Slot RTP report: same game, different odds
The median published RTP of the 137 casino games we track is 96.22%, which means about R3.78 of every R100 bet stays with the casino over time. RTPs range from 90.48% to 99%. And 25 of the games come in more than one RTP version, so the same slot can pay back less at one casino than at another.
By Mark SmithChecked On this page 9
Key findings
- The median published RTP of the 137 games we track is 96.22%: over time, about R3.78 of every R100 bet stays with the casino.
- RTPs run from 90.48% to 99%.
- 25 games come in more than one RTP version, so a casino can choose to run a lower-paying copy of the same slot. Habanero publishes 24 of them in versions from 86% to 98%: the same game can keep R14 or R2 of every R100.
- 9% of games publish an RTP under 95%.
What the data shows
Source: CasinoSlots.co.za dataset.
Source: CasinoSlots.co.za games data (providers' published RTPs); bars start at 90%.
Source: CasinoSlots.co.za dataset.
Why RTP matters more than the theme
Return to player (RTP) is the share of all money bet on a game that it pays back over time. A 96% slot keeps R4 of every R100 wagered; a 94% slot keeps R6, half as much again. On a single spin you won’t notice. Over a bonus with 30x wagering, you will: wagering multiplies the house edge, and our bonus cost index shows how much.
Same game, different odds
The finding that surprises most players is that many games exist in several versions with different RTPs. The studio offers, say, 96.5%, 95.5% and 94.5% copies of the same slot; the casino picks one, and the reels, sounds and features look identical. The only way to tell is the game’s information screen.
That is why the RTP on a review site may not match the game you are playing. On our game pages we show the studio’s default RTP and list the other versions where the studio publishes them.
The studio picture
Studio medians sit close together, mostly between 95.5% and 96.5%. Crash and provably fair games often publish higher RTPs (97% and up) than classic slots, which is one reason they are popular. The full table lists every game; the game pages have demos to try before you play for real.
How we measured it
We recorded each game’s published RTP from the game provider’s own site or help screen, and where the provider lists alternative RTP versions, all of them. The median is the middle value of the default RTPs, so a handful of very high or low games don’t skew it. Studio medians include studios with at least three games in our data. RTP is a theoretical long-run average set by the game’s maths, not a promise about any session.
The full data
| Game | Studio | RTP | Other RTP versions | Volatility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mega Joker | NetEnt | 99% | — | high |
| Plinko | BGaming | 99% | — | — |
| Plinko X | SmartSoft Gaming | 98.5% | — | — |
| Soccer Striker 2 | Coin Machine Gaming | 98% | — | high |
| Chicken Road | InOut Games | 98% | — | — |
| Mine Island | SmartSoft Gaming | 98% | — | — |
| Fat Cash | RealTime Gaming | 97.5% | — | high |
| Sugar Rush 1000 | Pragmatic Play | 97.5% | — | high |
| Fruity Halloween | Habanero | 97.23% | 86%, 92%, 94%, 97%, 98% | very high |
| Rocket Queen | 1Win Games | 97.2% | — | — |
| 100 Hot Pepper | AGT Software | 97.12% | — | — |
| 100 Ice Fruits | AGT Software | 97.12% | — | medium |
| 10 Shining Diamond | EGT Digital | 97.04% | — | medium |
| Aviamasters | BGaming | 97% | — | — |
| Classic Fantastic | Booming Games | 97% | — | high |
| 3 Pot Dragons | TaDa Gaming | 97% | — | medium |
| Aviator | Spribe | 97% | — | medium |
| JetX | SmartSoft Gaming | 97% | — | — |
| Lucky Jet | 1Win Games | 97% | — | medium |
| Mines | Spribe | 97% | — | — |
| Plinko | Spribe | 97% | — | — |
| Dice | Spribe | 97% | — | — |
| Hi Lo | Spribe | 97% | — | — |
| Keno | Spribe | 97% | — | — |
| Mahjong Phoenix | NextSpin | 96.94% | — | medium |
| The Big Deal Deluxe | Habanero | 96.85% | 86%, 92%, 94%, 97%, 98% | very high |
