They're the same number seen from opposite sides. RTP (return to player) is the share of wagers a game pays back over the long run, and house edge is the share it keeps, so the two always add up to 100%.
So which one should you watch? Whichever the game publishes, converted into the other in your head, and then paired with the two things neither figure shows you: the exact bet variant you're on and how many bets per hour you make.
How the Two Numbers Connect
The formula is short. As Rollbit's explainer puts it, RTP = 100% − house edge.
Its X-Roulette example has a 5% house edge and a 95% RTP. Stake $100 million across all players and the casino is expected to keep $5 million and pay out $95 million.
The key word is "expected." Under the law of large numbers, the more rounds played, the closer the average loss drifts toward the house edge.
Why Do Games Quote Different Numbers?
Slot and game-show lobbies tend to print RTP, while table-game guides tend to quote house edge. Both are describing the same long-run maths.
Table games add a wrinkle because your decisions change the result. Rollbit notes that in blackjack and Texas Hold'em, player strategy affects the house edge, and a poor strategy raises it.
A slot gives you no such lever, so a single RTP figure is enough. A blackjack table needs a range.
Typical Numbers Side by Side
The RTP column below is my own subtraction from the house edge figures that Riverwind and Rollbit publish. Edges are the cited figures, and the dollar column shows the expected loss on $1,000 wagered.
| Game or bet | House edge | Implied RTP | Expected loss per $1,000 wagered
| Craps odds bet (after a Pass bet) | 0% | 100% | $0
| Blackjack, good strategy | about 0.5% | about 99.5% | about $5
| Baccarat, Banker bet | 1.17% | 98.83% | $11.70
| European roulette | 2.70% | 97.30% | $27
| Lightning Roulette | 2.9% | 97.10% | $29
| Slot at 96% RTP | 4% | 96% | $40
| American roulette | 5.26% | 94.74% | $52.60
| Keno | 20% to 25% | 75% to 80% | $200 to $250
Riverwind also lists slots at 2% to 15%, while Bettoblock gives 2% to 10% or more. The range is wide enough that "it's a slot" tells you almost nothing.
Where the Sources Disagree
Published figures for the same bet don't always match. Riverwind lists the Banker bet at 1.17%, while Action Network (actionnetwork.com) says baccarat goes as low as 1.06%.
Riverwind's own craps figures differ too, at 1.40% in its table and 1.41% in the text, and Action Network says 1.41%. I read these gaps as differences in rules and rounding, not as errors.
The takeaway is that a quoted edge is a figure for one rule set. Blackjack shows it clearly, with Riverwind giving 0.5% to 1% for single deck and 0.6% to 1.5% for multi-deck, and noting that dealer-stands-on-soft-17, late surrender and friendly doubling rules lower it further.
Turning Percentages Into Dollars
A percentage on its own is hard to feel. The usable version is expected loss per hour, which is bet size times bets per hour times house edge.
Rollbit's Lightning Roulette example uses a 97.10% RTP, so a 2.9% edge. At a $10 bet, 10 bets an hour and a 0.029 edge, the expected loss is $2.90 an hour.
That also means pace matters as much as edge. Hypothetically, a 2% edge played at 10 bets an hour costs less than a 1% edge played at 30 bets an hour, so a "better" game can still cost you more per hour if it's faster.
What Neither Number Tells You
Is a 96% RTP slot a promise that $100 comes back as $96? No, it's an average across a vast number of spins that no individual player will ever reach. A single session can end well above or far below that figure, and the casino is the only party that plays enough rounds to see the average.
The number that describes those swings is volatility. Bettoblock explains that high-volatility games pay larger amounts less often, while low-volatility games pay smaller amounts more often.
Two slots can share a 96% RTP and feel completely different. One drips small wins for an hour, and the other goes quiet and then pays big or not at all.
Some games also carry a range of RTP inside a single title. Rollbit lists Crazy Time at 94.41% to 96.08%, Mega Ball at 95.05% to 95.40%, and Monopoly at 91.03% to 96.23%. The bet you pick moves the number, so check the figure for your bet and not the headline.
Can You Trust the Published Figure?
Digital games run on random number generators, which Bettoblock says regulatory bodies test and certify. The published RTP is the theoretical figure those tests are meant to confirm.
At crypto casinos the question gets sharper, because "provably fair" means something narrower than most players assume. I'd read this breakdown of what you can and can't verify before treating a fairness badge as proof of RTP.
For third-party games, Rollbit says the RTP sits behind the question mark button at the top right, under "Return to Player." Most lobbies bury it in a similar info screen, and it's worth the ten seconds.
Common Mistakes
- Treating RTP as a session promise. It's a long-run average, so judge a session by your stake and volatility, not by whether it "hit" 96%.
- Comparing slot RTP to blackjack edge without strategy. The 0.5% blackjack figure assumes optimal play, and Rollbit's Blackjack VIP M ranges from 95.9% to 99.29% RTP depending on strategy.
- Ignoring side bets. Action Network advises avoiding bad-value side bets, and the table-game figures show why. Three Card Poker runs 3.4% to 7.2% and Let It Ride 3.50%, against under 1.5% for a basic blackjack hand.
- Believing a system changes the maths. Bet progressions reshuffle when you win and lose, but they can't alter the edge on each bet.
Responsible Gambling
Both numbers describe a cost. If you're chasing losses, staking more than you planned, or feeling unable to stop, that's the sign to step back.
Deposit limits, time-outs and self-exclusion are available in the account settings of licensed operators, and using them early is easier than using them late.
FAQs About House Edge and RTP
Is a higher RTP always better?
For the same bet, yes, because more of your stake comes back on average. A high-RTP, high-volatility slot can still burn through a bankroll faster than a lower-RTP, gentler one.
Can the house edge ever be zero?
Not on a whole game. Riverwind lists the craps odds bet at 0%, but it only exists alongside a Pass or Don't Pass bet that carries about 1.4%.
Does the house edge mean I'll lose that percentage of my bankroll?
No, it applies to money wagered, not money deposited. Betting $10 a hundred times at 2.7% puts $1,000 through the game and costs about $27 in expectation, though you may be up or down a lot more along the way.
Why does one game show a range of RTP figures?
Because the figure depends on the bet or the strategy. Rollbit's Crazy Time spans 94.41% to 96.08%, and blackjack's range reflects how well you play the hand.
Where do I find a game's RTP?
Open the game's info or help screen, which is where most lobbies publish it. At Rollbit that's the question mark at the top right, then "Return to Player." If you can't find it, I'd treat that as a reason to ask before you play.
The Number to Keep in Your Pocket
If you're on a slot or a game show, read the RTP for the specific game and bet, subtract it from 100 and call that your cost per dollar wagered. If you're at a table, look up the edge for your exact rules and your own strategy, because the headline figure assumes you play well.
Pick by expected loss per hour. A 0.5% game at a punishing pace can cost more than a 2.7% game you play slowly, and the casino is fine with either.
Photo: Riverwind Casino (all rights reserved)