Play Picks Lounge

What RTP, volatility and hit frequency mean in online slots and how to pick games that suit your budget.

If you like slots, rocket riches is a handy place to see the game library and the providers behind it. Slots dominate most casino lobbies, and three numbers explain most of what happens at the reels: return to player, volatility and hit frequency.

What RTP really means

Return to player is the percentage of all stakes a slot pays back over a very large number of spins; a 96% RTP means 4% is kept by the casino on average. It is a long-run figure, so a single session can end far above or far below it. Check the RTP in the game's info panel, since some providers offer several versions of the same title.

Volatility and your budget

Volatility describes how wins are distributed. Low-volatility games pay small wins frequently and suit short sessions with a small bankroll. High-volatility games can run dry for a long time and then pay a large win; they need a bigger bankroll and more patience. Match the game to the budget, not the other way round.

Hit frequency and bonus rounds

Hit frequency is how often a spin returns anything at all. A high hit frequency feels smoother but does not mean higher returns. Bonus rounds and multipliers add excitement, yet they sit inside the same maths, so no feature changes the house edge.

The short version

Pick games for fun, not for a promised return, and keep to the session budget you set before starting. 18+.