| Hot Hot Fruit | Habanero | 96.84% | 86%, 92%, 94%, 97%, 98% | very high |
| Koi Koi Treasure | Habanero | 96.84% | 87%, 92%, 94%, 97%, 98% | medium |
| Siren's Spell | Habanero | 96.79% | 86%, 92%, 94%, 97%, 98% | very high |
| Lantern Luck | Habanero | 96.77% | 86%, 92%, 94%, 97%, 98% | low |
| Super Fruit Blast | Habanero | 96.74% | 86%, 92%, 94%, 97%, 98% | high |
| Wild Bandito | PG Soft | 96.73% | — | medium |
| Lucky Fortune Cat | Habanero | 96.72% | 86%, 92%, 94%, 97%, 98% | very high |
| Mystic Fortune Deluxe | Habanero | 96.71% | 86%, 92%, 94%, 97%, 98% | medium |
| Sweety Honey Fruity | NetEnt | 96.71% | — | medium |
| Hey Sushi | Habanero | 96.71% | 86%, 92%, 94%, 97%, 98% | high |
| Moo Moo Cow | Habanero | 96.69% | 86%, 92%, 94%, 97%, 98% | high |
| Happiest Christmas Tree | Habanero | 96.69% | 86%, 92%, 94%, 97%, 98% | high |
| Fortune Dogs | Habanero | 96.68% | 86%, 92%, 94%, 97%, 98% | high |
| Jump! | Habanero | 96.66% | 86%, 92%, 94%, 97%, 98% | very high |
| Wealth Inn | Habanero | 96.64% | 86%, 92%, 94%, 97%, 98% | low |
| 5 Lucky Lions | Habanero | 96.64% | 86%, 92%, 94%, 97%, 98% | low |
| Fa Cai Shen Deluxe | Habanero | 96.62% | 86%, 92%, 94%, 97%, 98% | high |
| Hot Hot Halloween | Habanero | 96.62% | 86%, 92%, 94%, 97%, 98% | very high |
| Nuwa Deluxe | Habanero | 96.6% | 86%, 92%, 94%, 97%, 98% | very high |
| Slime Party | Habanero | 96.59% | 86%, 92%, 94%, 97%, 98% | very high |
| Witches Tome | Habanero | 96.58% | 87%, 92%, 94%, 97%, 98% | very high |
| Prost | Habanero | 96.57% | 86%, 92%, 94%, 97%, 98% | medium |
| Razor Returns | Push Gaming | 96.55% | — | high |
| Sweet Bonanza 1000 | Pragmatic Play | 96.53% | — | high |
| Gates of Pyroth | Pragmatic Play | 96.52% | — | medium |
| 100 Blue Star | AGT Software | 96.52% | — | high |
| Sweet Bonanza | Pragmatic Play | 96.51% | — | high |
| Big Bass Bonanza 1000 | Pragmatic Play | 96.51% | — | high |
| Gates of Olympus Super Scatter | Pragmatic Play | 96.5% | — | high |
| Strike Frenzy | Pragmatic Play | 96.5% | — | high |
| Lucky Fish | Wazdan | 96.5% | — | — |
| Gates of Olympus 1000 Dice | Pragmatic Play | 96.5% | — | high |
| Starlight Princess 1000 | Pragmatic Play | 96.5% | — | high |
| Gates of Olympus 1000 | Pragmatic Play | 96.5% | — | high |
| The Dog House Megaways 1000 | Pragmatic Play | 96.5% | — | medium |
| Joker's Jewels | Pragmatic Play | 96.5% | — | high |
| Spaceman | Pragmatic Play | 96.5% | — | — |
| Hex | Relax Gaming | 96.43% | — | high |
| Le Bandit | Hacksaw Gaming | 96.34% | — | medium |
| Giga Match Sugar Skull | RubyPlay | 96.32% | — | medium |
| The Koi Gate | Habanero | 96.26% | 86%, 92%, 94%, 96%, 98% | high |
| Sweet 16 Blast | RealTime Gaming | 96.25% | — | — |
| Mystery of the Lamp Treasure Oasis | IGT | 96.22% | — | — |
| Tower Rush | Galaxsys | 96.12% | 96.2%, 97.6% | — |
| Gator Hunters | Nolimit City | 96.11% | — | high |
| Ra's Relics Bonanza | Booming Games | 96.1% | — | high |
| Arctic Enchantress | Neon Valley Studios | 96.1% | — | high |
| Kadita Ocean Fury | Pragmatic Play | 96.07% | — | high |
| Duck Hunters: Happy Hour | Nolimit City | 96.07% | — | high |
| Extra Spin III | AGT Software | 96.06% | — | low |
| Mental 2 | Nolimit City | 96.06% | — | high |
| Gold 777 | NSoft | 96.05% | — | — |
| Candy Paradise | Just For The Win | 96.02% | — | high |
| Wolf Gold | Pragmatic Play | 96.01% | — | medium |
| Chi | ELK Studios | 96% | — | high |
| Mystic Fortune | Habanero | 96% | 94%, 96% | medium |
| Duck Hunters 2 | Nolimit City | 96% | — | high |
| Bells on Fire | Amatic Industries | 96% | — | — |
| Mary's Mining Mania | Evoplay | 96% | — | — |
| Scarab Cash Megaways | Triple Edge Studios | 95.98% | — | high |
| Diamond Rise | Playtech | 95.96% | — | — |
| Gold Trio: Sinbad's Riches | Playtech | 95.93% | — | medium |
| Lil Sphinx | Playtech | 95.91% | — | — |
| 64 Gold Coins Hold and Win | Booming Games | 95.9% | — | high |
| 777 Super Strike | Red Tiger | 95.72% | — | high |
