What counts as high RTP
Most pokies sit in the 94-96% band. RTP of 96% is the informal industry standard. Anything 96.5%+ is genuinely above average. 97%+ is rare and worth seeking out if you plan heavy play.
Studios that reliably publish 96%+ versions include Play'n GO (Book of Dead at 96.21%), NetEnt (Starburst at 96.09%, Gonzo's Quest at 96%), Nolimit City (varies, but Mental at 96.08%), Hacksaw Gaming, and selected Pragmatic releases.
Watch out for multi-RTP titles. Some popular pokies (NetEnt's Gonzo's Quest, Play'n GO's Book of Dead) have alternative configurations at 91-94%. Operators can choose. If you see the same game advertised at different casinos and want to check, look at the game's info panel (the "i" button in-game) — it displays the actual deployed RTP.
Why studios publish multiple RTP versions
The short answer is operator economics. A lower-RTP version of a hit game lets a cost-sensitive operator run the same popular title while keeping more margin. The practice is legal under most offshore licences and disclosed on the in-game info page. It is ethically grey — a player at a "Book of Dead" table thinks they are playing the marketed Book of Dead, when in fact the deployed version may have a higher house edge.
This is one of the reasons to pick operators who disclose their configurations and deploy the higher versions. Within our review set, we note observed RTP configurations at review time; the practice of down-configuring hit titles is a negative signal we flag.
Finding high-RTP titles at your casino
Three methods:
1. In-game info panel. Every reputable game shows RTP in the "i" / info button — usually in the paytable screen. Check this before playing. If multiple RTPs are listed, the one marked as "this version" or "deployed" is what you are playing.
2. Studio title lists. Search "
3. Our reviews. We note RTP observations for specific titles at review time. See the individual review pages under /reviews/.
Table games and video poker are typically higher RTP than pokies — blackjack with good strategy runs 99%+, baccarat banker bet runs 98.94%. If you want to minimise expected loss per hour, these categories are quantitatively better than pokies regardless of which pokie RTP you chose.
Availability at the six AU casinos we review
All six casinos in our review set carry major high-RTP studio titles (Play'n GO, NetEnt, Nolimit City, Hacksaw). The question is which RTP configuration is deployed.
| Casino | Coverage | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fortune88 | Good | Broad supplier coverage includes high-RTP studios; deployed configs noted in review |
| B4Bet | Good | Mainstream high-RTP studios present across both casino and sports books |
| Aussie2Win | Good | Play'n GO, NetEnt, Nolimit City selections carried |
| The Star | Curated | Hand-picked titles; highest-RTP versions preferred in curation |
| Ripperbet | Good | Standard high-RTP studio coverage |
| Le88Win | Good | High-RTP studios carried; Asian-theme studios also have competitive RTPs |
FAQ
Is 96% RTP good?
It is average — the informal industry standard. 96.5% and above is genuinely better than average. Under 94% is worth questioning. The difference between 96% and 97% adds up over many sessions.
Does high RTP mean I am more likely to win?
Not in any specific session — variance dominates at session scale. Higher RTP means lower expected loss per unit wagered over many sessions. If you play heavily (thousands of spins per week), picking higher RTP saves meaningful money over a year. For casual play, the effect is drowned by variance.
Which studios have the highest RTP pokies?
Play'n GO, NetEnt, Nolimit City, Hacksaw Gaming, and selected Pragmatic Play releases regularly publish at 96%+. Video slots from lower-tier studios often run 94-95%. Table-game-centric studios (Evolution, Playtech Live) run much higher on their live products (97%+ on blackjack, baccarat).
Can I see the RTP of my game in real time?
You can see the theoretical RTP of the title in the in-game info panel. You cannot see a "live" RTP of your specific session — all sessions produce realised returns somewhere around the theoretical RTP, with variance scaled by the title's volatility.
Related reading
- AU online pokies hub — overview + all categories
- How pokies RTP works
- Bonus wagering explained
- All six AU casino reviews