When casino players are often presented with multiple gaming options they are taking into consideration different factors that allow them to choose the most suitable game for their taste. One very important element that helps players to evaluate games is the Return to Player (RTP) percentage. This demonstrates the potential return a player may expect in the long run. The higher RTP the game is offering, the better option to bet on it is.
With gambling regulators becoming more adamant about online operators being fully transparent with their customers, many virtual casinos are required to share the RTPs of the games they are offering. What is more, software companies also must provide the RTP of the games they create for interactive casinos.
While online casinos are required to provide the RTPs of casino games, however, the same rules still do not apply to brick-and-mortar casinos. Players must do their research themselves if they wish to find the RTPs of casino games offered at land-based casinos. When it comes to slot machines, however, players will be in the dark about the RTPs of the slot variations offered at different brick-and-mortar casinos.
If you want to learn why land-based gambling facilities are still not required to expose such information, we suggest you continue reading. We will cover what RTP provides as information to players and why brick-and-mortar casinos should also be requested to list RTP percentages.
How Come Land-Based Casinos Do Not Offer RTP Figures?
While brick-and-mortar casinos have not provided any explanation about the reason for not providing RTP figures, there are several factors that can justify the lack of RTP listings at land-based casinos.
RTP can fluctuate depending on gambling facility
Slot machine developers tend to offer land-based casinos several variants of slots with ranging RTPs. That way, even if you are certain about the usual RTP of a slot machine, the casino where you play the game may have opted for a version with a lower RTP. Unfortunately, as physical casinos are not required to provide the RTPs of their games, there is no way to learn that you are actually playing with an adjusted RTP percentage.
Same table game may have ranging RTP
Another reason why land-based casinos may be hesitant to list RTPs is the fact that they can offer the same table game with various payouts. For example, a single-deck blackjack variant may have a different payout than a six-deck version. That is the reason why unified RTPs are nowhere to be seen at land-based casinos as they will not be accurate for all variations of the same table game. Instead, physical casinos may need to make a new plaque for every variant of the same game which can be very burdensome.
Low RTPs may scare players away
One of the most obvious reasons why brick-and-mortar casinos may avoid listing the RTPs of games is to take advantage of less experienced players. First-time visitors may have never looked up different casino games so they will not be aware that some games have drastically lower RTPs than others. Meanwhile, if they are simply choosing which game to play based on its design and betting features, many players tend to opt for options with extremely low RTPs.
No significant complaints
Even though players can greatly benefit from knowing the RTPs of the games they enjoy playing at land-based casinos, there have not been any real complaints about the lack of RTP figures. The truth is that even if they see games with lower potential payouts, most recreational players will not be deterred from playing such options. That said, with brick-and-mortar casinos feeling no pressure to list RTPs, there is no sign of gambling facilities making such information public anytime soon.
Can Individual Research Be of Any Help When Playing Offline?
To know the RTPs of certain games you can find at land-based casinos, you must do your research by yourself. Just a quick online search can instantly show you the RTP of American or European roulette, baccarat or the different bets available in craps and Sic Bo. However, virtual browsing will not be of much help in all cases.
Some table games have different variations, with some tweaks in the rules affecting the RTP of the game. When it comes to poker or blackjack, you may not be able to find out the RTP of the exact variant that is offered at the brick-and-mortar casino where you play. However, you may look for the particular variations online and see how the RTP may be affected by certain rules.
As a rule of thumb most penny slot machines will have 90% RTP or maybe go a bit higher and offer 92% RTP. Meanwhile, machines with higher bets will have RTPs ranging somewhere between 93% and 95%. That said, you can never be too sure when you play at a land-based casino so you will need to blindly play the slots you are provided with.
Reasons Why Land-Based Casinos Should Lits RTP Percentages
As already mentioned, brick-and-mortar casinos have their reasons for not disclosing the RTPs of the games they offer to their visitors. That said, we believe there are also plenty of reasons why land-based gambling facilities should consider providing the RTP figures of their games.
Convenience for some players
Even though we believe many players will continue to play games with lower RTPs, some would definitely appreciate it if they know what the long-term potential return may be. This is especially true when players are choosing the slot machines to play as a version offering 97% RTP is considerably better than slots with 93% RTP.
