- If you’re looking for high RTP casino games, consider video poker which usually leads the way with 9x or better pays.
- Online slots are another good option, with many in the 96% to 97% range.
- Other high RTP games include blackjack, baccarat, scratch cards, and craps.
Just starting out in the gambling world? Then you might not be familiar with return-to-players (RTP). All casino games take a cut of each bet. This gives the house a profit while still paying out winners. However, different games tax each wager differently.
This measurement, expressed as a percentage, represents how much the game pays out, on average, compared to what’s wagered. A $100 wager on a 95% RTP game would see $95 paid out to winners over time.
N natural that you want to play high RTP casino games. Fortunately, you don’t have to search through every casino game out there to find them. I’ve done the hard work for you and come up with top choices across all genres.
Video Poker
- RTP: 9x of better pays (over 99.5%)
Is there a casino game with a higher RTP than video poker? Not if you look for versions which pay 9x of a hand or better. In fact, this game can pay out over 99.5% of the money wagered on it when you make the maximum bet.
Unmissable Real Money Live Dealer Poker Games OnlineThe problem with most casino games is low paying hands. These lose money quickly and start to grind down your bankroll before you have a chance at a big hand.
Full pays of 9-6 on the first two sets of machines plus a fifth jackpot-winning hand at 800 credits helps make this possible.
Unfortunately, these full pays are rare at online casinos. Most only go up to 760 credits for a royal flush. And some have stooped as low as 400 credits. The full pay version is called 9/6 Double Bonus Poker.
The second aspect to focusing on is playing max coins in. Anything less and you won’t get the full RTP. And if the game doesn’t pay 9x on a royal flush, then you should not play it. Period. End of story.
If you have trouble finding this game at your favorite online casino, try using one of the top ones we recommend. All of these offer solid selections of video poker titles from top software providers like NexGen Gaming.
legit us online casinos9/6 Jacks or Better is another great version to look for. It pays 9× the bet for a pair of jacks or higher. The 9/6 ratio means you get 9 credits for a straight and 6 for a flush. Many versions only offer 6 credits for a straight and 5 for a flush. Every credit adds up when you are trying to surpass 99%.
Other versions to avoid include any that don’t use a standard deck of 52 cards. Deuces wild, where all twos are wildcards, should use a single deck so that the jackpot-winning hand pays 1600 x your bet. Anything more is cheating yourself out of money.
Deuces wild with multiple decks in the virtual deck creates situations where five cards are needed to complete a hand. And this will bring the royal flush down to below 400 credits in many cases.
Another variant to watch out for is double bonus. It offers two bonus hands to quadruple the payouts on certain hands. But many versions skip the 9x payout for a royal flush.
To summarize, here are things to look for when choosing a video poker game for the highest RTP —
- At least 9x payout on a royal flush.
- 9/6 pay table for hand pitches.
- Single deck game for twoes wild cards.
- Max coin-in wagered.
Bonus tip— always pick the highest coin-in amount and adjust your bet value instead. For example, six coins of a quarter is one and a half dollars. But 18 quarters wagered does not qualify you for all of the payouts. Only six do.
Change your bet selection to be three coins and the game will pay all rewards based on your coin denomination … in this case, 18 coins or $0.45. You get an additional 3 cents due to how the rewards table is set up, but few will notice a penny here or there. What you will notice is playing max coins-in rather than splitting your bet across several coins.
One last thing to remember about video poker is speed. You can play through thousands of hands in a short period of time. Make sure you are getting the maximum RTP and betting properly before you sink hundreds into a bad version of the game.
It’s also smart to learn proper video poker strategy beforehand, rather than learning on your own money.
Online Slots
- RTP: 96% to 97%
The , in general, is somewhere around 95%. But individual slot machines can vary greatly.
Some design teams seem to think that offering a tiny bonus game or two compensates players for paltry regular game rewards. And they release games with 92%, 93%, or even lower RTPs.
You might have heard that legally casinos don’t have to disclose their RTPs. That’s true in Vegas and other land-based gaming meccas. But offshore online casinos are a different story.
Gambling laws don’t apply to international companies who take bets from another country. Gambling sites know they are up against scrutiny these days, and they often publish their RTPs for each slot machine to prove they have the best casino payout rates around.
Many of the top online casinos even average the entire slate of slot games to give you an idea of what their RTP is facility wide. The and the .
