Slot RTP versions 2026: one game, up to 7 payout levels
Many slots are multiple games. The studio can make the same game at different RTP levels, and different casinos can pick different levels. Just because two slots look the same, doesn't mean they pay the same.
Of the 2,466 slots in our RTP finder, 1,492 have at least one lower version. Here we explain how the system works, which studios are open about the versions they publish, and how to tell which one you are playing.
By Owen Sheridan · Updated
What slot RTP versions are
RTP, or return to player, is the share of money bet that a slot pays back over a large number of spins. A slot with 96.38% RTP pays back an average of €96.38 for every €100 wagered.
A studio can adjust how much a game pays back, for example by altering how often the game's features happen. Each version is a different build of the game.
Hacksaw Gaming is transparent about this. Its game page for Wanted Dead or a Wild, for example, has four different versions that pay back 96.38%, 94.55%, 92.33% and 88.42%. Each of the versions has the same features and same 12,500x maximum win.
Our RTP finder shows each lower version of a game after the top version.
Which studios publish slot RTP versions
Studios can approach versioning differently. Some put every version on the game page, some, like Pragmatic Play, only give it to the casinos, and some totally omit it from their page. The following table shows the totals from the 2,466 slots in our RTP finder.
The average gap is the difference between a slot's top and lowest version. At Hacksaw and Quickspin it is over 8 points; at Pragmatic Play it is under 2, because its lowest common version sits around 94.5%.
On their web pages, Red Tiger, Nolimit City and NetEnt only include the top RTPs, although their slots tend to have lower versions as well. The rules screen inside the slot is the only place to see which one a casino runs.
| Studio | Where versions are published | Slots | With lower versions | Average gap, top to lowest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pragmatic Play | Client hub for casinos | 633 | 611 | 1.93 points |
| Yggdrasil | Public game pages | 530 | 337 | 5.50 points |
| Push Gaming | Public game pages | 72 | 72 | 7.68 points |
| Hacksaw Gaming | Public game pages | 42 | 42 | 8.35 points |
| Quickspin | Public game pages | 4 | 4 | 8.99 points |
| Red Tiger | Not on its public pages | 352 | 212 | 5.68 points |
| Nolimit City | Not on its public pages | 141 | 98 | 5.73 points |
| NetEnt | Not on its public pages | 227 | 76 | 5.67 points |
| Thunderkick | Not on its public pages | 104 | 21 | 6.69 points |
| Big Time Gaming | Not on its public pages | 87 | 18 | 5.75 points |
| BGaming | Not on its public pages | 274 | 1 | 0.28 points |
How much slot RTP versions differ in euros
A few points can seem small, but they are not over the long term.
Le Bandit, another Hacksaw slot, comes at 96.34%, 94.23%, 92.17% and 88.36%. Bet €1,000 on it and the casino keeps €36.60 on average at the top version, or €116.40 at the lowest.
The gap increases with more money bet. Wagering a bonus multiplies that. 35x on a €100 bonus means €3,500 of bets, and at the lowest version of Le Bandit that costs €407.40 instead of €128.10.
The wagering requirement calculator helps figure this out for bonuses and RTPs.
The same gap seen as the casino's share: house edge vs RTP.
Le Bandit: average kept on €1,000 of spins
- 96.34% version€36.60
- 94.23% version€57.70
- 92.17% version€78.30
- 88.36% version€116.40
Averages based on many spins. One session can end way above or way below them.
Which slot RTP versions casinos actually run
Across the ten casinos we review, the same Hacksaw slot shows up at three different versions. Six run Wanted Dead or a Wild at the top 96.38%, three at 94.55%, and one, Kings Game, at 92.33%.
Pragmatic Play's Gates of Olympus splits too: four run 96.50%, and five run the lowest, 94.50%, for real money. Four of those five show 96.50% in free play. Quickspin's Big Bad Wolf splits down the middle between 97.34% and 90.01%. Casino by casino, the picture is in the best payout online casinos ranking.
For a single studio, begin with the Hacksaw Gaming casinos ranking.
| Slot | Top version | Second | Lower |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wanted Dead or a Wild | 6 casinos | 3 casinos | 1 casino |
| Le Bandit | 6 casinos | 2 casinos | 2 casinos |
| Gates of Olympus | 4 casinos | - | 5 casinos |
| Big Bad Wolf | 2 casinos + 1 tile | - | 2 casinos + 1 tile |
Slot RTP versions cover bonus buys and ante bets too
A version changes more than the base game. Every way of playing the slot moves with it.
Hacksaw's Wanted Dead or a Wild has an info screen that shows the RTP for each of the features you can buy. In the top version, the RTPs range from 96.27% to 96.43%; in the 92.33% version, the RTPs range from 92.35% to 92.58%.
Pragmatic Play's Gates of Olympus states three figures on one rules page: the base game, the ante bet, and the bought free spins. At Winna and 22bet, all three state 96.50% and 94.50%, respectively.
More on buying features: bonus buy RTP at ten casinos.
Whether a buy beats a spin: bonus buy RTP compared with the base game.
| Feature | Top version | Lower version |
|---|---|---|
| Wanted: base game | 96.38% | 92.33% |
| Wanted: Duel at Dawn buy | 96.33% | 92.35% |
| Wanted: Dead Man's Hand buy | 96.43% | 92.49% |
| Gates of Olympus: base game | 96.50% | 94.50% |
| Gates of Olympus: ante bet | 96.50% | 94.50% |
| Gates of Olympus: bought free spins | 96.50% | 94.50% |
Two slot RTP versions in one lobby
A casino can even run two versions side by side. Nothing on the tile tells them apart.
TonyBet's two Big Bad Wolf tiles
TonyBet's lobby lists Quickspin's Big Bad Wolf twice, with the same name and picture. One runs at 97.34%, the other at 90.01%. Only the rules screen inside each game shows which is which.
TonyBet's full results are on its review.
How to see which slot RTP version you are playing
The game itself will always tell you. The rules screen will tell you what the RTP is for that build.
Step by step screens for each studio: how to check slot RTP.
Whether a demo shows the same version as real play: do demo slots have the same RTP?
And why casinos are allowed to pick: can casinos change RTP?
- Open the slot's rules
Hacksaw: menu, then INFO. Pragmatic Play: i, then turn the pages. Quickspin: menu, then ?.
- Find the RTP line
"The theoretical payout (RTP) for this game is", or "The theoretical RTP of this game is".
- Compare with the top version
Search the slot in the RTP finder. If yours is lower, the casino picked a lower version.
Slot RTP versions FAQ
What are slot RTP versions?
There are different builds of the same slot, tuned to pay back a different share of bets. Hacksaw's Wanted Dead or a Wild comes at 96.38%, 94.55%, 92.33% and 88.42%.
Why do slots have different RTP versions?
Studios sell to multiple casinos, and each casino selects the version it wants to run. A lower version keeps more of every bet.
Does a lower RTP version change the game?
The look and features of the game stay the same. The maths changes, particularly how often features and bigger wins show up.
Which studios publish their RTP versions?
Hacksaw Gaming, Push Gaming, Yggdrasil and Quickspin reveal them on their game pages. Pragmatic Play reveals them in its client hub for casinos. Red Tiger, Nolimit City and NetEnt also create them but don't show them on their public pages.
How many versions can one slot have?
Up to seven in our data. Most Hacksaw slots have four and most Pragmatic Play slots three, while NetEnt classics such as Starburst come in six.
How do I know which version a casino runs?
Look at the RTP in the rules of the slot. Then compare it with the RTP of the top version of that studio's game.