If you are new in the world of online casinos, that means that some of your first stations are slot machines. This also means you probably don’t know too much about these games, as you have started to show interest in them just recently. Therefore, you probably wonder what do some of those fancy acronyms mean. Speaking of acronyms, one of the most commonly used is RTP. While some consider it very important, others claim this calculation is way overrated.
What’s more true? It’s hard to say. In any case, it is something that plays an important role in picking a certain online slot game to play. Therefore, let’s find out a couple of things about a slot machine RTP.
What is an RTP and how it works?
The RTP acronym stands for Return To Player. This term refers to the balance between the total bet amount on a certain slot machine and the total paid back amount. It is expressed in percentage, so if you browse through various slot games, this percentage shows which one returns most. Simply said, RTP is nothing more than a flip side of the house edge.
The RTP is measured in percentage, as we’ve just mentioned. Still, you should consider that the relevant bodies that calculate this percentage, such as eCogra, usually take an extremely huge sample, so it shouldn’t be taken as an axiom. It is more a kind of statistical calculation and the thing with statistics is always the same – it shows a lot of things but doesn’t say anything. You will find out what we are talking about in a moment.
This is a super-simple operation, where you have to divide the total amount of return by the total amount of bets. The catch with RTP calculation is that, as we already mentioned, the sample is huge. This means it is audited in a pretty long period, which measures in weeks or even months. So, if you’re in some extremely long run of losses, it doesn’t actually have anything with the calculated RTP.
Another way to show that RTP percentage doesn’t reflect in the real world in the way you would probably expect is the winning frequency. The RTP measures balance between bets and wins and it refers to the overall sum of cash. Therefore, it doesn’t indicate how often you’re going to win. You can either win smaller amounts more frequently or win one big amount once in a while. In both cases, the RTP could be the same.
So, does RTP mean anything after all?
It’s hard to give a straight answer. On one side, this is nothing more than statistical calculation, but a kind of calculation that can’t predict how much you will win, or will you win at all. Simply, you are just a drop in the ocean that is called the audited sample.
On the other side, this calculation plays an important role in terms of the reputation of a certain house or slot game. A high TLP usually means a high level of trustworthiness. That is one of the criteria we use to rate online slot games.
What would be the final conclusion?
While TLP calculation can’t give you a straight answer in terms of winning chances, it definitely deserves to be considered when making an online casino strategy. However, this definitely isn’t the deciding factor when picking an online slot game. The point of online slot games is in having fun while not losing too much money. Therefore, keep the fun factor in the focus and make sure not to play games you can’t afford. Find casinos organised with the best bonuses, latest news and guides at casinomartini.