These two-digit percentages might seem abstract until you realize that the overall RTP for slot games at a particular casino is in the high 96% range. Translated into real money, that could mean an extra $6 for every $100 wagered. Multiply that by hundreds of players day in and out, and casinos would not be able to turn a profit if their RTPs were much higher.
So yes, slots can make you rich. Just take it slow with progressive jackpots and remember that anything can happen with free spins and bonus rounds.
As for finding the highest RTP slots online, look for new releases from reputable developers. They know people are comparing RTPs these days, and they want to boast the highest casino payout available.
Avoid flat top slots with no bonus features unless the RTP has been published and it crushes. Most of the highest RTP slots lean more toward the progressive side these days because they can offer bigger rewards without draining their banks rolls as fast.
In addition to high RTPs, you may be interested in slots with low variance. We have a full list of those right here if you’re curious.
Blackjack
- RTP: 99.41% (basic strategy player), 4.24% (casino edge)
Most people don’t realize that blackjack has one of the highest casino payout ratios. In fact, it's almost 100%.
Counting cards can increase your payout even more, although most casinos have rules in place to prevent this form of advantage play. The next best thing is to simply use basic strategy, which involves making optimal decisions during each hand.
For instance, you should always hit if you’re sitting at 11 versus the dealer’s 2. And you should stand at 13 versus their 2 as well.
Basic strategy involves a series of dos and don’ts based on the state of your hand and the dealer’s up card. If you follow it to a tee, the end result is a RTP of 99.41%.
That leaves just 0.59 points for the casino, which is as close to free as you can get outside of video poker.
Of course, basic strategy isn’t always easy to master. Many decisions must be made on the spot based on two-card combinations that can contain huge variations. Should you stand at 16 versus a dealer 2, especially when one of your cards is an Ace?
This decision can go either way, and the correct response hinges on other cards that have already hit the table.
Practice makes perfect. And the is a great way to do it. Play for free until you have memorized the correct moves for every situation.
Then consider taking an Angle Shooting. This is a euphemism for “beginner,” but it’s a fitting name considering how many novices try to gain an edge by breaking basic strategy at low stakes tables.
You’ll soon discover that basic strategy is sometimes incorrect. However, you’ll have a better understanding of why basic strategy is what it is after talking to experienced poker pros.
Once you feel comfortable with the basics, seek out the most favorable rules. Look for the following:
- Eight or more decks * 3:2 payout for 21 * Dealer stands on 17 * Doubles allowed on any two cards * Doubled down bets allowed again
The RTP for these rules is over 99%, assuming optimal play. Any deviations will lower the RTP slightly. For example, a 6:5 payout for blackjack drops the RTP to 98.46%.
One more thing –- never draw to 16. Even if you only need one card to improve your hand, this increases the RTP significantly over hitting on 16.
Baccarat
- RTP: 98.94% (player bet), 98.95% (banker bet)-
- Minimal involvement required on the part of the player
Baccarat used to be James Bond’s casino game of choice. And with a RTP of over 98.94%, I can see why he may have preferred it over even blackjack. Of course, some would argue that was just one of many qualities of his that made him desirable to have dinner with.
There’s a catch though. While baccarat has an incredibly high RTP, it’s actually one of the worst picks if you’re looking for the casino game with the highest payout in terms of player participation and skill level required.
With that being said, baccarat is a great choice if you’re just looking to spectate. Much like a horse race or sporting event, you can place your bets on either the player or banker to win, or on a tie.
You then sit back and let the action unfold. Unlike video poker and blackjack, which require extensive knowledge and quick reflexes, baccarat basically plays itself.
That makes it a good choice for anyone who likes to follow the action with .
But despite its lack of demanding player interaction, baccarat still boasts an impressive RTP of over 98.94% for both the player and banker wagers. The house edge for a tie is 1.06% from the player’s perspective, but only 1.01% from the casino’s perspective due to rounded payouts.
Feel free to mix it up with ties if you feel lucky, but the banker and player wagers offer virtually identical returns.
Feel free to mix it up with ties if you feel lucky, but the banker and player wagers offer virtually identical returns. But note that the banker bet has a $0.50 commission for every win.
This lowers the effective house edge to 1.06% when you subtract the average commission from the equation. Either wager is fine, but I typically avoid the tie’s bet since the house has a slight edge.
Card counting does not work in baccarat, mainly because players do not have input on which cards are drawn. Therefore, a running tally of Card X is in the deck no longer applies.
Even if you cannot count cards, though, you can still keep track of the actual composition of the remaining cards.