| Cash or Nothing | Red Tiger | 95.69% | — | high |
| Big Bass Bonanza | Pragmatic Play | 95.67% | — | high |
| Bigger Bass Bonanza | Pragmatic Play | 95.67% | — | high |
| Big Bass Splash | Pragmatic Play | 95.67% | — | high |
| Coin Volcano | Booongo | 95.66% | — | medium |
| Big Bass Bonanza Megaways | Pragmatic Play | 95.66% | — | high |
| Royal Joker | Playson | 95.62% | — | high |
| Great Rhino Megaways | Pragmatic Play | 95.59% | — | high |
| Buffalo King Megaways | Pragmatic Play | 95.55% | — | high |
| Mustang Gold | Pragmatic Play | 95.54% | — | high |
| Chilli Heat | Pragmatic Play | 95.54% | — | medium |
| Hot to Burn – 7 Deadly Free Spins | Pragmatic Play | 95.53% | — | high |
| Starlight Princess | Pragmatic Play | 95.51% | — | high |
| Lucky Lightning | Wild Streak Gaming | 95.51% | — | high |
| Gates of Olympus | Pragmatic Play | 95.51% | — | high |
| The Dog House | Pragmatic Play | 95.51% | — | high |
| Big Bass Splash 1000 | Pragmatic Play | 95.51% | — | high |
| 5 Lions Megaways 2 | Pragmatic Play | 95.5% | — | high |
| Jasmine Dreams | Pragmatic Play | 95.5% | — | high |
| Gold Hit: Dragon Bonanza | Playtech | 95.5% | — | medium |
| Lucky Heaven | Lady Luck Games | 95.5% | — | high |
| Fire Strike | Pragmatic Play | 95.5% | — | high |
| Sugar Rush | Pragmatic Play | 95.5% | — | high |
| Chicken Road 2 | InOut Games | 95.5% | — | — |
| Chests of Cai Shen | Pragmatic Play | 95.47% | — | high |
| Safari Spins | Nucleus Gaming | 95.28% | — | high |
| Light of Ra | Booming Games | 95.2% | — | high |
| Big Bass - Hold & Spinner | Pragmatic Play | 95.08% | — | high |
| Juicy Spins | Platipus Gaming | 95.02% | — | high |
| King Thimbles | Pixmove Games | 95% | — | low |
| Flashback Heroes | Arcadem | 95% | — | — |
| 777 Slot | Triple Profits Games | 95% | — | — |
| Limbo Rider | Turbo Games | 95% | — | — |
| Falling Pickaxe | Pixmove Games | 95% | — | low |
| Golden Goddess | IGT | 94.75% | — | medium |
| Wanted Dead or a Wild | Hacksaw Gaming | 94.55% | — | high |
| Aztec Gems | Pragmatic Play | 94.52% | — | medium |
| Shamrock Trio – Hold & Respin | NetGaming | 94.41% | — | high |
| Book of Dead | Play'n GO | 94.25% | — | high |
| Zeus's Thunderbolt 5000 | NetGaming | 94.14% | — | — |
| Lucky Legend | Aspect Gaming | 94.02% | — | — |
| Spin City | Swintt | 94.01% | — | — |
| Cash 'N Riches Megaways | Triple Edge Studios | 94.01% | — | high |
| Spin Diner | Swintt | 94.01% | — | medium |
| Huff N' Even More Puff | Light & Wonder | 94% | — | medium |
| Lucky Gift: Cash Collect | Playtech | 90.48% | — | — |
Download the data (CSV)137 games · updated 08 Nov 2026 · free to use with a link to this page
Use this data
Cite this study: CasinoSlots.co.za, "Slot RTP report: same game, different odds", updated 08 Nov 2026, https://www.casinoslots.co.za/research/slot-rtp-report/
Frequently asked questions
What is a good RTP for a slot?
Around 96% is standard for online slots. Above 97% is generous; below 95% means the casino keeps noticeably more over time. RTP says nothing about a single session: it is an average over millions of spins.
Can the same slot have a different RTP at different casinos?
Yes. Many studios ship a game in several RTP versions, and the casino chooses which to run. In our data, 25 games come in more than one version. The game's help screen shows the RTP of the version you are playing.
Which game studios have the highest RTPs?
The chart of median RTP by studio on this page ranks every studio with three or more games in our data. Differences between the big studios are small; the spread within a single studio's catalogue is usually larger.
Does a higher RTP mean I will win?
No. A higher RTP lowers the casino's edge, but volatility decides how results swing in the short run. You can still lose quickly on a 97% game.
More research
Mark has been writing about online gaming since 2007, covering everything from sportsbooks to casino and slot reviews, offering insights for players of all levels.