A slot machine’s payout rate is its payout percentage, known as an RTP (Return To Player). This index allows you to find out how much the slot pays out. Out of all the online slot machines, the best payouts for winning high jackpots are found on video slots. These games have RTPs of +/- 96% while offering great jackpots.
RTP, a crucial factor in payouts
The payout rate indicates at what rate a slot pays. If we look at the slot machine HOT INK, it has a very fair RTP of 96.49%. This, in turn, means the casino’s edge is only 3.51% (100% – 96.49%) and that 96.49% of players’ bets are redistributed. However, that doesn’t mean that on every pound wagered the player receives 96.49% in return. In practice, the money bet on the slot is transferred randomly; overall, there are losers and winners.
How can I win?
The trick to coming out on top is knowing when to stop playing if you’ve already won a jackpot. Of course, as with any game of chance, luck is the only factor determining the results. However, choosing slots that have a high RTP while having good jackpots is, in our opinion, the best advice to follow.
Calculating the best payout rates
The payout rate for a slot machine is generally calculated over one month. This calculation is the ratio of all bets to all money paid out by a specific slot machine. It’s important to remember that only the luckiest players take home the jackpots, and the rest lose everything. In the process, the casino takes its profit margin (100% – the RTP rate = the casino’s edge).
Ideal payout rates
What is the best RTP? And which slot machine should you choose? On our guide to the UK’s best casino sites, we believe the bets payouts are on slots with RTPs of 96% to 97.5%, and never above. For the game to be exciting, you’re also going to want the jackpots in play to be high. Typically, if an RTP is too high, there won’t be much to gain.
Slot machine payouts
- Good payout: a slot that has an RTP greater than 96% and less than 97.5%,
- Average payout: a slot that has an RTP of 94% to 95.99%,
- Bad payout: a slot that has an RTP lower than 94%, or higher than 97.5%.
When trying to choose the right slot machines, it’s best to avoid games with excessively high RTPs. In all honesty, games that have payout rates above 97.5% are a sham. Why? Because the jackpots in play are so small and there’s no chance of winning any serious money.
Slot machines with the right balance
We tested and sorted the most popular online slot machines on the UK market to find out which ones were the most worthwhile. The conclusion was that the best games have RTPs of approx. 96% as well as jackpots over £10,000 up for grabs. With high payout slot games at this level, there’s plenty of money to make as long as lady luck’s on your side.
1. Hot Ink – 96.49% RTP
Hot Ink’s slot machine is inspired by tattoos and is popular with players looking for slots that payout often. This online slot machine has 1024 pay lines, and when free spins are triggered, winning bets on this slot can lead to massive jackpots.
| Slot reels / paylines | 5 Reels / 1024 Pay lines |
| House edge / RTP | 3.51% / 96.49% |
| Coins range | 0.5 – 12.5 |
| Min/Max bet | 0.5 / 125 |
| Max win | £30,000 |
| Free spins | YES |
| Multiplier | YES |
Play the Hot Ink slot at Casino Action*
*18+ | T&Cs apply
Bonuses for new players only
Gamble responsibly – Begambleaware.org
2. Big Bad Wolf – 97.35% RTP
This online slot is inspired by the story of the big bad wolf and the three little pigs. Big Bad Wolf has 5 reels and 25 pay lines. The Wolf is the Scatter symbol. Getting three Scatters activates free spins and a x3 multiplier.
| Slot reels / paylines | 5 Reels / 25 Pay lines |
| House edge / RTP | 2.65% / 97.35% |
| Coins range | 0.01 – 5.00 |
| Min/Max bet | 0.25 / 125 |
| Max win | £158,500 |
| Free spins | YES |
| Multiplier | YES |
Play the Big Bad Wolf slot at UK Casino Club*
*18+ | T&Cs apply
Bonuses for new players only
Gamble responsibly – Begambleaware.org
3. Thunderstruck 2 – 96.65% RTP
There are 243 ways to win on this high payout slot machine. Thunderstruck 2 is inspired by Nordic mythology. The free spins in the “Grand Hall of Spins” can mean a jackpot worth tens of thousands of pounds for the luckiest players.
| Slot reels / paylines | 5 Reels / 243 Pay lines |
| House edge / RTP | 3.35% / 96.65% |
| Coins range | 0.3 – 15 |
| Min/Max bet | 0.3 / 125 |
| Max win | £121,500 |
| Free spins | YES |
| Multiplier | YES |
Play Thunderstruck 2 at Villento Casino*
*18+ | T&Cs apply
Bonuses for new players only
Gamble responsibly – Begambleaware.org
Volatility
The payout rate impacts the volatility of a slot machine. Volatility indicates whether a slot pays out often or not. The more volatile a slot machine is, the more it will pay big jackpots, but spaced out over time. In contrast, a slot with low volatility pays out often, but only small amounts of money each time.
Volatility levels
The volatility of slot machines can be classified into three groups. A parallel can be drawn with RTPs to differentiate these groups.
In general, these are the volatility levels of slots:
- Low (RTP + 97.5%),
- Medium (RTP from 95% to 97.49%),
- High (RTP from 85% to 94.99%).
Summary
Most slots players in the UK seek fair value for money. The goal is to play on slots that offer the biggest jackpots with the highest odds of winning. Finding the best payouts is a challenge with slot machines.
Fortunately, there are slots on the market that pay better than others. These games are found at Britain’s most popular and trusted online casinos. Lastly, video slots with an RTP of +/- 96% are those with the biggest jackpots.