Casino Payout Rates Explained

Calculating the likelihood of winning in an online casino can be tricky, which is why most casinos are committed to transparency and provide a range of statistics to help potential players decide how to gamble. In addition to these stats, most casino games have established rules with calculable returns. 

It’s just a matter of knowing where and how to look. 

This guide does just that, informing players on all there is to know about the highest online casino payout rates.

What are Payout Rates?

In short, payout rates are statistics that give players an idea of how likely they are to win a game, or how much they can expect to lose in pursuit of that one big win. Commonly expressed as a percentage, payout figures indicate how much of the money wagered in a casino (or on a specific game) is returned to players on average. They can be expressed in a number of ways, each useful for slightly different reasons.

Payout Percentages

The best USA online casinos commission monthly reports from independent testing organizations like Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) or eCOGRA, which provide what’s known as a percentage payout report. Frequently accessed via links at the footer of online casino web pages, in help sections, or fairness policies, these publicly available test results show the average return to all players who took part in a particular game type during the last month.

For example, a 2014 eCOGRA report for one casino showed that, across the entire site, 96.91% of money wagered in June of that year was returned to players, and 99.08% of money bet on baccarat was returned. As this is an average across all players betting on the site during the named period, some players will have won above the average, while others will have won below it. 

Comparing average returns can give a good idea of how rival casinos measure up.

Return to Player (RTP) Percentages

For more specific details about individual games, Return to Player (RTP) percentages are a useful indicator. 

Commonly found for online slots, though occasionally for other games, these operate in a similar way to monthly payout percentages, but are calculated by running simulations through games rather than monitoring actual player betting activity. 

Often, these can be found in game developers' catalogs, as most provide this info on their websites. Players can also access this information in online slot reviews and/or in the information pages for the slot at each casino. 

Again, many players win above or below these figures. 

With slots, it’s important to check how high the variance of the game is. If massive jackpots pay hundreds of thousands of pounds, a small number of players will win returns of 1,000% or more, meaning most players will be returned less than the average; don't let this fool you.

Understanding House Edge

The term house edge is usually used in online casino games like roulette and baccarat, and in some games, it can be affected by smart strategy, such as in blackjack. 

As with RTP percentages, they give an average based on probability and offer a good indication of which bets to place and when. 

In instances where strategy can affect the house edge, players are advised to work on their skills in order to maximize returns, so it really does pay to practice.