The way to find out how much an online slot pays out on average is to look for its RTP (Return to Player) percentage.
RTP percentages are not created equal so don’t expect one slot to pay out the same as others. Real money online casinos want as many players as possible, so all of them will offer slots with high RTPs to keep up with their competitors.
Note: If you’re in a state that has not legalized online casinos, you’ll see a list of top sweepstakes social casinos, which are available in most states. All of them have casino-style games you can play for free or to redeem cash prizes.
Every slot has an RTP (or return to player) percentage built into its programming. The RTP percentage equals the game’s theoretical return to the player, meaning what the player can on average expect to win while playing the game.
Let’s say a slot features a 96 percent RTP. That means for every $100 wagered on the slot, players should win an average of $96. That doesn’t mean a player will always win $96 for every $100 wagered, just that the game can be expected to pay out at that rate over the long term.
Incidentally, if you subtract a slot’s RTP percentage from 100, you get the “house edge” in that particular game. In the above example, the house edge is 4 percent.
Other casino games have their own RTP percentages. If you play blackjack following a basic strategy, you can achieve a very high RTP percentage of close to 99 percent or even higher (depending on the house rules). Meanwhile, most bets in American Roulette offer the same RTP percentage of 94.74 percent.
For online slots, many games hover right around 96 percent RTP, meaning if you find games that are 97 percent or 98 percent RTP (or higher), you’ve found relatively high RTP slots. Note that slots featuring progressive jackpots often have lower RTP percentages, but the potentially big payout up top helps increase the game’s overall theoretical return.
Take the time to check out an online slot’s RTP percentage before playing it. Remember the higher the slot’s RTP, the more you can (theoretically) expect to win.
We didn’t take any shortcuts when it came to researching the online slots with the highest RTP. Here are the factors we considered:
There is a strong selection of slots with high RTP percentages at top online casinos like BetMGM Casino, BetRivers Casino, DraftKings Casino and others. The high RTP slots we recommend can all be found on the most popular online casinos available in multiple states.
Here’s our list of the 10 best high RTP slots commonly found at many online casinos:
Now let’s take a closer look at all of these 10 best high RTP slots:
Mega Joker Slot (Screenshot)Mega Joker
Mega Joker first surfaced more than 10 years ago. While other slots have more bells and whistles, Mega Joke is a top pick despite the fact it has just three reels and three rows. In addition to its 99 percent RTP, it has a bonus Supermeter game and a progressive jackpot. Hit the Mega Joker to grab a 2,000x maximum payout.
Codex of Fortune online slot (Screenshot)Codex of Fortune
Don’t look now, but Codex of Fortune is flying high despite being an older game. Developer NetEnt updated this game with new ways to win and increased the maximum payout to 10,000 times your stake. To maximize the RTP, use the strategy of saving the keys you win in Fortune Re-Spins and using them in free spins when you have three or more keys saved.
Starmania slot (Screenshot)Starmania
It’s easy to see why Starmania is available at most online casinos. It has a sweet outer space theme, bright stars and slick 3D animation. It has 10 paylines, but they play both ways so you get 20 ways to win. If you want to maximize your payout at 500 times your stake, use the “gamble” feature for several chances to multiply your wins.
White Rabbit Megaways slot ScreenshotWhite Rabbit Megaways
This game board is so wide, it can accommodate up to 12 symbols on each line. Because it has so many paylines, there can be up to 248,000 ways to win on every spin. White Rabbit features wilds, bonus wilds, feature drops, free spins, scatters and free spins. Keep an eye out for the caterpillar because that’s when you grab multiple bonus wild symbols.
Medusa Megaways slot screenshot.Caesars Online Casino
If you like unique themes and a customizable game experience, Medusa Megaways is the perfect slot for you. It has six reels with two to seven rows, giving you anywhere from 324 to 117,000 ways to win every time you spin. Medusa is flush with bonuses, too, including free spins and multipliers. There are free games within the game, as well as a potential maximum jackpot of 50,000 times your stake.
Secrets of Atlantis Slot (Screenshot)Secrets of Atlantis
Go under the sea with Secrets of Atlantis to find all kinds of sea creatures such as mermaids (the game’s wild symbol), jellyfish, turtles and crabs. There are 40 paylines, and they pay both ways. For a chance to maximize your stake with a 4,000x win, bet at Level 10 and land five Oyster’s Pearls along one payline.
Steam Tower Slot (Screenshot)Steam Tower
Dive into a fairytale with the Steam Tower slot, which has a storyline that involves a hero and a fairy princess. There are 15 paylines with stacked wilds, multipliers, free spins and a bonus game in which the hero climbs the tower to save the princess. Win 300,000 times your stake when you bet the max across.
Gorilla Go Wilder slot (Screenshot)Gorilla Go Wilder
A gorilla at the beach? That’s exactly what you get with Gorilla Go Wilder. Lovable Gary the Gorilla leads this online slot experience that has 25 paylines and many features including free spins, multipliers, wilds, “shell” respins and scatters. If you unlock bonus islands you’ll find more special features such as the Crystal Cave mystery bonus and the Scary Forest hidden wilds.
Halloween Fortune slot (Screenshot)Halloween Fortune
You don’t have to wait for October to get a little Halloween in your life. This Playtech game has every level of spooky with skulls, witches, pumpkins, scary cats and ravens. Try to reach the Witches’ Brew Bonus round with multipliers. If you’re looking for a maximum win of 10,000 times your stake, this game is for you.
Reel Rush online slot (Screenshot)Reel Rush
Satisfy your sweet tooth with this candy-themed design that boasts five reels with a 1-3-5-3-1 row format. Winning spins open up more spots on each reel and award respins. If you win five in a row, you’ll open up the full 5 by 5 grid, which leads to 3,125 ways to win. One great feature is the music, which begins as soft and ambient but ramps up as the player gets closer to a big win.
You can find the high RTP slots above at the top licensed and regulated online casinos in the United States, but that’s not the full list. Here are some other online slots with notably high RTP percentages worth looking out for.
Whenever you play online slots or any other form of real money gambling, always use moderation and practice responsible gambling. Never play slots with money you cannot afford to lose, and always be on the lookout for signs of problem gambling.
There are many resources for learning more about responsible gambling or treating problem gambling. The National Center for Responsible Gambling and Gamblers Anonymous sites each share lots of information about how to get in touch with local resources in your state.
The acronym RTP stands for “return to player” and is typically listed as a percentage. The RTP percentage of a slot or casino game represents the theoretical return a player will receive while playing. How much can players expect to win on average?
If a slot has an RTP of 97 percent, it is programmed to pay $97 of every $100 wagered in the long term. This number is for all players over time, so an individual player cannot expect to receive exactly 97 percent. Some will win more. Some will win less.
The best RTP slots include Mega Joker (99 percent), Codex of Fortune (98 percent) and Starmania (97.87 percent). Most online slots are near 96 percent for RTP. Sometimes progressive jackpot slots will have lower RTP percentages, with the chance of winning big jackpots making up the difference.
After you’ve opened an online slot, you’ll often see (in one of the corners) a way to click and view information about the game, including details concerning what symbols mean, the payline structure, how to adjust your bets and the game’s RTP percentage. You might have to click a lowercase “i” (for information), a question mark or the “hamburger” icon (three horizontal lines) that takes you to a menu of options. Some sites let you read detailed information (including the RTP) about slots before you open them.
Over the long term, slots with higher RTP percentages do pay out more than those with lower RTP percentages. That said, there is no guarantee you’ll win more playing a high-RTP slot during any given session. The results are randomized, meaning some players will win and others won’t.
