Pokies RTP explained, in dollars

Updated 2026-11-05 · By the PokieProof editorial team · How we work

What RTP is

RTP is a percentage set in the design of a game. It is calculated from the prizes and how often they come up across a full cycle, and it is only approached after a very large number of spins. If a game has an RTP of 96%, then for every A$100 bet across all players over time, A$96 is paid out and A$4 is kept. The kept part is the house edge, and you can work it out as one minus the RTP.

RTP in dollars

The percentage is easier to judge as a price. The table shows the average cost of playing at different RTPs, using expected loss = amount bet × (1 − RTP).

Read across a row: at 96%, A$1 spins for 1,000 spins means A$1,000 bet and about A$40 expected loss. Raise the bet to A$5 and the same 1,000 spins is A$5,000 bet and about A$200 expected loss. The RTP did not change, but the total you put through the machine did. A difference of two points of RTP (96% to 98%) halves the cost for the same bets, which is why RTP is worth checking before you choose a game.

What RTP means for a single session

RTP is an average over a huge number of spins. In one evening you might play a few hundred spins, and the result can sit far from the average. In one session you can end well ahead, or lose several times the expected amount. A longer session brings your result closer to the average, which means it brings it closer to a loss.

RTP is not volatility

RTP tells you the average cost. Volatility tells you how the returns are spread: frequent small wins or rare large ones. Hit frequency tells you how often a spin pays something. Two games with the same RTP can have very different hit frequencies and maximum wins. A high-volatility game at 96% costs the same on average as a low-volatility one at 96%, but it is more likely to produce a long run with nothing, and more likely to pay a big prize. See how pokies work for the full picture.

How a game gets its RTP: a worked example

A game's RTP comes from adding up every prize multiplied by how often it is paid. Take a made-up game where a spin pays nothing 62% of the time and pays between 1x and 32x the bet the rest of the time. Each row below contributes part of the total.

Add the last column and you get 0.96, which is a 96% RTP. Notice that 25% of spins return exactly the bet. The machine can celebrate those as "wins", although nothing was gained. Only 13% of spins return more than the bet.

Same RTP, very different sessions

Now compare it with a second made-up game with the same 96% RTP but a different shape: it pays rarely, and the top prize is 430x the bet. We ran 20,000 simulated sessions of 1,000 spins at A$1 for each game.

Across all simulated sessions the average result is about −A$40.75 for the steadier game and −A$34.86 for the streaky one. Both are close to the −A$40 the formula gives, and the small gap is sampling noise, which is larger for the streaky game because its big prize is rare. The experience is different. In the steadier game about 31% of sessions finish ahead, the typical session loses A$44, and 1 in 10 loses A$151 or more. In the streaky game about 39% finish ahead, but the typical session loses A$70, 1 in 10 loses A$527 or more, and a lucky 1 in 10 finishes up A$509 or more thanks to the big prize. Same RTP, same average cost, but a very different spread: the streaky game has more sessions on both extremes, and its average is held up by the few sessions that hit the large prize. This is why a game's RTP and its volatility should be read together. These are made-up games for illustration, not real pokies, and the simulation uses a fixed random seed so you can reproduce it.

The longer you play, the closer you get to the average

Because the average is a long-run figure, the number of spins matters. We simulated the steadier game for different session lengths at A$1 a spin.

A short session leaves plenty of room for a good result. As the spins add up, the share of sessions that finish ahead falls and the typical result moves toward the expected loss. This is why it helps to set a time and money limit before you start, because the longer a session runs, the more the arithmetic works against you. Note that these figures describe the made-up steadier game. A real game with a different prize shape will give different percentages, but the direction is the same: more spins means a result closer to the expected loss.

How to read a game's RTP before you play

1. Open the game's information or help screen and find the RTP. Write down the exact figure.
2. Check the figure is for the version you are playing, not the provider's best-case setting.
3. Multiply: total you plan to bet × (1 − RTP) is your expected cost. At A$200 of bets and 96% that is A$8.
4. Look for volatility. High volatility means a bigger chance of a long run with no wins.
5. If you are using bonus money, add the wagering: the calculator does it for you.

Where to find the RTP

The RTP of a game is normally listed in its information or help screen, and sometimes in the provider's documentation. Use the figure for the exact version you are playing: some providers make several RTP settings of one game available and the operator picks one. If you cannot find the RTP, you cannot judge the cost of the game.

RTP and bonuses

Bonus money must be wagered before it can be withdrawn, and every dollar wagered costs the house edge. That is why RTP is one of the three inputs of the bonus calculator. A A$100 bonus with 35x wagering on the bonus means A$3,500 of bets. At 96% that is about A$140 of expected loss, and at 98% it is about A$70. Read wagering requirements explained for how the multiple works.

Myths to ignore

• "A machine is due." Spins are independent. A game that has not paid for a while is not more likely to pay next.
• "Bet more to win more often." Bet size changes how much is at stake, not the RTP or the hit frequency.
• "Time of day matters." A licensed game does not change its settings by the clock.
• "The $20 method" and other systems. A rule about how you spend money can help you stay in control, but it cannot change the odds.

Questions

What does an RTP of 94% mean?

The game is designed to return A$94 for every A$100 bet, on average, over a very large number of spins. The other A$6 is the house edge. In one session your result can be far from that: you can win, or lose much more than the A$6 per A$100.

Is a higher or lower RTP better for the player?

Higher is better for the player, because the expected cost per dollar bet is lower. A 98% game costs about half as much per dollar bet as a 96% game. RTP says nothing about how often or how large the wins are. That is volatility.

Does the $20 method for slot machines work?

There is no betting method that changes the odds. Starting with a set amount, a stop point or a bet pattern changes how you spend money, not the RTP. A limit can still help you stay in control, which is a different thing from improving your chances.

Can two casinos show different RTPs for the same game?

Some providers make several versions of a game available at different RTPs, and the operator chooses which to run. Always look at the RTP in the game information screen of the version you are playing.

What this page does not do

It does not rank games or recommend a place to play. A list of high-RTP games is only useful with checked data for each game and version, and we have not published one. If gambling is affecting you, see help and support.

Keep reading

• How pokies work: random numbers, volatility and whether you can win
• Bonus value calculator: see what a wagering requirement costs in dollars
• Wagering requirements explained: bonus-only versus deposit plus bonus, with tables