Online Slots Payout Percentage Explained

December 22, 2011

OK before we jump in the deep end and take a look at what payout percentage is, and how it affects us, the online gamblers, we first need to entirely segregate online slots form casino slots. If you have played casino slots regularly, then you will know that the casino can tweak the payout percentage for casino slots. They can set a machine as “hot”, if they want a particular slot played more often. In the same way, they can set the most popular slots to a lower payout percentage, thus increasing profits for the casino. Now, we need to understand that this DOES NOT HAPPEN with online slots, regardless of the rumors and myths you may have heard. Online slots work from a standard random number generator which is set at a single, unchangeable payout percentage.

Moving on, let’s take a look at what payout percentage (from an online slots point of view) actually means. Take a look at the payout tables for your chosen online casino, somewhere they will have published the payout percentage for their entire range of online slots, or individually if each slot has a different percentage. Most online casinos set their payout percentage at around 95%. But what does this mean? Well, to make it simple. For every $100 that players put into the online slot, it will pay out $95 in winnings. This means that the online casino makes a gross profit of $5 for every $100 wagered.

Now, what makes things a little more complicated is that it is calculated using perfect play. In other words, if you hit every button right, every time and don’t make any mistakes or bad decisions, you can expect to receive a 95% payout percentage. However, if you don’t understand the online slot you are playing, and make a few bad calls, you will find you are working at a far lower payout percentage. Often as low as 70%.

This means that in a perfect world, every online gambler is receiving a 95% payout percentage for a particular online slot. What makes it possible for some people to win steadily, and for others to go broke regularly, is that some players are more skilled than others. So in effect, the available payout percentage is 95%, however there are some lesser skilled players working below that percentage, which leaves room for the pros to receive a payout percentage of more than 100%, thus making profit. This is the real kicker.

Always remember that the published payout percentage is an average, you have it in your power to either do worse, or do better.

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