Payout | How to Identify the Most Profitable Casino Game

At first sight, online casinos but also individual casino games may seem much alike, however they vary in many aspects. One crucial difference is so called payout percentage, an item which is closely linked with your chances of winning and the total winning sum. Let’s then introduce what payout is all about!

What is payout percentage?

Payout determines the return rate of a given slot machine, roulette, blackjack, craps, or any other kind of game a casino has at its disposal.

Payout is given as a percentage and its maximum value is 100%. As online casinos are designed to earn money in a long term, this ratio is usually somewhat lower than 100% for each game. Payout percentage determines how much we earn back from each of our bet in a given casino game and again how much we earn back from each pound we have at stake.

If payout of a slot machine is 95% and you bet £100 every time, you will win back £95 on average in the long run. This means that on average you will lose £5 on every £100 bet.

Payout Percentage vs. ROI vs. RTP

Payout is basically an equivalent of ROI or return on investment, but the difference is in the format. Payout already acknowledges that casino games have a negative expected value. In case of 95% payout ratio the return rate of our investments is −5%. The same case applies here: With every £100 bet you would on average lose £5.

Considering the above, every enthusiastic player should seek casino games with the highest payout percentage possible. The higher payout there is, the higher chance of winning you have and the more money you can eventually earn because the payout ratio is closely linked to the frequency of winnings and the sum of money you obtain. Casino games with higher payout are simply not that open to give out money or they are modified to spare some coin every time someone wins.

Another equivalent used mainly in Anglo-Saxon countries is RTP or return to player. In online casinos, RTP just as payout ratio determines how much a player gets back from his bets on average. In order to reach a claimed sum, a player must play a higher number of rounds (usually around 1,000 or more). In a short term, there can be some deviation so our performance may result in better or worse outcomes than RTP predicts.

What Casino Games are the Most Profitable?

As we finally know how payout works, we should get into answering the most essential question. What casino games are the most profitable, in other words what games have the highest payout percentage? Here is a table of basic casino games where payout ratios are for most of the time indicated in a certain range.

The fact is that payout ratio of each individual game and identical casino games (e.g., the same slot machines) can be adjusted quite differently in two distinct casinos. You can play Narcos online slot machine with payout ratio of 87% in one casino but in some other with the ratio of 92%.

The most profitable casino games according to their payout percentage (sorted from the most to least profitable):

*Data mentioned in the table may differ in accordance with preferences of a casino, a type of the game, bets, or individual players’ skills.

Gambling with Positive Expected Value

In addition to above mentioned casino games, there is gambling and here the success depends on player’s sufficient skills and abilities. Only then the player can anticipate positive expected value bringing them desired profit. We are talking about poker and fixed-odds betting.

Where to Find Payout Percentage?

Payout data must be freely accessible according to the law. Some casinos display them in the game itself (i.e., “Help” section), provide them in a game plan or in general conditions.

If you are unable to find payout data in your casino, you should contact customer service which is going to kindly supply you with all the information needed or where to look for them.

Sometimes the payout ratio is given within certain range. This practice is used for games such as blackjack or craps where the ratio is changing depending on the type of bet and your abilities. In case of payout being indicated within range, for example on slots, regard rather the inferior figure.

Games with the Best Payout Percentage

We are bringing you the list of the most profitable casino games, so you don’t have to do it on your own. Quickspin, a game maker, offers payout of 98%!

What else should you pay attention to?

Beside payout, we recommend watching pace of the game. A game with low payout ratio but high pace (i.e., you are able to play even hundreds of rounds or games) can cost you much more timewise than one with very low payout and at the same time very low game pace. Slot machines are the ones where such pitfall awaits. You may play hundreds of rounds in a matter of minutes. Let’s demonstrate it with an example.

Example #1:

You are playing online slot with 95% payout. You bet £100 for each round and you play around 300 games in an hour.

Expected expenses after an hour of playing on a slot machine are calculated as follows:

• 300 × 100=30,000 (total volume of our bets per hour of playing)
• 30,000 ÷ 100 × 95 (i.e., payout) =28,500 (the amount left)
• 30,000 − 28,500=1,500 (this is the amount an hour of playing costs us)

Example #2:

You are playing blackjack with 90% payout. You bet £100 for each round and you play around 50 games in an hour.

Expected expenses after an hour of blackjack playing are calculated as follows:

• 60 × 100=6,000 (total volume of our bets per hour of playing) 
• 6,000 ÷ 100 × 90 (i.e., payout) =5,400 (the amount left)
• 6,000 − 5,400=600 (this is the amount an hour of playing costs us)

The examples above have shown that payout ratio is not the only factor of how the game may develop; the pace is also of crucial importance. We may lose much more money on a slot thanks to great pace than playing blackjack, which has a much slower pace.

How many rounds of individual casino games do you play on average per hour?

The pace varies across such games. While on online slot machines you are able to play hundreds of rounds in an hour, card games – moreover played at traditional casinos – take much more time and you can therefore play only so many rounds. In general, card games have slower pace than other casino games. Online casino games are overall faster than those in traditional casinos.

Indicative information regarding number of rounds per hour for each casino game:

Conclusion

Payout percentage reveals what games may carry the most benefits and what games you should rather avoid. However, you should also consider pace of the game, which is important, nonetheless.