Open Le Bandit at two different casinos and you may be playing two different games. Hacksaw Gaming publishes four settings for it – 96.34%, 94.23%, 92.17% and 88.36% – and the casino decides which one runs. The reels, symbols and bonus rounds look identical; the long-run return does not. This guide explains what RTP versions are, why they exist, what the difference costs and how to check which one you are playing.
What RTP actually measures
Gaming Laboratories International (GLI), one of the main testing labs, defines RTP as the expected percentage of wagers that a specific game will return to the player in the long run. It is calculated from the game’s maths – the paytable, symbol distribution and features – or by simulation; field data from live play can then be compared with the theoretical figure.
“Long run” matters. The UK Gambling Commission notes that only after very many games does the averaging effect even out volatility – for fully random games, in the order of a million or more game cycles. In a session of a few hundred spins, results can sit far above or below the stated figure.
The Commission also shows the difference between theoretical and actual RTP with a simple example: a game designed to return 91.68% took £1,200,000 in a month and paid out £1,085,000 – an actual RTP of 90.42% for that period.
Why one game has several RTP versions
Providers build several configurations of the same slot and let the operator choose. GLI’s standard for online gaming systems treats such settings as configurable features and tests the configuration the operator selects. Reasons for picking a lower version include gambling taxes and local rules: in its 2021 policy paper on RTP, the Malta Gaming Authority recorded industry feedback that different rates are applied per game and jurisdiction, in brackets roughly between 85% and 96%, with lower rates where taxes require them.
Studios handle this differently, as the games reviewed on 3Scatters show:
| Game | Published RTP versions |
|---|---|
| Le Bandit (Hacksaw) | 96.34% / 94.23% / 92.17% / 88.36% |
| Invictus (Hacksaw) | 96.24% / 94.34% / 92.46% / 88.27% |
| Book of Dead (Play’n GO) | 96.21% / 94.25% / 91.25% / 87.25% / 84.18% |
| Bonanza Billion (BGaming) | 95.97% – one figure on the official page |
| Bonanza Trillion (BGaming) | 97.17% – one figure on the official page |
The direction is not always downwards. Trade press has noted that operators can tweak RTPs down, while some providers release higher-RTP variants of popular games – Pragmatic Play’s “1000” series is one example.
What the difference costs
The expected cost of play is simple to estimate: total stakes × (1 − RTP). For 1,000 spins at £1 each, that gives:
| Le Bandit version | Expected return | Expected cost |
|---|---|---|
| 96.34% | £963.40 | £36.60 |
| 94.23% | £942.30 | £57.70 |
| 92.17% | £921.70 | £78.30 |
| 88.36% | £883.60 | £116.40 |
The lowest version costs more than three times as much as the highest for the same play. Over one short session luck dominates and you will not see this difference; over months of play it is the most important number in the game.
Minimum RTP rules
Regulators approach RTP in different ways:
- Malta: the MGA cut the minimum for online games from 92% to 85% in May 2021.
- Colombia: Coljuegos sets a minimum of 83% for online games.
- Italy: a 90% minimum is cited in the MGA’s 2021 comparison of jurisdictions.
- United Kingdom: the technical standards set no specific percentage, but the RTP – or the probability of winning events – must be available to the player.
- Lab baseline: GLI-19 uses 75% as the theoretical minimum unless the regulator sets its own figure, and the minimum must hold for every configuration.
So a version as low as 84–88% can be perfectly legal. The protection for players is disclosure, not a high floor.
Must the casino show the RTP?
In the UK, Remote Technical Standard 3C requires the RTP – or the probability of winning events – to be available before the customer commits to gamble, and the guidance allows it to sit behind a menu item or link in the game. In Ontario, the AGCO’s standards require comprehensive, accurate and understandable information on the odds of winning or returns to players. Independent testing before release includes verifying that the advertised RTP is correct.
How to check which version you are playing
- Open the game and find the information or rules screen (usually an “i” or menu icon).
- Look for the line stating the theoretical RTP of the game.
- Compare it with the provider’s published list – for Le Bandit, the four values above. If the figure is the lowest one, the same game may be available at a higher setting elsewhere.
- Repeat the check per game: a casino can run one title at the top version and another at the bottom.
RTP is not volatility
Two games with the same RTP can feel completely different. RTP says how much returns over the very long run; volatility says how unevenly it arrives. BGaming’s published data shows this well: Bonanza Billion triggers free spins about once in 395 spins, Bonanza Trillion about once in 163, and the RTPs differ by only 1.2 points. Always read the two together.
Strengths and weaknesses
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Key takeaways
[wpremark preset_name=”default-info” icon_show=”1″ icon_image=”info-circle-regular” icon_color=”#3da2e0″ icon_width=”32″ icon_height=”32″ icon_indent=”16″ background_show=”1″ background_color=”#e3f1f4″ border_top=”0″ border_right=”0″ border_bottom=”0″ border_left=”0″ border_width=”2″ border_color=”#3da2e0″ shadow_show=”0″ shadow_x=”0″ shadow_y=”5″ shadow_blur=”10″ shadow_stretching=”-5″ shadow_opacity=”0.3″ title_show=”0″ title_bold=”0″ title_italic=”0″ title_underline=”0″ title_uppercase=”0″ title_font_size=”18″ title_line_height=”1.5″ text_bold=”0″ text_italic=”0″ text_underline=”0″ text_uppercase=”0″ padding_top=”20″ padding_right=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”20″ margin_top=”20″ margin_right=”0″ margin_bottom=”20″ margin_left=”0″ border_radius=”5″]The same slot can run at different RTPs at different casinos. In the multi-version games above, the gap between the top and bottom version is 8–12 percentage points – enough to at least triple the expected cost of play. The figure is in the game’s rules screen – check it before you start, not after.[/wpremark]
Frequently asked questions
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18+. No RTP version makes slots profitable over time. If gambling stops being fun, see our responsible gambling page.
Sources
- GLI – Game mathematics and RTP analysis
- GLI-19 Interactive Gaming Systems v3.0
- UK Gambling Commission – RTP and volatility
- UK Gambling Commission – How to calculate RTP
- UK Gambling Commission – RTP testing
- UK Gambling Commission – RTS 3
- AGCO – Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming
- MGA – Policy paper on the RTP minimum
- MGA – RTP minimum change (2021)
- Coljuegos – Acuerdo 4 de 2016
- iGaming Business – trend towards generous slot variants
- Hacksaw Gaming – Le Bandit RTP versions
- OLBG – Book of Dead RTP versions