Can Online Casinos Change RTP?

Article by : Max Bet Jun 1, 2023

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Are you a seasoned gambler? If so, your primary goal may be a long-term payout. What you seek is a series of wins–one after another, right? But to achieve such a goal, you must be serious about the slot machine’s RTP.

This RTP or Return-to-Player is statistical data that every gambler, especially slot enthusiasts, must be aware of. It is considered a certain percentage of the funds you used to play the slot that is returned as prizes. It determines your overall strategy and long-term profitability.

The higher the slot’s RTP, the higher the player’s winning odds. Now, given such importance of RTP, players cannot afford to play at online casinos, which changes its RTP. A lot of controversy has been going around that casino operators change RTP.

So, read this article to find out whether it’s true or not. Learn whether online casinos change RTP for real or if it is all false. Such information can help you become a more cautious and smart player.

How RTP Works

RTP or Return-to-Player is a certain percentage of money paid back to the player. This returned amount varies depending on the player’s overall wagering on a specific slot or game.

How RTP is Calculated

The computation of RTP rates is simple. To compute the RTP of a certain slot, divide your (player) overall winnings by the total number of bets you placed. Then, multiplying it by 100% will give you the exact RTP. Typically, RTP ranges from 0% to 100%.

For instance, one of the slots has 95% of RTP. It implies that if you bet $100 on this slot, you’ll be entitled to get back $95 in winnings. However, players must note that RTP is only statistical data that doesn’t assure any specific wins.

Examples Of Popular Online Slots And Their RTPs

Here is a table representing the most popular online slots along with their RTPs:

Importance of RTP for Players

RTP is a key aspect of any slot game that all players should know about. It helps you figure out the long-term payout you can expect to get in return from a slot. Slots with high RTP percentages should be your go-to option if you seek to play games with high winning chances.

Nevertheless, remember that your RTP is an average payout percentage over the long term. No matter which gaming session, the outcomes may differ significantly from the RTP. For instance, if you’re unfortunate, you can lose all your bankroll in a single go even when the slot has an RTP of 97%.

Online Casino RTP Regulations

Overview Of How Online Casinos Are Regulated

Online casinos are regulated by their licensing authority depending on the jurisdiction they are in and their services. Licensing authorities like Malta Gaming Authority or UK Gambling Commission look after the regulations of any online casino they are associated with.

Here are the following things a regulatory body checks to ensure online casinos are regulated:

• Accounting procedures
• Handling problematic gamblers
• Dealing with complaints
• Suitability of executives and owners
• Fairness of casino games
• Preventing underage gambling

The best online casinos always meet the regulatory standards and requirements to comply with their regulatory authority and remain flawless for the audience.

How RTP is Monitored and Enforced

RNG-driven software products are the main focus of RTP monitoring. To calculate the outcomes, live dealers leverage tangible supplies (like card decks and roulette wheels), and numerous more integrity checks surround such a provision.

For instance, there will be restrictions on these devices’ procurement, installation, and ongoing use. Continuing roulette wheel integrity checks, fair card shuffling, and dealing procedures all have an impact on impartiality and will be provided on a regular basis.

Operators are not required to display the RTP of the slots or additional games they provide at their online casinos. On the other hand, regulated online casinos are compelled by law to be open about the integrity of their games.

Examples Of Regulatory Bodies And Their Guidelines

Can Online Casinos Change RTP?

Discussion Of Whether Online Casinos Have The Ability To Change RTP

The answer is both yes and no.

Yes, because the RTPs of all slot machines historically had been established at a set level. The idea of RTP ranges, which permits casinos to modify their machines within specific permissible limits, has recently begun to gain traction among manufacturers.

So, many developers now produce machines with RTPs in the 94–97% range rather than the constant 97% RTP that they once did. With such a provision, a casino may decide to set a machine to run at 96% for one minute before switching to 94% the following.

As you might expect, practically all online casinos now use RTP ranges, though a few, like this Judi slot gacor site, continue to operate traditionally. So, this website operates its machines with a set RTP because it thinks every player should always have an equal opportunity.

Also, certain operators can modify their online slots’ RTP. This covers both the online casino software used by gambling websites and the slot machine cabinets used in physical casinos.

