Casino games have become vastly popular across the globe in recent years with their eye-catching visuals, immersive gameplay, and chances of winning large prize pots. For many, there are questions about just how likely you are to win any cash or prizes when playing these games online. Indeed, often many casino games have different payout rates, and it can seem quite hard to know why this is the case. The RTP (return to player) probability is something that fluctuates a lot between differing games, and there are a few reasons for this, which we are going to look at below to make sure that players are fully aware of why casino games do have such differing payout rates.
Deciding how to choose a high payout online casino can give the player an advantage right from the get-go, but so too can knowing just what the reasons behind the variations in payout rates are – after all, these payout rates are in place with the casino’s profitability in mind.
House edge
Perhaps one of the most important things to note when thinking about different casino payout rates is a thing known as the ‘House Edge’. In its essence, this is the statistical advantage that the casino has over the player in any given game that is being played on casino platforms. Whilst all games are designed to edge the probability in the casino’s favor, there are variations in this depending on the rules and games that are taking place to allow the player to still have a chance at winning and earning some money.
For instance, Poker and table games such as Blackjack have way lower house edges due to the element of player influence and chance. Online poker can have a ‘house edge’ as low as 0.5% depending on the paytable and the level of players participating. However, games that rely on more luck-based scenarios such as roulette are more heavily favored towards the casino due to their higher house edge, which can be as high as 5%. This is down to various factors like single and double zero places on the wheel in American roulette.
Differing games and skill levels
It may seem obvious, but it is worth mentioning as online casinos continue to branch out and produce more entertaining games for players to get involved with, the payout rates to players will differ. The odds, mechanics, and styles of these games mean that casinos structure payouts in different ways – much like how video games offer different rewards for harder skill playthroughs.
Things like slot machines often offer players quick, small wins with lower probabilities of winning large jackpots as they rely on simple play through combinations of symbols that are influenced by the number of paylines and bonus rounds. Table games differ slightly, as they require a further level of skill and can be influenced more by the player through tactics and strategies. Games like Blackjack can offer up to 99% payout rates because of the influence in which a player has over the game and their ability to ‘beat the dealer’.
Progressive jackpots and promotions
Games also have different payout rates when casinos implement different promotions such as progressive jackpots and bonus features. These are often seen in slot games where the player can invest slightly more money for the chance at a bonus spin or a multiplier which increases their chances of winning a bigger payout. When done in a way that some slots offer, the player can accumulate bonuses to aim towards bigger prizes through progressive jackpots.
In addition to these in-game progressions and promotions, online casinos are known to offer sign-up bonuses and regular promotions to their members in a marketing bid to attract further business. These promotions can be enticing for players and offer better chances to win some cash. They are offered by casinos to attract more customers, and as such, this can affect pay rates as the casino looks to try to compete in a saturated market.
Volatility
In the same way that many things in a market remain volatile, such as fluctuating house prices, casino volatility is also present when playing casino games. The volatility, which is essentially the variance and chance within the game, plays a huge role in the payout rate that casinos offer to players. Games with higher volatility are more likely to pay out large prizes less frequently, such as slots, but require more patience to play. Games with lower volatility give the players more frequent and fast-paced wins, but these wins are nowhere near the same sort of jackpot prize money you would expect from higher volatility games. This means that games with higher volatility may have a lower RTP chance compared with other games, but the chance of winning bigger cash prizes on these games is more likely.
