RTP and House-Edge Calculator
Enter a game’s published RTP, your stake, and how many spins or hands you expect to play. The calculator shows the house edge and the theoretical expected loss — a long-run statistical average that says nothing about how any single session will go. 18+ only.
Amounts are shown in dollarsfor reading — the arithmetic is the same. This is not an operator’s settlement currency.
Enter the numbers and press Calculate expected loss. The worked example below shows the same math by hand.
How this is calculated
The model is arithmetic on the numbers you enter — nothing is fetched from any casino, and worked figures are hypothetical examples.
- House edge = 100% − RTP. This is the average share of every stake the game keeps over the long run.
- Total amount wagered = stake per spin or hand × number of spins or hands.
- Theoretical expected loss = total wagered × house edge. This is the long-run average cost of placing that much turnover.
- Budget comparison (when you enter a budget) = expected loss ÷ budget, shown as a percentage. It is an arithmetic comparison, not advice on how much to play.
The full sourcing contract is on the methodology page.
Worked example (hypothetical)
You play a 96% RTP game at $1 per spin for 500 spins, with a $100 budget:
- House edge: 100% − 96% = 4%
- Total wagered: $1 × 500 = $500
- Theoretical expected loss: $500 × 4% = $20
- Budget comparison: $20 ÷ $100 = 20% of the budget, on average
Variance: why your session will differ
Expected loss is a law-of-large-numbers average. It only becomes a reliable description of outcomes over millions of rounds — far more than any session, and for most people far more than a lifetime of play. Over 500 spins, the spread of plausible outcomes is much wider than the $20 average in the example above: finishing well ahead and losing several times the average are both ordinary results.
That is why RTP cannot predict an individual session, and why a higher-RTP game is not a way to win — it only lowers the average cost of play. Treat expected loss as the price of entertainment you are choosing to pay on average, never as a forecast of what will happen to you.
Assumptions and limitations
- The RTP you enter is assumed to hold uniformly for every round. Mixing games, bet types, or game versions with different RTPs changes the result.
- The model describes expected value only. It does not model volatility, hit frequency, bonus features, or the probability distribution of session outcomes.
- The budget comparison is plain arithmetic on your own numbers — it is not a recommendation to play up to, or at all against, any budget.
- Results model the numbers you typed — not any casino’s actual game, and never a prediction of wins or losses. This is education, not gambling, legal, tax, or financial advice.
Play within limits
Every round of a game with a house edge carries an average cost, and no strategy, stake pattern, or game choice removes it. Decide your money and time limits before you play, treat any budget as spending you can afford to lose entirely, and never stake money needed for essentials. If gambling is causing harm, use the independent help resources on our responsible gambling page. 18+ only.
Frequently asked questions
What is RTP?
Return to player: the share of all money staked that a game pays back as winnings on average, measured over millions of rounds. A 96% RTP means that for every $100 staked across that enormous volume, $96 are returned as winnings on average.
What is house edge?
The complement of RTP: 100% minus RTP. It is the average share of each stake the game keeps over the long run. A 96% RTP game has a 4% house edge, meaning an average cost of $4 per $100 staked.
Will I actually lose the expected-loss amount?
Almost certainly not exactly, and possibly nothing like it. Expected loss is a statistical average over enormous play volume. A single session is dominated by variance: you can finish well ahead or lose far more than the average suggests. RTP does not predict any individual session.
Why can the total wagered be bigger than my budget?
Because winnings are staked again. Turnover (total amount wagered) counts every stake you place, including ones funded by wins along the way, so a $100 budget can generate thousands of dollars of turnover. That is also why expected loss — not total wagered — is the number to compare against your budget.
Where do I find a game's RTP?
In the game's own information sheet, paytable, or help screen. Published RTP can differ between versions of the same game, so check the exact game and version you would actually play rather than a generic figure.
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Weighing up a bonus offer? The bonus true-value calculator applies this same RTP math to wagering requirements, and the wagering requirement calculator breaks down the playthrough itself.