Operators can set the RTP of a game on the EPROM chips used in slot machine cabinets. By adjusting the EPROM chip, slot machine payouts can be changed to reflect the operator-set RTP. Also, the RNG algorithm of the casino game–which decides whether you win or lose a spin–is controlled by this chip.

So, online casinos can change or alter the RTP only when the slot developer designs the slot with such possibility for them.

Possible Motives For Online Casinos To Change RTP

Making more money is the simple reason behind this. Moreover, less money is distributed to players when the RTP is lower. Over thousands of spins, even a relatively minor adjustment can have a significant impact. They can keep more of the bets if they reduce the RTP.

So, they must find it alluring to do this, particularly when they’re having a hard time and making little money. But they must strike the appropriate balance. Moreover, visitors will leave if they believe they aren’t getting their money’s worth. This is particularly valid if players believe they are the victim of fraud.

Why will any reputed casino take this chance? Are they really in such a rush to make more money? Or do they perceive it as a simple way to increase game profits? The casinos must inform us of the true causes before we may find out.

Consequences If Online Casinos Were Found To Change RTP

If providers change the slot RTP to reduce the player edge, they can easily upset their clientele. Furthermore, if word gets out that a particular online casino site changes the RTP of one of its games, high-rollers and edge players—who account for a sizeable chunk of an online casino’s income—will become more reluctant to play there.

Industry Response

How The Online Casino Industry Has Responded To Accusations Of RTP Manipulation

Operators are not required to make the RTP for their slots or online casino games public. Government-licensed gambling sites are obligated to disclose the unbiased nature of the games they offer. So, if an operator has a game available online that fails to disclose the RTP on its website, the regulator will probably take enforcement action. Typically, the majority of online casinos don’t show their games’ RTP.

Examples Of Measures Taken By Industry Leaders To Ensure Fair RTP

Although the RTP and the RNG guarantee fair gameplay, slot machines still require testing by independent third parties to verify fairness. A testing business, for instance, can determine whether or not a game’s advertised RTP is accurate.

This will be accomplished by running the game through millions of tests and comparing the results with a hypothetical RTP. So, if the two numbers line up, the game is deemed to be completely impartial and fair, so it can then be offered to gamers at online casinos.

The formal third-party organizations check games before pre-license, which means they are examined before approaching the online gambling market. However, these third parties also evaluate currently available games to ensure they are fair to play at any time.

Case Studies

Overview Of Specific Cases Where Online Casinos Were Accused Of Changing RTP

First, Video slot games acknowledged the RTP modification for several games. This applied to games by IGT, Red Tiger Gaming, Pragmatic Play, and Play’n GO. What’s more, they said that the decision was made as a result of newly enacted tax laws.

Among the most well-known slot game developers are NetEnt. You may find their iconic Starburst game at several online casinos. However, the RTP is not constant. It is 96% on the NetEnt website. 94.05% is what Video Slots claims.

So, you shouldn’t assume the RTP will be the same as what you’ve seen in Starburst just because you saw it. This is merely one illustration, but it also holds true for other games.

Conclusion

Many gamblers imagine casinos cunningly reducing their slot machines’ RTP to increase their earnings. However, these ideas stem from misconceptions about how the gambling business operates. Most physical and virtual casinos are governed by laws limiting the disclosure of payout percentages.

When casinos wish to adjust RTP, some governments even go so far as to demand paperwork. In other situations, casinos can instantly alter payout thanks to server technology. However, even this has limitations, such as a machine going offline while the casino adjusts the payback.

Again, when it comes to slots, casinos already have an advantage. They are aware of the amount of an edge required to generate long-term earnings after taking into account all other expenses.

The most catastrophic thing that can happen to a casino is to be implicated in a controversy where they allegedly decrease RTP to generate a few extra dollars. So, you may generally presume that the majority of physical slot machines provide an RTP of between 88% and 95%.

Slot machine denominations between penny and nickel make up the bottom end, while quarters and above make up the upper end. Online slots often have a payout percentage of 95% to 97%. To find out the payout percentages for specific slots or game developers online, use Google.

Consequently, you have little cause to worry that casinos will reduce RTP to an absurdly low percentage. They have too much to lose if they are discovered, and gambling jurisdictions forbid it.