RTP is the single most important number for choosing which slot to play. A 2% RTP difference saves you roughly $20 per $1,000 wagered. The problem? Casinos don’t make it easy to find the highest-RTP games — and many actively configure lower versions. Here’s how to find the real numbers.
To find a slot’s RTP: open the game → click the info/help icon (usually “i” or “?”) → look for “Theoretical Return to Player.” This shows the actual RTP configured at your specific casino — not the marketing number, not the review number, the real one.
Why RTP Matters More Than Any Other Number
Return to Player (RTP) is the percentage of all wagered money a slot is designed to return over time. A 96% RTP means the game keeps 4% — its house edge — and returns 96% to players collectively.
The difference between a 94% and a 97% RTP slot doesn’t sound like much. But over a session where you wager $2,000 (which is easy to reach at $2/spin over 1,000 spins), the expected cost changes from $120 to $60. That’s a 50% reduction in the price of the same entertainment.
RTP doesn’t guarantee you’ll win or lose a specific amount in a single session — volatility creates massive variance around the average. But over time, playing higher-RTP games systematically reduces what you pay for the experience.
Why Casinos Don’t Advertise High-RTP Slots
Casino revenue comes directly from the house edge — the gap between 100% and the RTP. A 96% RTP game earns the casino 4% of every dollar wagered. A 93% RTP game earns 7% — nearly double.
This creates a conflict of interest: players benefit from higher RTP, casinos benefit from lower RTP. Many operators handle this in three ways:
1. Configurable RTP. Major providers like Pragmatic Play, Red Tiger, and (increasingly) Nolimit City offer the same game in multiple RTP configurations — typically a high tier (~96.5%), a medium tier (~95.5%), and a low tier (~94.5%). The casino operator picks which version to deploy. There’s no visual difference between versions. The UK Gambling Commission requires that the actual RTP be accessible within the game — but many jurisdictions don’t.
2. No lobby-level RTP display. Casino lobbies show the game title, thumbnail, and provider — almost never the RTP. You have to open each game and dig into its info screen to find the number. Most players don’t.
3. Promoting high-volatility, lower-RTP games. Casino homepage banners and “featured” sections tend to highlight games with dramatic max wins and streamer popularity — not games with the highest RTP. The games that cost you the least don’t generate the most revenue for the casino.
How to Check a Slot’s RTP: Step by Step
Every licensed slot has an information or help section — usually accessible via an “i” icon, a “?” icon, or a hamburger menu (☰). This contains the rules, paytable, and RTP.
Scroll through the rules until you find a line that says “Theoretical Return to Player” or “RTP.” This is the actual percentage configured at your casino. Write it down or remember it.
Cross-reference with the game’s default RTP from the provider’s website or a reliable database like Slot Tracker. If the casino version is significantly lower (e.g., 94.5% vs 96.5%), you’re paying a higher house edge than necessary.
A 1% RTP difference = $10 per $1,000 wagered. For casual players, this may be negligible. For regular players wagering thousands per month, it compounds significantly.
Slots with the Highest RTP (97%+)
These are games with default RTPs at or above 97% — the most player-friendly in the industry. Note: your casino may be running a lower version. Always verify.
| Slot | Provider | Default RTP | Volatility |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mega Joker (max bet) | NetEnt | 99.00% | High |
| Blood Suckers | NetEnt | 98.00% | Low |
| 1429 Uncharted Seas | Thunderkick | 98.50% | Medium |
| Sugar Rush 1000 | Pragmatic Play | 97.50% | High |
| Barber Shop | Thunderkick | 97.00% | Medium |
| Bork The Berzerker | Thunderkick | 97.30% | Medium |
| Wizard Shop | Push Gaming | 97.00% | Medium-High |
| Napoleon & Josephine | Relax Gaming | 97.03% | High |
| Erik the Red | Relax Gaming | 96.95% | Low-Medium |
| Ice Breaker | Push Gaming | 96.79% | Medium |
Thunderkick and NetEnt dominate the high-RTP tier — partly because both studios were established before the industry shifted toward lower configurable RTPs. Push Gaming also maintains some of the more generous defaults. Note that Mega Joker’s 99% RTP only applies at maximum bet level; at lower bets, the RTP drops to around 76%.
Very few slots offer 99%+ RTP. Mega Joker (NetEnt) at max bet reaches 99%. Some video poker variants approach 99.5%+, but those aren’t slots. In practice, anything above 97% is exceptional for a slot machine — and increasingly rare as providers move toward configurable, lower-RTP models.
Can Casinos Control RTP?
Yes — within the options the provider gives them. Casinos cannot arbitrarily set any RTP they want. Providers deliver specific pre-certified configurations (e.g., 96.5%, 95.5%, 94.5%), and the casino selects one. Each version is independently tested and certified by labs like GLI or BMM Testlabs.
What casinos cannot do: change the RTP on a per-player basis, change it in real time during your session, or set an RTP outside the provider’s certified options. The RTP is a fixed mathematical property of the game version — it doesn’t fluctuate based on your balance, bet size, or time of day.
The Malta Gaming Authority and similar regulators require that all available RTP configurations be certified. But they don’t always require the casino to run the highest version — just to disclose whichever version they do run (usually in the game’s info screen).
Some casinos switch to lower RTP configurations without any public announcement. A game that was running at 96.5% last month might be at 94.5% today. This is legal in most jurisdictions as long as the current RTP is accessible in the game info. The only defense is to check the RTP every time you play — not just once.
Tools for Finding and Comparing Slot RTPs
In-game info screen: The authoritative source. Always check here first — this shows the actual RTP running at your casino right now.
Provider websites: Pragmatic Play’s game catalog, for instance, lists the default RTP for each title. Useful for knowing the highest available version — but your casino may not be running it.
Casino Guru: Casino.guru’s free game database lists RTPs for thousands of slots across providers. Cross-reference with the in-game info to spot discrepancies.
SlotRandomizer: Our random slot picker shows the default RTP for each game alongside volatility and max win — useful for discovering games you didn’t know existed, filtered by the data that matters.
Every slot the randomizer picks shows its default RTP right on the card. Hit the button, see the number, and decide if it’s worth your time before you open the game.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Bottom Line
Finding high-RTP slots requires effort because casinos have no incentive to highlight them. Check the in-game info screen every time you play. Cross-reference against provider defaults. And don’t assume the RTP in a review applies to your casino — it might be running a version 2% lower.
The players who pay the least for their entertainment are the ones who spend 30 seconds checking a number before they spin. That’s it. No strategy, no trick — just reading the fine print.
