Is 96% RTP good for a slot? Where it ranks in 1,195 published figures

A 96% RTP is normal for an online slot, not a high one. It means that over a very large number of spins, the slot returns $96 for every $100 wagered on average, a long-run cost of $4 per $100. In our slot database, 1,195 slots have a published RTP. Of those, 93.3% list a top figure of 96% or more, and the median is 96.37%. So 96% sits slightly below the middle of the market. Only 6.8% of slots reach 97%.

Where 96% sits in our data

For slots that publish several versions, we use the highest figure. This is the version studios usually headline.

Below 96% sit 80 slots (6.7%). The tenth percentile is 96.00%, the median 96.37% and the ninetieth percentile 96.70%. The full range runs from 91.97% to 98.6%. In practice, most published figures fall within one percentage point of each other. That is why a slot at 96.0% and one at 96.7% look almost identical on paper, but the gap still adds up over a lot of wagering.

What the percentage costs you: simple arithmetic

The long-run average cost is 100% minus the RTP, applied to the total amount wagered, not to your deposit. Every spin counts towards that total, including spins paid for with earlier wins.

1,000 spins at $1 each is $1,000 wagered. At 96%, the long-run average cost is $40; at 94%, $60. The difference between 96% and 94% is half as much again in cost, even though the percentages look close.

These are averages over a very large number of spins. Great Britain’s Gambling Commission warns that RTP is achieved over a significant number of game plays, not on every play. A single session can end well above or well below the average. See RTP explained for more on what the figure can and cannot tell you.

The version your casino runs may be lower

Some studios offer the same slot in several RTP versions, and the casino chooses which one to run. In our database, 58 slots (4.9%) list more than one version. Their median lowest version is 90.32%. Most of them come from Hacksaw Gaming (28 slots) and AvatarUX (26).

Hacksaw Gaming’s page for Wanted Dead or a Wild lists 96.38%, 94.55%, 92.33% and 88.42%. At the highest version, the average cost is $3.62 per $100 wagered; at the lowest, $11.58. That is more than three times as much, for the same game.

Other studios in our database list one figure per slot. That does not prove only one version exists; it is what the studio publishes.

Regulators set floors, not targets. The Malta Gaming Authority lowered the minimum RTP for games offered online from 92% to 85% in 2021. A slot can be fully licensed and still run well below 96%.

How to check the RTP you are actually playing

1. Open the game at your casino and find its rules, paytable or information screen.
2. Look for the RTP or “theoretical return” figure. In Great Britain, remote technical standard RTS 3 requires information about the chances of winning, such as the RTP percentage, to be easily available before you commit to gamble.
3. Compare it with the versions the studio publishes. Our slot pages link to the studio’s own source.
4. If the slot has a bonus buy or bet modes, check those too. They can carry their own RTP; see do bonus buys have higher RTP?

So, is 96% good?

It is the market standard. A 96% slot is in line with most published figures, and a 96.5% or 97% slot costs somewhat less over the long run. The more important question is whether the game in front of you is running the published top version or a lower one. That number decides more of your long-run cost than the small differences between top versions. Our guide to which studios publish RTP shows where to find those figures.