DEFINITION OF CASINO PAYOUT RATE
Casino payout rate is an important stat that tells you how much a real money casino or casino game is likely to pay out over time. In theory, the greater the payout rate, the more chance you have of winning. Keep in mind that these figures are always averages and your experience may differ from the next person. Nevertheless, this number is a good indicator of likely success.
When looking at payouts, it is important to distinguish between game payouts and overall site payouts. In each case the figure is also described as Return to Player or RTP.
SLOT GAME RETURN TO PLAYER (RTP)
The RTP of a game is an average figure that tells you how much you are likely to win back from your wagering. The average RTP of a slot is 96%. If you wager $100 on a slot with a 96% RTP then you will win back $96 on average. You can find out more about this in our slots RTP explainer article.
Significantly, not all slots have the same RTP. Some are much higher. For example, Bloodsuckers by NetEnt has an RTP of 98%. Mega Joker by NetEnt has an RTP of 99%. And Jokerizer by Yggdrasil has an RTP of 98%. Other slots have a lower RTP than 96%. Some Progressive Jackpots have an RTP lower than 90% even because a portion of all the money wagered on the game is put aside for the jackpot pool.
You can find the RTP of any slot by opening up the game info screen when you load up the game. You will find the maximum payout and the stake range there too.
A NOTE ON SLOTS VARIANCE
Here at Canada Online Slots we think that you should always keep in mind that the variance of a slot will also impact its payouts too. Variance tells you how frequently a game is likely to pay out. High variance games pay out infrequently but in larger amounts, whereas low variance games pay out more frequently but in smaller amounts. If you pick a slot with a high RTP but it has a high variance too then you may still find that you burn through your bankroll quickly with no return despite the high pay rate.
You need to consider this when deciding which slot to play. You can find out more in our Explainer Guide To Slots Variance.
CASINO GAME RETURN TO PLAYER (RTP)
The RTP of other casino games including table games like Blackjack, Baccarat, Roulette and Craps are also variable. The difference between slots and some table games is that by using your strategy you can manipulate the RTP and squeeze the house edge so that you have more chance of winning. The best example of this is Blackjack where using a Blackjack chart and knowing when to split or hit can increase your RTP from 99% to closer to 99.5%.
The casino games with the best RTP are Blackjack (99%), Baccarat (99%), European Roulette (97.3%), Craps (98.6%)and Carribean Stud Poker (96.3%).
CASINO GAME JACKPOTS AND MAXIMUM PAYOUTS
As well as paying close attention to the RTP of a slot game it is also important to check the maximum amount that the game can payout out on a single bet. You can find that information in the game screen as well or publicised on any casino website.
For slots players the highest wins can be had on progressive jackpot games like Mega Moolah from Microgaming or Mega Fortune from NetEnt. These games are seeded at $1,000,000 and sometimes even pay out over $10,000,000 for one very lucky spin. Of course, keep in mind that the jackpots are hard to win and the odds are well over 1 million to 1.
Slot games without progressive jackpots also have a cap on winnings, normally expressed as a multiple of your stake. For example, a game with a maximum payout of 10,000x will pay up to $10,000 if your stake is $1. The maximum payout value of any slot can be found on the info screen available once you load up the game. They vary a lot, from just 500x up to as much as 300,000x. In recent years we have seen an increase in the top payout potential of slots as developers like Big Time Gaming and No Limit City look to outgun their rivals with bigger and better prizes.
Here are 10 slot games with a high maximum payout:
- Mega Moolah (Microgaming): $1,000,000 +
- Mega Fortune (NetEnt): $1,000,000 +
- Tombstone RIP (No Limit City): 300,000x
- San Quentin xWays (No Limit City): 150,000x
- Who Wants To Be A Millionaire Megaways (Big Time Gaming): 1,000,000x
- Raging Rex 2 (Play n Go): 30,000x
- Wheel of Fortune Megaways™ (Big Time Gaming): 80,150x
- Space Miners (Relax Gaming): 50,000x
- Money Marriachi Infinity Reels (Reelplay): 50,000x
- Majestic Gold Megaways™ (iSoftBet): 50,000x
AGGREGATED CASINO RETURN TO PLAYER (RTP)
As well as the game RTPs, many casinos also publish an aggregated RTP that tells you how much the site has paid out as a percentage of wagers on all its games in the last week, month or year. In most cases you will find this to be around 96% to 97%. When you see one that has an RTP of over 97%, you might think that casino is lucky, or more generous. But keep in mind that the figure will fluctuate over time and just because a site is generous this week, doesn’t mean it necessarily will be next week.
HOW ARE PAYOUTS CERTIFIED AND AUDITED?
You may be asking yourself, ‘how do I know that these figures can be trusted?’ That is a good question to ask because integrity and fairness are critical in the online gambling industry. Fortunately, a regulatory framework has been created in jurisdictions in Europe and Canada too, that ensure only casino operators who meet strict criteria on operational standards can legally take bets.
And those standards include fairness and security in games. To acquire a license, a game supplier like Microgaming is required to submit all their games to auditors who will run millions of spins to check that the outcomes are completely random and deliver the RTP advertised by the supplier. All the games at the casinos listed on this page have been through this process and each casino has been licensed by one of the big regulators like the Malta Gaming Authority. You can find details of the license holders on our casino review pages.
These are the auditors most commonly used by regulators to carry out game testing before a license can be granted:
eCorga: Based in the UK and responsible for auditing games and operator betting platforms.
iTech Labs: An auditor specialising in game testing in Europe, Australia and Asia.
Gaming Laboratories International: Provide an auditing service for many top tier game suppliers in the gambling industry.
USING CASINO BONUSES TO GET BETTER PAYOUTS
Another feature of a casino to consider when deciding where to get the best payouts is the welcome bonus package. Choosing the right one can get you added value with your initial deposits and give the chance of winning some big prizes with bonus money or even free spins. For more on this we recommend that you read our Explainer Guide on Casino Bonuses. Here are some quick tips on choosing high value bonuses:
- Look for those with a high maximum bonus and free spins amount
- Look for bonuses with wagering requirements of 30x or under
- Look for bonuses you can use to play games with a high RTP like Bloodsuckers or Jokerizer
- Look for bonuses at new online casinos – they are often better value to raise the profile of the site in its early days
- Look for bonuses you can use on progressive jackpot slots like Mega Moolah
CHOOSE A GOOD PAYMENT SERVICE
It’s also important to deposit and play with a good payment service to ensure you get the best payouts at your chosen casino. Not all payment services are accepted at every casino and some have lower deposit and withdrawal limits than others. We recommend using an eWallet for fast withdrawals and easy deposits. However, if you want to make large deposits, credit cards and bank cards are the way to go.
CHECKLIST – HOW TO FIND THE BEST PAYOUT CASINOS IN CANADA
Here, then is a 5-point checklist to find the best payout casinos in Canada:
- Browse our list to find a casino with a payout rate higher than 97%
- Make sure the bonus is high value with low wagering terms
- Check the list of games for slots with a high RTP and high maximum payout
- Check to ensure your casino is licensed so you know the games are audited
- Sign up and start playing!
Good luck in scoring those big wins!
