RTP (return to player)
RTP is the number in a slot's rules that tells you what share of all the money bet on it gets paid back out as wins, and on most online slots you'll find something close to 96% there. It's worked out across every spin anyone plays on that game, over years. On Stake, even games taking roughly 30 to 80 million bets in a single month mostly ended up more than a point off their own figure.
| RTP setting | Back on average | Cost on average |
|---|---|---|
| 96.38% (Stake) | $963.80 | $36.20 |
| 94.55% | $945.50 | $54.50 |
| 92.33% | $923.30 | $76.70 |
| 88.42% | $884.20 | $115.80 |
Settings from the Hacksaw Gaming game page, read 12 Nov 2026. Stake runs 96.38% (configured RTP in bonushunt.gg data, same day). Cost = $1,000 × (100% − RTP).
Wanted Dead or a Wild is a good game to try this on. Open it, go into the info panel and scroll down through the rules until you hit the RTP line, which tends to sit near the end, after the bonus descriptions. Hacksaw makes four versions of the game, from 96.38% down to 88.42%, and the casino picks which one goes in its lobby. The copy on Stake says 96.38%, the top one.
How Engine games spread
| RTP | Games | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 92% | 83 | 1.1% |
| 92.00% to 93.99% | 117 | 1.5% |
| 94.00% to 95.49% | 432 | 5.6% |
| 95.50% to 95.99% | 376 | 4.8% |
| 96.00% to 96.49% | 4,042 | 52.0% |
| 96.50% to 96.99% | 2,456 | 31.6% |
| 97.00% to 97.99% | 215 | 2.8% |
| 98% and above | 55 | 0.7% |
Base RTP per game as listed in the bonushunt.gg Engine catalogue, read 12 Nov 2026 (median 96.09%, lowest 90.00%, highest 98.95%). A third-party list, not an official Engine figure.
New Engine games have to land from 96.0% up to 96.7% in every mode, and the buy modes count too. That rule explains the big lump just above 96%. Some 200 games in the same catalogue show less than 94%, so the rules screen is worth a look on Engine as well.
Configured RTP against what came back
| Game | Studio | Bets | Configured RTP | Came back |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Bass Rock and Roll | Pragmatic Play | 82.5M | 98.00% | 95.30% |
| Big Bass BOOM | Pragmatic Play | 82.0M | 98.00% | 102.30% |
| Waylanders Forge | Valkyrie | 78.4M | 97.70% | 99.90% |
| Candy Swipe MatchWin | Coreffect Interactive | 68.2M | 96.70% | 93.19% |
| Gates of Olympus Super Scatter | Pragmatic Play | 61.3M | 96.50% | 96.44% |
| Joker's Jewels | Pragmatic Play | 61.1M | 96.50% | 96.79% |
| Altar of Souls | Valkyrie | 58.9M | 96.70% | 92.03% |
| Big Bass Halloween Splash 1000 | Pragmatic Play | 48.3M | 96.50% | 97.53% |
| Gates of Olympus 1000 | Pragmatic Play | 43.7M | 96.50% | 95.73% |
| Night of Nyx | Valkyrie | 43.3M | 96.70% | 91.60% |
Computed from bonushunt.gg provider analytics, month window, read 12 Nov 2026: came back = 1 − GGR ÷ wagered. Weighted by money, so a few big wins at high stakes move it. Of the 20 games with the most bets (all above 29 million), 4 finished within one point of their configured RTP and 6 were more than five points off. Engine Insights lists Waylanders Forge at 98.00%.
Night of Nyx and Altar of Souls paid back several points under their configured 96.70% over that month, and Big Bass BOOM paid out more than it took in, on 82 million bets. Mostly that comes down to a few huge wins landing, or not landing, for players who bet high. Your own few hundred spins at $1 are a tiny sample next to any of these.
Not affiliated with Hacksaw Gaming, Pragmatic Play, Valkyrie, Coreffect Interactive or any Engine studio. Game names belong to their owners.
Questions
What does RTP mean in slots?
Short for return to player. It is the part of every dollar staked that a slot pays back as wins over its life, so at 96% about $96 of each $100 returns, averaged over all players.
What is a good RTP for a slot?
Around 96% or a little above is normal for new online slots, and Engine games have to sit from 96.0% up to 96.7%. Lower settings cost more per spin: $1,000 of spins at 94.55% costs about $54 on average, against $36 at 96.38%.
Why didn't I get the RTP back?
It describes the game over its whole life, not your session. Even the busiest games on Stake, with 29 to 83 million bets in a month, often ended a few points off their configured value.
Can the casino change the RTP?
Many provider slots ship in several versions. Hacksaw lists four for Wanted Dead or a Wild, from 96.38% down to 88.42%, and each casino chooses. Look in the paytable or help screen of the game to see which you're playing.
Sources
- Hacksaw Gaming: Wanted Dead or a Wild. RTP settings 96.38%, 94.55%, 92.33%, 88.42% Checked 12 November 2026
- bonushunt.gg provider analytics. configured RTP, bets, wagered and GGR per game, month window; came back computed by us Checked 12 November 2026
- bonushunt.gg Engine catalogue. 7,776 games with an RTP value, median 96.09% Checked 12 November 2026
- Engine docs: math verification. every mode of a new game between 96.0% and 96.7% RTP Checked 12 November 2026
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