Best Payout Slots by Software: Which Providers Offer the Highest RTP Slots?
When it comes to online slots, understanding the Return to Player (RTP) percentage is key to identifying games that offer the best potential payouts. RTP represents the expected payout over an extended period of play, calculated across tens or hundreds of thousands of spins, not just a single gaming session.
While many slots have an average RTP of around 96%, games with RTPs above 97% are considered high-payout slots. Some slots even reach impressive RTPs of 98% or 99%, offering excellent odds for players. However, it's important to note that RTP only provides a long-term perspective—short-term outcomes can vary based on factors like volatility and game features.
To make it easier for players to find the best payout slots, we've compiled a list of the best payout slots by software providers such as NetEnt, Playtech, Relax Gaming, Pragmatic Play, and many others. Whether you're seeking high RTP slots or exploring lower payout options, this guide will surely help you find the most fitting slot adventure for yourself!
Return to Player Basics
Sometimes referred to as a return to player percentage (RTP), sometimes called the payout percentage, this percentage represents the expected payout in a casino game.
Payout is calculated across tens or hundreds of thousands of spins, not on each round or game session separately. So, return to players makes sense when talking about long-term payout, it cannot be calculated over a short period of time.
Let’s say a game has a return-to-player percentage of 96.5%. Over an extended period of gaming activity, the machine will deliver 96.5% to players, whereas the remaining share of 3.5%, called the house edge, belongs to the casino.
What needs to be clarified as well is that the calculation of RTP is not done on a gaming session of a single player only, but on every gaming session that involves a certain game, regardless of how many casinos you can play it.
Relying on the abovementioned example, if a slot machine has a return of 96.5%, and a single player spends EUR/USD 100 on it, it doesn’t mean that he/she will walk away with EUR/USD 96.5 in their pockets. The return to player percentage includes all bets made in a game, regardless of how many people are playing it at the moment, so one could end up with solid winnings, and the other could end up with no winnings at all.
After all, RTP is only there to provide a general idea of what a consumer may expect from a certain game in the long run. When talking about short-term results, they depend on numerous factors, such as volatility, features, hit frequency, and so on.
What is Considered a High RTP Slot?
On average, the return percentage in most slots revolves around 96%. That’s still a decent percentage but still doesn’t count as high RTP. Slots with a payout over 97%, on the other hand, are classified as high-payout games.
Exploring the software providers’ portfolios, players will discover slots with a return percentage of 98% or even 99%, which is truly impressive. They are not as abundant as those with an average return, but still, it’s great to know that they exist.
- Book of 99 by Relax Gaming - 99%
- Mega Joker Slot by NetEnt- 99%
- Ugga Bugga by Playtech- 98.74%
- ChessMate by MultiSlot- 98.72%
- 1429 Uncharted Seas by Thunderkick -98.50%
- Classic Cinema by MultiSlot - 98.47%
- Marching Legions by Relax Gaming - 98.12%
- Farm Adventures by WM - 98.11%
- Space Monsters by WM - 98.11%
- The Catfather by Pragmatic Play – 98.10%
Keep in mind that the list here is not an extensive one, as new games are developed every day, meaning we can expect more best-odds games to be added. Also, some developers decide to discontinue their games at some point, so some may be removed as well.
While most players are interested in exploring games with higher returns to player percentages, some are curious to check out low RTP games. Some say that even 94% is already considered a lower payout, and some say that games with 92% and less should be labeled as low RTP slots. Slotmill has a solid selection of games with an RTP of 94%.
Understanding the Difference Between RTP and House Edge
Return to player percentage is mainly mentioned when talking about slot games, but for table games such as baccarat, roulette, or blackjack, the house edge is often used as an indicator of whether a game’s worth it or not. The simplest way to explain these two concepts would be to say that return to player percentage and house edge can be seen as two sides of the same coin.
House edge represents the percentage a casino retains for itself, whereas the return to player indicates how much of the money wagered will theoretically return to players. Both are calculated over a long-term period.
If we talk about slots, we’d say that, for instance, a game has a return percentage of 97.5%, which means that the rest, 2.5%, goes to the casino. Then again, if we say that a blackjack game comes with a house edge of 2-3%, depending on whether it’s played with optimal strategy, it means that such game has a return percentage of 97-98%.
Whichever of these used, the point remains the same- the lower the house edge, that is, the higher the payout rate, the better are the chances to get some winnings- in the long run.
The Role of Volatility in Slot Games and Its Connection with RTP
When evaluating how potentially rewarding a slot game is, players should look beyond return to player percentage. Volatility, or variance, as some players call it, is another aspect to look into. Although sometimes volatility and variance are used as synonyms, certain differences between these two exist.
Volatility indicates the frequency and the size of winnings a game will potentially deliver and is expressed as low, medium, and high. High-volatility games produce less frequent but higher payouts, whereas low-volatility slows deliver more frequent but smaller payouts.
Also expressed as low, medium, and high, variance shows a deviation of payouts over a longer period of time, that is the difference between actual and expected payout. It is also calculated in the long run.
So, volatility indicates how frequent and large the payouts would be, whereas return to player percentage reveals the maximum potential payout that the machine could deliver.
Let’s say take two low volatility games, one with a return to player percentage of 97% and the other with an RTP of 90%. While both will deliver often but with smaller payouts, the one with the higher RTP will pay out more than the lower RTP one.
Similarly, if you take slots with the same return percentage as an example, but imagine that they have high volatility, the outcome would be like this: both would deliver less frequent but larger winnings, but the one with higher return would pay out more.
What’s the Point of Listing the Best Payout Slots by Software?
Just like with best payout slots by region, the list of best payout slots by software providers aims to help players find the desired game without much hassle.
Every player has their favorite content providers, so having all the high RTP games gathered in a single list will simplify the quest maximally. Some of the studios known to have such gems in their portfolios include Relax Gaming, Multislot, Playtech, Thunderkick, Worldmatch (WM), Pragmatic Play, BF Games, NetEnt, Mobilots, and so on.
How to Get the Most of the Best Odds Slots by Software?
While pure luck is what actually determines the outcome of a game, knowledge, and exercise can make a certain difference. You know what people say “Practice makes perfect”, so use any chance you can to upgrade your knowledge and practice your gaming skills.
Understanding the definitions of return to player percentage, volatility, and variance, and their roles are very important, but here’s what else can improve overall winning chances:
- Do a thorough analysis of the paytable
Once you’ve selected a high RTP slot to play, make sure to check the paytable, and find out more about the number of paylines of winning combinations, and features included in the game. Sometimes a game may include a Buy Bonus option (although this may not be available in all jurisdictions), which means faster access to certain features.
- Learn about strategies and exercise them whenever possible
With slot games, it’s just “push the button and leave it to Lady Luck”, but with table games, things are much different. There are many strategies that can turn the situation in your favor, so whenever you have the opportunity, use it to upgrade your knowledge.
When it comes to practice, numerous casinos offer demo play for both slots and table games, so use it to exercise all the strategies you’ve discovered. It’s an excellent way to have fun and level up your skills without spending anything, so you can switch to real money play as prepared as possible.
- Stick with reputable and licensed casinos
None of the above mentioned would make any sense if you waste your time with an untrustworthy casino. No matter how attractive and promising, avoid a casino that operates without a license. Value your time and your money, and never waste them on platforms without credibility.
Enjoy exploring the best payout slots by software & gamble responsibly!