One slot, several RTP versions: how to find yours and what the gap costs

Two players can open the same slot, see the same reels, the same bonus round and the same artwork, and still be playing different maths. The difference sits in one number that is easy to miss: the return to player, or RTP, that the casino has loaded. This guide shows which games are known to ship in several versions, what the gap costs in rand, and where to read the figure that actually applies to the game on your screen.

Why one game carries several RTP settings

RTP is the share of all wagers a game is designed to pay back over a very long run. A studio does not have to certify a game at one level only. In its guide to customisable RTP, SlotCatalog writes that some game providers certify their games at several different RTP levels, which gives operators a way to adjust the setting for their own service. The same article reports that operators may use a lower setting to fund bonus promotions or a higher one to compete on value, and it counts 666 of Pragmatic Play's 997 games and 462 of Play'n GO's 525 as having an RTP range. Those are SlotCatalog's own counts, not studio statements.

The idea is not new. On the land-based side, the Wizard of Odds explains on its slot payback page that physically all you have to do to change the return of a machine is change the EPROM chip inside, and that in Las Vegas casinos have to fill out a form every time they change the percentage on a game. Online, the swap is a configuration choice rather than a chip, but the principle is the same: the setting belongs to whoever runs the game.

Real examples of one game, several percentages

The table lists games where a published page names more than one RTP. Percentages are as published on those pages; the page is the authority, not this article.

Hacksaw is the only one here where the studio itself prints all the values on its game page, as a single line: 96.38%, 94.55%, 92.33% and 88.42%. The page does not say which value belongs to which casino. The Immortal Romance review lists 94.12% and 92.1% as versions some casinos may use, next to the standard 96.86%. You can compare that with our own page for Immortal Romance, which describes the game itself.

Two caveats keep the picture honest. First, a jackpot edition is usually a separate game with its own maths: the Mega Moolah version of Immortal Romance is listed at 93.40% and sold as a progressive reboot, so it is not one more setting of the base game. Second, review sites disagree even where no setting is changed. For Great Blue, one review gives 96.03% while another page gives 94.3% in its text, so check the casino's own screen before quoting either figure for our Great Blue page or any other.

What a gap costs per R1,000 wagered

RTP of 96% means R96 comes back for every R100 staked, on average, over a huge number of spins. The other side is the house edge, which is 100% minus RTP. To turn a gap into rand, multiply the edge by the amount wagered. The amount is total stakes added up over all spins, not the money you start with: R5 a spin for 200 spins is R1,000 wagered (200 x R5 = R1,000).

Read the gaps, not the headline percentages. Zeus drops exactly two points between 96.08% and 94.08%, which is R20 per R1,000 (1,000 x 0.02 = R20). That lifts the expected loss from R39.20 to R59.20, about 51% more (59.20 / 39.20 = 1.51). At 92.08% the loss is R79.20, just over double the 96.08% figure (79.20 / 39.20 = 2.02). Immortal Romance between its top and bottom settings is a 4.76-point gap (96.86 - 92.1 = 4.76), which is R47.60 per R1,000. At the extreme, Book of Dead at 84.18% has an expected loss of R158.20 against R37.90 at 96.21%, more than four times as much (158.20 / 37.90 = 4.17).

These are long-run averages across enormous numbers of spins. In one session of a few hundred spins, a single large win or a dry run swamps a R20 difference, which is why players rarely notice it. The figure is a property of the game's design, not a forecast of your result, and a higher RTP does not mean you will win.

How to read the RTP your casino is running

1. Open the game and find the information or help button, often shown as an "i", a question mark or a menu icon.
2. Go to the section called game rules, paytable or game information. A guide on Roger.com says the RTP figure is usually near the bottom of that section.
3. Write down the percentage, with its decimals, and compare it with the studio's listed figure. A lower number than reviewers quote suggests a reduced build.
4. If the screen shows no RTP at all, ask the casino's support which version is live, and keep the reply.
5. Repeat this at every casino. A game can carry a different figure at each site, and a casino can change it later.

Do not rely on the audit badge in the footer of a casino. A certificate from a testing lab shows the software was tested; the same guide notes that this audit does not normally state which setting the operator chose.

What regulators say, and what applies in South Africa

Rules on showing the number are set country by country, and none of them is a South African rule. Germany's gambling authority, the GGL, says in its interpretation notes for virtual slots (a September 2024 document, going by its file name) that the average payout rate per euro of stake must be shown permanently at the level where the stake is placed. That is the GGL's requirement for its own licensed market only. Malta's regime, according to SlotCatalog, licenses games as long as RTP stays above 85%, which is again a rule of that regulator. Nothing here sets a minimum for South African players.

In South Africa, interactive casino games are not licensed under the National Gambling Act 7 of 2004, so there is no local licensing body that checks or publishes the RTP of an online slot you reach on an offshore site. Gambling is for adults aged 18 and over. If staking starts to feel less like entertainment and more like a need, the South African Responsible Gambling Foundation runs a free line on 0800 006 008, and you can SMS "HELP" to 076 675 0710. For wider questions on which games return more, see our FAQ on games with the best chance of winning and our article on whether online slots are rigged.