Odds & Expected Percentage Returns

Now this is where it gets tricky! Obviously to a large extent, what you expect back from a game will depend largely on your strategy. And of course there are games where you canot generally affect the outcome so much - slots and keno being prime examples. It is worth noting however that online casinos generally (and this is a generalisation) offer a better return on games of chance than their Bricks & Mortar counterparts. In the UK for example, "fruit machines" are typically set at between 70% and 80% payouts, whereas the majority of online casinos will typically have expected retuns of 90% to 95% on slots. The main difference is that online slots tend to offer higher "top payouts" and therefore you are likely to hit longer losing streaks before you hit the big payouts. These big payouts often make up a fair chunk of the expected return, so without them you may find the slots seem meaner than their hardware counterparts.

Before I get into where to play for te best percentages, a final word on slots. You may find that the casinos publish payout percentages for certain groups of games, as determined by independently audited statistics.

That's about the closest you are going to get to knowing exactly how much online casino slots pay out. However, Wagerworks software also publishes the expected returns on their slots in the "paytables". Log into the game, view the paytable and go to the last page and you'll find the info. In general, their slots are set to about 95%-96%, and I'd say this was a fairly accurate indicator for online casinos in general. Much better than land casino slots in general, but it's still a muddy area, with many operators not publsihing exact figures at game level - yet anyway.

However there are some games, like Video Poker, where you can calculate the expected returns and there are several sites out there that will provide you with this information. Typically, online casino video poker games will pay out between 97% and 99.5% when played to the correct strategy. And even a small deviation from strategy can make a big difference, so it pays to know your game. Or alternatively, play at a Microgaming "Viper" casino where the software's "expert mode" holds the cards for you and plays to the optimum strategy!

My Conclusions

Personally, as a slots and video poker player primarily, I love Microgaming software. RTG and Playtech is pretty good, but I'm put off by the fact that they don't regulate their licenceesas as strictly, but casinos like iNetBet (RTG) and Tote (Playtech) would be good places to play. Cryptologic software is okay, but doesn't offer me a lot over what i get at Microgaming casinos. I rarely take a signup bonus because of the restrictions, and I always use the Neteller eBank as my source of depositing and Withdrawing, mainly for faster cashouts.

Gambling Commission | International Gamblers Anonymous | UK Gamblers Anonymous | GamCare
Disclaimer | Contact

© 2004 - 2009 Highview Oggs Ltd - Odds and Expected Percentage Returns

An Associated Company with Highview Media Ltd