Three terms, one idea: what a game pays back on average, and what it keeps.
RTP is the most important number in any game of chance, and the most misunderstood. Here's what it means, how it's calculated and, above all, what it doesn't mean.
RTP stands for return to player. It's the share of stakes a game pays back to players, on average, over a very large number of rounds. A 97% RTP means that for every $100 staked in total, by all players over time, about $97 comes back as winnings.
The house edge is the other side: 100% − RTP. At a 97% RTP, the game keeps 3% of what's staked. That's what pays the operator, and it's why no strategy can make the game a winner over the long run.
Expected value is what a bet returns on average. You multiply each possible outcome by its probability and add them up. In a crash game, if you aim for 2× with a 48.5% chance:
0.485 × 2 = 0.97. Every token staked comes back as 0.97 tokens on average: the expected net result is −0.03 tokens per token staked, or −3%.
The same calculation gives 0.97 for 10× (9.7% × 10) or 100× (0.97% × 100). That's what "the same RTP at every multiplier" means: whatever your target, the expected value is the same. The probability page explains why.
| RTP | House edge | Average loss over 100 bets of 100 |
|---|---|---|
| 99.0% | 1.0% | 100 |
| 97.3% | 2.7% | 270 |
| 97.0% | 3.0% | 300 |
| 95.0% | 5.0% | 500 |
| 90.0% | 10.0% | 1,000 |
The average loss is proportional to the total you stake, not to your deposit. Replaying the same tokens again and again means staking your budget several times over, and the house edge applies every time. For comparison, European roulette (single zero) has a 2.7% house edge (1 chance in 37), American roulette (zero and double zero) 5.26%.
In the game's rules or info sheet, often behind an "i" or "?" button. A game that doesn't publish its RTP is a red flag (see are crash games rigged?). Pothole's RTP is 97% on all three routes and at every km: the details are on its RTP page. For a one-line definition of each term, there's also our casino glossary.
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Return to player: the share of stakes paid back as winnings, on average, over a very large number of rounds. 97% means the game keeps 3% on average.
It's the same information seen from both sides: the house edge equals 100% minus the RTP.
No. It's an average over millions of bets. A session can end at zero or ahead; only the very long-run average tends toward 97%.
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