Spare players the time for research
If players really want to know the RTP of a casino game, they usually go through their own research, looking for the possible return certain games offer. However, if land-based casinos decide to disclose the RTPs of their games, this will spare players time and inconvenience.
Reducing gambling harm
Unfortunately, many players tend to play the games at brick-and-mortar casinos without caring about a potential return. However, very often such players are attracted to gaming options that offer lower RTP. Usually, that leads to more long-term losses and you may often see players suffering from gambling harms as they fall into the trap of chasing losses. If brick-and-mortar casinos start disclosing the RTPs of the games they offer, players may be more cautious when they head to options with lower potential returns.
How Land-Based Casinos Can Easily Disclose RTP Rates
While land-based casinos have their reasons for not listing the RTPs of the games they offer, there are some solutions to the issues they may be having with disclosing RTP rates. If gaming and betting venues want to be fully transparent with their customers, listing RTP percentages should not be such an impossible or tough task.
List custom RTP rates on slots
It is true that slot providers offer casinos the chance to pick the RTP of the slots they are about to offer on their casino floors. Some casinos use the excuse that it is inconvenient to always provide the customer RTPs of the slot machines they offer. However, when online slot software companies are offering their games to virtual casinos, they also adjust the in-game info of the game to display the correct RTP. Providers of games for land-based casinos should also implement the same practice and adjust the info of slots to show the correct RTP according to the casino where the machine is offered.
Electronic displays at table games
As it was already explained, the same table game may have different RTPs, depending on the rules the game has implemented. While it can be difficult for land-based casinos to offer a unified RTP for a table game, the use of electronic displays may solve this issue. Such technology can be utilised to present the specific rules and RTP of the respective table game players are about to join.
Use official casino websites to list RTP rates
As major land-based casinos also have official websites where you can find different information about the venues, these web pages can also be used to disclose the RTP rates of the games they offer. Some players usually tend to research the games they are about to play, so having an official website where they can check such information makes the process much easier. Moreover, if a brick-and-mortar casino is offering favourable odds, listing such rates can be a great advertisement strategy to promote the venue.
Will Land-Based Casinos Start Disclosing RTP Rates Anytime Soon?
While there are some variants that land-based casinos can implement in their operations to notify players about the potential return of games, we are not sure that this will happen anytime soon. The main reason to keep players in the dark about the real RTPs of their games is that they are not pressured to provide such figures.
The requirements that online casinos must meet are much stricter, with licensing authorities often requiring licensees to disclose the RTP rates of all of the games they provide. That way, online operators are ensuring that they are transparent with their patrons, giving them the option to choose the games to play based on their RTPs.
Unfortunately, regulators do not hold land-based casinos to the same high standards. As brick-and-mortar casinos are not required to disclose the potential return of their games, they will most probably continue to keep their visitors in the dark.
Another reason why brick-and-mortar casinos will most probably continue not providing payout percentages is to maintain the interest in low-paying games. While some players simply do not care about RTP, others may just find it burdensome to search the potential payout of games. However, if land-based casinos were to show the RTP rates of their games, many players might give up on some options that provide significantly lower RTPs.
Closing Thoughts
While disclosing RTP figures by land-based casinos may be very beneficial for players, there are no signs of physical gambling facilities implementing that measure anytime soon. There are several reasons why brick-and-mortar casinos find it inconvenient to display the potential payouts of the games they host.
With land-based gambling venues often offering slots with adjusted RTP levels and table games with ranging potential returns, listing the RTP rates of games is quite inconvenient for physical casinos.
With no pressure applied by players or gambling regulators, land-based casinos continue to keep the RTPs of their games for themselves. As players are unaware of the payout rates of a game, they can often fall into the trap of placing bets on gaming options that actually have very low RTPs.
With no serious pressure applied by players and no regulatory requirements to meet, land-based casinos will most probably continue to not disclose the RTPs of the games they are featuring. Unless there are official requirements issued by regulatory bodies, brick-and-mortar casinos are not expected to start providing RTP rates soon.
