Casino Slots with a Bonus or Real Money Doesn’t Matter – RTP Does

Online casino slots are quite popular with casual gamers and novices, offering a simple and easy means for them to stay entertained and occasionally get rewarded. As for seasoned gamblers, slot games offer a much needed break from the more serious games that demand prowess. Be it a fun game like slots or a challenging one such as poker, it is the chances of striking a winning hand that often draws players to the game.

Invariably, online casinos dole out welcome bonuses to all their new players, encouraging them to try out the different gaming options on the website. Eventually, you are going to land up paying from your pockets if you find a couple of games addictive. Whether you bet your own money or the online casino bonus, it makes better sense to first check if the game you’ve chosen to play is indeed a rewarding one. We’ll tell you how exactly you can do that.

There are two important factors to look out for before you place a wager on a specific game:

  • Return to Player (RTP) – The percentage of wager the player is likely to get back over time
  • Hit Frequency (HF) – How often does a winning combination surface

Let’s look at these factors in greater detail.

Slots RTP Explained

RTP is a term that is indicative of the percentage of winnings that players can expect to enjoy on the wagers they place on online casino slots in the long run – typically, an average of at least 1000 bets. This simply means players will need to stay invested for quite a while before they reap the promised benefits. It, of course, is more rewarding when they play slots games with a higher return percentage.

For example, wagering £100 in 100 x £1 bets on a slot game that promises an RTP of 98 percent is likely to eventually earn the player £98 in return.

The actual returns are definitely bound to vary from this theoretical figure, which perfectly describes the best possible earnings based on long-term performance. An RTP of 98 percent does not guarantee and must not be mistaken for 98p return on every single pound wagered on the slot game.

Players are aware that a fixed percentage of the bets on any game go in favour of the casino, aka ‘house advantage’. RTP is ideally the flip side of house advantage. If the RTP was 98 percent as mentioned earlier, the casino gets to retain 2 percent of the entire amount wagered over time.

Do note that online casino slots with RTPs ranging from 94 percent and upwards are considered a good investment. Also, slots with progressive jackpots ideally have lower RTP, as a tiny part of each spin is reserved for the jackpot prize. Opting for progressive jackpots does make sense if reward is exceptionally high or if you are using up the online casino bonus to try the game. But first check if the game qualifies for wagering requirements!

Reportedly, NetEnt slot games offer a better RTP compared to other big names.

Slots Hit Frequency Explained

If you are wondering how often the spins result in a winning combination, remember to check out the hit frequency. Hit frequency, usually indicated as a percentage value, helps players better understand their chances of winning a particular game.

For instance, if the slot hit frequency is 10 percent, the game is likely to churn out the winning sequence 10 percent of the time.

Again, the hit frequency is likely to differ across slot games – the choice, of course, is best left to the player as the reward patterns are bound to vary.

A lower hit frequency is typically associated with games offering handsome rewards like large, progressive jackpots. Chances to win the bounty are limited, but if and when you do, you win big. On the other hand, there are several slot titles that offer relatively better hit frequencies, where rewards are frequent and decent but not huge. Small regular wins may prove more satisfying than larger ones that are few and far between.

In some slot games, however, reels may throw up multiple winning combinations in a single spin, creating an illusion of multiple wins. But remember the software strictly conforms to the hit frequency. It is for you to decide which reward pattern you wish to opt for.

With slots RTP explained in detail and the slots hit frequency explained along with the available options, we hope players will make an informed decision when trying their hand at online casino slots.