What RTP means
RTP, or return to player, is the share of all money wagered on a slot that it's designed to pay back as winnings. A slot with a 96% RTP pays back $96 for every $100 wagered, on average, across all players over a very large number of spins.
The rest is the house edge, the casino's built-in margin. A 96% RTP means a 4% house edge.
RTP is an average over an enormous number of plays, not a promise about any one session. Britain's Gambling Commission makes the same point: RTP is achieved over a significant number of plays, not each time you play.
RTP in practice
Say you play a slot with a 96% RTP at $1 a spin for 500 spins. That's $500 wagered. Over the very long run, the average cost of that much play is $20, or 4% of $500.
Over just 500 spins, though, results swing widely. You could finish well ahead or well behind, which is why RTP can't tell you what will happen in your session.
RTP applies to every dollar you wager, including winnings you bet again. That's how a small house edge adds up when the same money goes around many times.
What volatility means
Volatility, sometimes called variance, describes how a slot pays out its RTP:
- Low volatility: wins land more often but tend to be small.
- Medium volatility: somewhere in between.
- High volatility: wins are rarer and long dry spells are normal, but single wins can be much larger.
Two slots with the same RTP can feel completely different to play. Volatility doesn't change the house edge, only how unevenly the returns arrive.
There's a trade-off behind it. To pay bigger top prizes at the same RTP, a game has to pay less often or pay less the rest of the time. That's why slots with very large top payouts tend to be more volatile.
Hit frequency and top payout
Some developers publish two more numbers that hint at volatility:
- Hit frequency is the share of spins that pay something. A hit can be smaller than your bet, so you can lose money on a spin that counts as a hit.
- Top payout is the most the game can pay, as a multiple of your bet.
| Slot | RTP | Hit frequency | Top payout | Volatility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starburst (NetEnt) | 96.08% | 23% | 800x bet | Not listed |
| Gonzo's Quest (NetEnt) | 95.97% | 41% | 2,200x bet | Not listed |
| Divine Fortune (NetEnt) | 96.59% | 20% | 1,000x bet, plus a progressive jackpot | Medium |
| Book of Dead (Play'n GO) | Check in game | Not listed | 5,000x | High |
Figures from each developer's own page. "Not listed" means the page doesn't give that figure. Play'n GO's page doesn't list Book of Dead's RTP, so check the game's info screen.
The numbers don't line up neatly. Gonzo's Quest pays on more spins than Starburst, yet its top payout is almost three times higher. Hit frequency and top payout are clues, not the whole picture, so a developer's own volatility rating is the best guide where there is one.
Finding a slot's RTP in Ontario
Ontario's rules require sites to give you accurate information on a game's odds or returns to players before you bet (AGCO Standard 4.06). Open the game's info or help screen, often an "i" or "?" button, to see its RTP, rules and paytable.
Developers' websites often show a published RTP, but the figure that counts is the one in the info screen at your casino, so check it there. Our popular slots table lists published RTPs for six well-known games.
Two more rules help you keep track while you play. During a slots session, Ontario sites must show your net position, meaning your total winnings minus your losses since the session started, in Canadian dollars (Standard 2.21). They must also give you a way to track time (Standard 2.22).
Common myths
- "This slot is due to pay." Every spin is random and independent. Past spins don't change the next one.
- "A higher RTP means I'll win." It means a smaller house edge over the long run. Any single session can still lose.
- "High volatility pays more." Volatility changes how a slot pays, not how much it pays back overall.
- "A system can beat slots." Betting patterns don't change a slot's odds. Treat slots as paid entertainment, not a way to make money.
Before you play, decide on a budget and a time limit, and set deposit limits in your account. Our guide to limits and self-exclusion covers the tools every Ontario site has.
Sources
We checked every fact in this guide against these sources on October 8, 2026. Rules and site details can change, so check a site's own terms before you play. Read how we research and fact-check.