Does RTP Influence a Slot’s House Edge?
A slot’s RTP (Return to Player) is directly linked to its House Edge. The House Edge can be simply calculated by subtracting the RTP from 100. RTP is the theoretical percentage that a player can expect to win from a slot game over a long period of time. For instance, a slot machine with an RTP of 98% theoretically offers $98 for every $100 you bet. The House Edge of this slot is 100 – 98 = 2%. This implies that 2% of your bet will go to the casino house over time. However, the variance or volatility of the slot means that the house edge won’t necessarily be reflected in any given spin but over a longer period.
What is the Typical House Edge of Slots?
Typically, the House Edge of slots varies between 1% to 15%. The higher the House Edge, the lower the payout for the player will be.
Do Paylines Influence a Slot’s House Edge?
Contrary to some popular beliefs, a slot’s paylines do not influence its House Edge. They do, however, impact the volatility of the slot. Selecting fewer paylines than a slot offers does not increase its House Edge.
Can the House Edge be Rigged?
Once the House Edge of a licensed online slot provider is established, it cannot be rigged by the house. Some slot providers allow the house to choose from a preset range of RTPs and House Edge on certain slots. Nonetheless, it is challenging for the house to determine which RTP or House Edge would be most profitable. In the rare case that casinos alter the RTP, such changes will be visible in the slot information for players.
Why Do Most Players Exhaust Their Entire Bankroll?
Despite a slot’s House Edge being relatively small, most players end up exhausting their entire bankroll. This is because a slot machine is designed to take a certain percentage of the players’ bet as a win for the house over time, which is calculated over billions of spins. Therefore, if you keep playing indefinitely, you will eventually lose your entire bankroll regardless of its size, the House Edge, or the slot’s volatility. This relentless depletion of your bankroll due to the slot machine’s House Edge is referred to as the “grind.” Players can mitigate the impact of the grind by playing slot games with a lower House Edge for a shorter time.