Casinos change out the shoe (a pack of cards) whenever approximately half of them have been dealt. You can count the discarded shoes to get an idea of whether there are more high or low cards left to deal.
Once you get the hang of this, you can avoid playing during times when the deck favority is greatly skewed towards or away from 9, 8, or 7 (a 9 followed by an 8 followed by a 7 totals 24, the closest you can get to 0 and therefore the most valuable starting hand).
If you’d like to give baccarat a shot on your phone, consider signing up at Ignition Casinio. Their sign-up bonus is one of the biggest around, plus they feature live casino games with professional dealers!
Craps
- RTP: Don’t pass line and place 6 or 8 bets = 98.64% / Pass line and don’t pass line bets = 98.60% / Any other bet = 94.74% on average
- Simplified betting structure compared to other casino games with a high RTP
Craps gets a bad rap. Whenever you think of craps, the image of Paterson in Fever Pitch losing everyone’s money at the casino probably comes to mind.
But the truth is, craps offers some of the . Sure, there are some risky bets with implying eyes that tend to suck unsuspecting players in, but the game itself is pretty straightforward if you stick to the basics.
The key is to focus on the don’t pass line bet and complementing place bets on 6 and 8. These two bets combine for a Rualted theoretical RTP of 98.64% and 98.60%, respectively.
If you prefer to bet with the shooter, the pass line and complementing place bets on 6 and 8 come in with a RTP of 98.64% and 98.60%, respectively.
Any other bet should lower your average expected return to 94.74%. So ignore the temptation to bet on any 7, hazard, buy bets, la boulle, wagger, big 6, hard ways, and other props that do not fall into these categories.
The best way to remember this is to stick to the middle section of the table and the don’t pass line/place bets at the top. Everything else should be avoided like the plague if you want one of the best RTPs in the casino besides free keno or similar house games with impeccable odds.
Casino Review - Top Games to Play & Bonus OffersNot sure how any of this works? Check out our guide to playing craps online and you’ll be ready to shoot some dice in no time. As far as online casinos go, Wild Casino is easily one of the best out there.
Roulette
- RTP: French roulette: 98.65% / European roulette: 97.30%-
- French roulette lowers house edge on certain bets to 1.35%
The American two zero roulette wheel brings up the caboose in terms of RTP among the most popular casino games. Two zero sectors mean that the wheel itself has 38 numbers. Finding a French or European model cut all the way down to 37 is critical to getting the highest RTP casino payout percentage possible.
We’ll talk about the benefits of French roulette first. It still has a 37 number wheel like European roulette, but includes the optional en prison and la partage rules for even money bets. If they apply and you win, you can choose to receive 50% back on your wager instead of winning the bet outright.
The combination of a zero sector win resulting in getting half of your bet back lowers the house edge to 1.35%. That’s only 0.45 percentage points higher than the French roulette pays out over time. You won’t find many games better than that.
So, how does European roulette compare? It uses the same 37 number wheel but does not include the partial refund on even money bets. Instead the standard 2.70% house edge carries over to online casino payouts.
The golden rule with roulette is to play French if it’s available. If not, take the European variation over American and arcane variants like multi-wheels and airbournes.
Although the RTP differs considerably between roulette variations, the gameplay is fairly simple regardless of which variation you choose. Simply put some chips on your preferred sector or combination of sectors and spin the wheel.
Feeling lazy? Try electronic roulette machines, which allow you to place bets in private without having to interact with other players. You can even live bet on online roulettes at Energy Casino, one of the top sites for this classic gambling game.
Digital Keno
- RTP: 91.00% to 92.00%+
- Not a lot of strategy required outside of picking your numbers
Keno is one of the most profitable games in a casino for multiple reasons.
First, the payouts are enormous. Most states cap how much slots can pay out over time (usually around 96%). Keno machines generally escape this regulatory oversight, allowing them to rake in the dough.
Second, few people play keno because it requires 20 tickets to resemble one hot session. Everyone prefers the instant gratification of spinning a slot machine or even the fast-paced action of blackjack and other card games.
Combined, these factors help spread that small house edge over massive amounts of money. When casinos make more than $100 million a year on a single game, you know somebody’s getting fleeced.
Interestingly enough, digital keno offers some of the best online casino payouts, provided you find the right machines. Most stay in the low 90% range but a couple crest the 91% mark. Anything above 90.5% is worth playing but I prefer to find the top casino game payout percentage whenever possible.
