiply the number of spins by the stake per spin, then by the RTP. For 100 free spins at 10p on a 96% slot: 100 × £0.10 = £10 of spins, and £10 × 0.96 = £9.60 average return. If winnings carry wagering, take off the expected cost of that wagering too. No-wagering spins, like those from Coral, Ladbrokes and PlayOJO, avoid that step. Our free spins maths guide has more worked examples.
Can a casino change a slot's RTP?
A casino can pick which approved RTP version of a game to offer, but it can't change the maths while the game is live. UK technical standards say rules, payouts and probabilities must not change while a game is available, and adaptive games that adjust outcomes to hit a target are not allowed online. That is why the figure in the help screen is the one that counts. See UK RTP information rules for the standards behind this.
Where can I find a slot's RTP?
Open the game and look in its help, paytable or information screen; UK rules require the RTP or the likelihood of winning to be available before you play. Some casinos also show it in the game lobby. If a slot exists in more than one version, the help screen shows the one that casino uses. Write it down before claiming spins on a game. Our guide on how to choose slots for free spins shows what else to check.
Does RTP apply to bonus money and free spins?
Yes. A slot's RTP is the same whether the stake comes from your cash balance, bonus funds or offer spins; the game can't tell the difference. What changes is what happens to winnings afterwards. Wagering requirements, max win caps and expiry dates all sit on top of RTP and can lower what you can actually withdraw. Read free spins wagering explained to see how wagering changes the value.
What is a good RTP for an online slot?
Many popular slots publish RTPs between about 95% and 97%. Of the games in our data, Blood Suckers sits at 98.00%, Big Bass Bonanza at 96.71% and Starburst at 96.09%, while jackpot games such as Mega Moolah show lower base-game figures because part of each stake feeds the jackpot. Treat anything well below 94% with care if you are clearing wagering. Our list of free spins on high RTP slots has more examples.
Is RTP the same as my chance of winning?
No. RTP is the average share of stakes returned, not the chance of any single spin paying out. A slot can return 96% while most spins lose, because a few large wins make up the average. How often a game pays and how big the wins are is described by volatility, sometimes with a hit frequency in the help screen. Treat both as information, not a forecast, and set a budget you are happy to spend.
Gambling can be addictive. Free, confidential help is available 24 hours a day from the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133. Visit GamCare.org.uk and GamCare, or block yourself from all UK-licensed gambling sites with GAMSTOP.
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