When selecting an online casino to play at, most players focus heavily on factors like game variety, bonuses and promotions, banking options and the look and feel of the site. However, one crucial number often gets overlooked – the casino’s overall payout percentage.
This payout percentage indicates how much of the total money wagered by players a casino pays back out in winnings over time. It directly impacts your long-term results and bottom line. Understanding what payout percentages mean and how to interpret them properly helps you choose lucrative platforms, like NineWin Casino.
How Are Payout Percentages Calculated?
A casino’s payout percentage represents the theoretical projected amount paid back to players across all games. It measures the casino’s expected gross profit built into the games rather than actual individual player results.
These percentages depend heavily on a casino’s edge embedded in each game’s rules and payout tables. For example:
- Blackjack – House edge ranges from 0.5% to 1% depending on rules
- Roulette – Edge around 2.7% on European wheels and 5.26% on American wheels
- Slots – Varies greatly but averages from 3% to 10%
To calculate overall payout rates, gaming labs, and auditors run computer simulations on the games using optimal player strategy. They determine percentages based on how much would get returned over billions and trillions of wagers.
Real individual player results will swing wildly above and below these long-term estimates in the short run. But they remain useful for estimating value.
Key Characteristics of Payout Percentages
When assessing payout rates across online casinos, keep these key factors in mind:
- Not a guarantee of wins – The percentages only estimate overall payback to players, not your personal results
- Based on all games – Heavily dependent on game mix – more slots and house-banked titles decrease rates
- Fluctuate monthly – Percentages change each month based on actual payments
- Independently audited – Reputable sites use third parties like eCOGRA for verification
The key is not putting too much weight on payout figures as a projection of your exact results. However, when combined with other factors, they remain useful for comparing casino quality.
Average Online Casino Payout Rates
So, what payout percentages can players expect? Industry averages currently sit between 95% and 98% for reputable online casinos.
However, rates vary based on jurisdiction and other elements:
By Region
| Region | Average Payout |
| Europe | 95% – 98% |
| Canada | 96% – 98% |
| Australia | 92% – 96% |
| United States | 94% – 97% |
| South America | 93% – 97% |
| Asia | 88% – 95% |
Payouts prove higher in strictly regulated European jurisdictions like the United Kingdom and Malta. Increased oversight ensures fair games and random results. Australia prohibits slots and table games with payback percentages below 85% and 90%, respectively, boosting averages.
Meanwhile, Asian sites see lower payouts on average, as regulation remains less stringent in jurisdictions like Kahnawake and Costa Rica. This allows casinos to offer games with higher house edges.
By Game Type
| Games | Average Payout |
| Table Games | 98% – 99% |
| Video Poker | 96% – 99% |
| Slots | 93% – 96% |
| Keno/Bingo | 75% – 90% |
Table games like blackjack, baccarat, and craps with skilled player decisions provide the highest payback percentages. Luck-based slots average 93% to 96%, while games with heavy house edges like keno and bingo sit closer to 80%.
Finding Payback Percentages Online
For real money gambling sites, advertised payout rates mean very little without third party verification. All reputable online casinos undergo regular audits by firms like eCOGRA. These firms test games for fairness and confirm monthly payout report accuracy. Audited percentages get clearly displayed on casino sites, giving a legitimate projection of payback.
Follow these steps when researching payouts:
- Find recent verification – Current monthly reports audited by eCOGRA or similar firms
- Analyze by game type – Breakdowns for slots, tables, video poker, etc.
- Compare ranges – Look at percentages over the past 6-12 months for consistency
- Avoid outliers – Extremely high/low spikes likely indicate limited data
Consistency proves most important – major fluctuations month-to-month may indicate issues. Peak payback also requires reasonable sample sizes across all games.
How Payouts Impact Player Returns
While short-term results come down to luck, payout percentages directly impact overall player returns over thousands and tens of thousands of wagers. Consider two theoretical casinos:
- GoodGames Casino – 97.5% overall payback
- LuckyPlay Casino – 92.5% overall payback
Now let’s say you wager $50,000 lifetime across all games at each casino. GoodGames would return around $48,750 of your total $50,000 wagered, while LuckyPlay would return only $46,250.
That’s a $2,500 difference – a substantial amount that can stretch your gambling bankroll and playing time. It highlights why finding casinos with the highest independently verified payback proves important for player value.
Other Factors Impacting Casino Value
You should not choose an online casino based solely on payout percentages. Consider other key elements as well when making your decision:
- Game variety – Slots, tables, live dealers, video poker, etc.
- Software providers – Trusted quality game vendors
- Bonuses & promotions – Lucrative signup deals and ongoing offers
- Banking options – Convenient payment methods
- Mobile compatibility – iOS android, web app
- Customer support – Communication channels and responsiveness
Checking off all these boxes in addition to favorable payback rates ensures you select a quality casino. You get to enjoy a wide range of games and rewards with long-term expected returns in your favor.