What Is RTP? Return to Player Explained

Updated: 3 November 2026

In the information screen of most casino games you will see a figure such as “RTP 96%” or “RTP 97%”. It tells you how much a game pays back to players over a very long run, and so how much the casino keeps. This page explains RTP, the house edge and volatility with simple KSh examples, and why RTP tells you nothing certain about one session.

What RTP means

RTP stands for “return to player”. It is the share of all money staked on a game that the game is expected to pay back to players, on average, over a very large number of rounds.

A game with an RTP of 96% is expected to pay back KSh 96 for every KSh 100 staked, counting all bets by all players over a long time. The other KSh 4 is what the casino expects to keep.

The game maker sets the RTP through the game’s payout rules. It does not change because you have won or lost recently. The game does not “owe” you anything.

The house edge: the other side of RTP

The house edge is the share of stakes the casino expects to keep over the long run. It is easy to work out: house edge = 100% minus RTP.

Game	RTP	House edge
Aviator (figure published by its maker, Spribe)	97%	3%
European roulette (one zero)	97.30%	2.70%
American roulette (0 and 00)	94.74%	5.26%
Example slot	96%	4%

The roulette figures come straight from the wheel: 1 pocket in 37 on a European wheel and 2 in 38 on an American wheel. The full calculation is on our roulette page. The Aviator figure is explained on our Aviator page.

Example 1: KSh 100 a spin at 96% RTP

Suppose you play a slot with an RTP of 96%, at KSh 100 a spin, for 1,000 spins. You have staked KSh 100,000 in total.

• On average, the game is expected to pay back KSh 96,000.
• Your expected loss is KSh 4,000.

This is an average, not a promise. In those 1,000 spins you could lose much more than KSh 4,000, or finish ahead. What RTP tells you is the direction: the more you play, the closer your results tend to move towards losing about 4% of everything you stake.

Example 2: RTP counts stakes, not deposits

RTP works on every bet, not on the money you deposit. This matters, because winnings are usually staked again.

Suppose you deposit KSh 1,000 and keep playing with whatever is in your balance, including small wins. By the end of the evening you have placed bets worth KSh 5,000 in total. At 96% RTP, the expected loss on KSh 5,000 of stakes is KSh 200.

But if you keep playing until the balance reaches zero, you lose the whole KSh 1,000, even though the RTP is 96%. RTP does not protect your deposit. It only describes the average speed at which stakes are lost.

Example 3: RTP and bonus wagering

Many casino bonuses must be “wagered” a number of times before you can withdraw. Suppose, as an example only, a KSh 1,000 bonus must be wagered 30 times. That is KSh 30,000 in stakes. At 96% RTP, the expected loss on KSh 30,000 of stakes is KSh 1,200, more than the bonus itself. That is why the terms matter more than the headline amount. The guide on how bonus terms work explains wagering in detail.

Volatility: why results vary so much

Volatility (also called variance) describes how widely results spread around the average. Two games can have the same RTP and behave very differently.

• Low volatility: small wins come often. Your balance moves up and down slowly.
• High volatility: many rounds with no win, then now and then a large one. In a short session, your result can be far from the RTP, above or below.

For example, on a high-volatility slot, 100 spins of KSh 100 (KSh 10,000 staked) could end with only KSh 2,000 left, or with more than KSh 10,000 because of one large win. Both are normal results for that kind of game. Neither tells you anything about the next 100 spins.

Some games show their volatility in the information screen, sometimes as a scale or as “low”, “medium” or “high”. Crash games such as Aviator also have high swings: many rounds end at a low multiplier, and a few go much higher. Our pages on slots and crash games explain how this looks in practice.

Why your session results vary

• Every round is independent. The game does not remember what you lost, and a losing streak does not make a win more likely.
• The average needs a huge number of rounds. RTP shows up over millions of rounds by many players, not in one hour of one player’s game.
• Short sessions are mostly luck. In a few hundred spins, volatility matters much more than the difference between 95% and 97% RTP.
• Every game with an RTP below 100% favours the casino. Over a long time, players as a group lose more than they win.

This is why no system, app or “pattern” can predict a result. Read why on our page about the Aviator predictor.

Where to find a game’s RTP

A game’s RTP is usually shown in its information screen. Look for a button marked “i”, “?”, “Info”, “Paytable” or “Rules” inside the game. Scroll to the end of the rules: the RTP is often listed there, sometimes with the figure for each bet type.

• Some game makers offer the same game in versions with different RTP figures. The figure that applies to you is the one shown inside the game on the site you use, not a figure from another website.
• If a game shows no RTP at all, treat that as a reason for caution.
• Game shows and some table games list a separate RTP for each bet. Check the one you plan to use.

Use RTP to compare games and to plan your budget. It does not change your chance in any single round.

Frequently asked questions

Does 97% RTP mean I get back 97% of my money? No. It is the average across a very large number of bets by all players. In a short session you can lose more than that, or win.

Does a higher RTP mean I will win? No. A higher RTP means a smaller loss on average, not a win. Every game with an RTP below 100% gives the casino an edge.

Can a casino change a game’s RTP? The RTP comes from the version of the game the site offers. That is why you should check the figure inside the game itself, and play only with an operator whose GRA licence you have checked. See licensed casinos in Kenya.

Play responsibly