Every online casino shouts about its offers, but how do you know if you can trust them? I test them, so you know where's worth playing & how to get genuine value.
- RTP (return to player) on a live game show is usually set per bet spot rather than per game, so a single title can carry several different official RTP figures at once.
- Bonus rounds and multiplier segments tend to carry the widest RTP variance within a game, which is why the official figure is often published as a range or table rather than one number.
- You should always check a provider's own official game rules rather than third-party listings, and stresses that RTP is a long-run average, not a guarantee for any single bet.
Understanding RTP on live casino sites is more complicated than a single headline number, it has emerged.
Feedback sessions with OLBG members showed real confusion about why one game show can list several different RTP figures at once.
RTP stands for return to player, the theoretical percentage of all money staked that's paid back to players over time, and it's the same measure behind the rankings in my guide to the best payout casinos in the UK.
Most casino games are described with one RTP figure that covers the whole game.
My View
On a live game show, RTP is usually set per bet spot rather than per game, and that applies to almost every title at the best live game show casinos.
A game show with several betting options, such as a base number, a multiplier segment and a bonus round, can carry a different RTP for each one.
Popular titles such as Monopoly Big Baller work this way, with different bets carrying different RTP figures within the same game.
That's why a game show's official RTP is often published as a range or a table instead of a single percentage.
The gap between the highest and lowest bet spot in the same game can be wider than most members expect.
The safest way to check is the provider's own official game rules, since bet-spot figures are easy to misreport or mix up on third-party listings.
Sites with a big live lobby, such as Los Vegas with over 300 live tables, are a good place to see this in practice, since the same RTP split applies to every game show on offer.
None of this affects any single spin, since RTP is a long-run average rather than a guarantee for any one bet.
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| RTP | Theoretical percentage of all stakes paid back over the long run |
| Per bet spot | Live game shows often carry a different RTP for each betting option, not one figure for the whole game |
| Bonus rounds | Frequently carry the widest RTP variance within a single game |
| Best source | The provider's own official game rules, not third-party listings |
OLBG's Casino Content Manager David Coleman believes understanding RTP by bet spot is one of the most useful things a player can learn.
He said: "This is one of the most common misunderstandings I come across from members.
"A single RTP percentage gets quoted for a game that actually has half a dozen different figures depending on how you bet.
"It's not about chasing the highest number, it's about knowing what you're actually looking at before you place a bet.
"That's exactly why I go back to official provider sources rather than repeating whatever figure happens to be circulating."
If you're interested in checking out live game shows with decent RTP rates, I'd recommend Midnite Casino.