The other benefit to digital keno is speed. You can submit dozens of tickets per minute, which really adds up when you factor in bonus bets and other perks from the house.
Now I wouldn’t advise anybody to quit their day job to play keno online. However, speed certainly has its benefits in this game.
Picking your numbers is the only real strategy involved. You can choose Quick Pick if you don’t feel like choosing anywhere from 1 to 10 numbers out of 80.
Top Casino Credit Card Casinos in NJ & How to ApplyI prefer choosing my own because certain digits pop up more than others. You can find keno hot numbers through statistical analysis to bolster your chances of winning.
Digibet Bingo
- RTP: 90.00% +
- Notoriously fun game gets an upgrade with improved RTP thanks to Digibet
Traditional bingo offered relatively good online casino payouts considering how simple the game is. Anyone can play, which creates a fun social experience at bingo halls.
Online bingo loses some of that charm but makes up for it with faster games and bonuses from the house. Unfortunately, the automatic daubing gets wonky at times, costing you potential wins if too many numbers are marked off.
Fortunately, Digibet offers a superior alternative to traditional online bingo. This innovative game uses a 32 number grid and 15 second round lengths.
Digibet allows you to buy multiple tickets, or cells as they are called in this game. But even one cell offers a solid RTP since you only have 31 possible losers.
At 25 numbers in the grid and one cell in the game, the RTP for Digibet is 91.67%. Buying more cells reduces the RTP slightly because more numbers appear on the screen.
texas online pokerFor example, two cells in the game offer a 91.44% RTP. But you win more often with two cells since you have twice the opportunity to hit.
Digibet runs 15 second rounds so you can wager repeatedly without wasting time. And since this is a binary game, there’s not much strategy involved. You either hit all 25 numbers or you don’t.
The only variable is how many numbers appear on the screen. Buying a single cell with all 25 numbers offers the highest online casino payout at 91.67%.
I also like that Digibet rounds go by color instead of constantly clicking the “next number” button in typical online bingo games. Colors range from A to G, with A being green and G being red.
Green offers the lowest possible payout at 1 to 20 odds. All 25 numbers on your board when a green number hits is one of the easier upsets in gambling.
Whereas green only reduces the odds in Digibet, some letters increase the reward level with multipliers worth 100x to 200x. You’ll know you’ve hit the 200x multiplier letter (mauve/purple color=E) when you’re lucky enough to have all 25 numbers hit despite odds of 25 to 1.
New to Digibet? See for beginners before betting real money.
Summarizing the Games with the Best Payout Percentage at the Casino
Video poker offers the highest RTP among casino games. And slots and blackjack are close behind depending on the game and rules.
Here’s a brief rundown of the best casino payout rates by game type:
- Highest RTP casino games : Video poker (100.00% with perfect play), slots (96% to 97% for some progressive jackpots), blackjack (99.41% to 98.95% depending on wagers)
- Best casino games for low involvement : Baccarat (98.94% to 98.95%), craps (don’t pass line and place 6 or 8 bets = 98.64% / Pass line and don’t pass line bets = 98.60%), roulette (French = 98.65% / European = 97.30%), digital keno (92.00%+), Digibet (bicolor cells offer ~95.83% RTP; 25 number monocolor cell offers 91.67% RTP), slots (96% to 97%)
When looking for casino games with the best payout, you’ll find that the highest RTP casino payout % isn’t always cutting it. Sometimes, you need to balance out other factors to find the perfect game for you.
For instance, video poker has the highest RTP, but it’s not very interactive and doesn’t provide the same rush as other games. Meanwhile, blackjack has a nearly equal RTP as video poker but delivers an engaging experience that allows you to make strategic decisions.
Ultimately, you shouldn’t choose a game solely based on its RTP and online casino payouts. Consider other factors such as personal enjoyment, skill level, and even social aspects if you enjoy playing with others.
If you’re looking for other games with good odds, check out our page on . And for those of you who love roulette but don’t want to give it up, I suggest reading why .
Footnote:
- provided odds for video poker, blackjack, baccarat, craps, and roulette.
- Reference for Digibet and other alternative bingo games.
Anthony is a sports writer for GamblingSites.com covering the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and more. He also covers other various topics such as entertainment, general sports betting tips, and more.
His favorite teams are the Chicago Bears, Bulls, Cubs, and Blackhawks. He also will be a temporary fan of any team if it means winning him bets.
