When beginners seek recommendations on casino games, experts often advise choosing high-payout games. These games, with a high Return to Player (RTP), trigger winning symbols more frequently.
Historically, blackjack has had the best payout rate with a 99% RTP, while European roulette offers 97.3% RTP compared to American roulette’s 94.8%.
In the early days, casino payouts were inconsistent due to minimal regulation. Over time, advancements in technology and stricter regulations have led to more transparent and consistent payout structures.
Today, casino platforms offering high payout rates ensure fair play and better winning opportunities.
In this article, we’ll take you down memory lane to discuss the evolution of online gambling winnings. Did players win more in the past? Have slots become more generous over time? And how have higher payout rates enhanced the gaming experience at modern online casinos?
Classic Slots—Low Casino Payouts
Classic slots are the original versions of slot machines after the industry went online in the mid-1990s. Back then, people were just happy to play their favorite slots on a desktop computer.
The games had simple graphics and three reels on average. Most of them had familiar fruit and poker suit symbols. A few had random jackpots. When it came to payouts, slots were mean.
We’re talking about an 80% to 90% RTP on some slots. A low RTP lowers the probability of triggering winning symbols. It also reduces people’s interest in a game.
After a few years of providing mean slots in the ‘90s, online casinos discovered they could attract more customers with better games. And so, they created video slots.
Video Slots—Moderate and High Payouts
Video slots are arguably the best slots to play. It doesn’t matter if you’re a newbie or an experienced gambler. If you like to win, video slots give you the best odds. At top-tier casinos, the best games have a 96% to 98% payout rate.
The best casinos have hundreds of high-payout video slots. Think of Starburst, Blood Suckers, Hellcatraz, Dice Bonanza, Money Train 3, and every other trending slot out there. Most top-rated slot machines are video slots.
What makes video slots stand out from the competition? Besides the high payouts, video slots have engaging features like wilds, scatters, multipliers, and reel modifiers.
Wilds replace symbols on the screen with winning symbols. When this happens, your chance of winning increases dramatically. Scatters appear in the bonus round and usually help you earn free spins. Multipliers magnify your profits while reel modifiers increase the maximum you can win drastically.
Progressive Jackpots: High Gambling Winnings
Casino jackpot winnings have been increasing over time. In the early days of online gambling, jackpots used to pay a few thousand or tens of thousands of dollars. If you were lucky, you could win $100,000.
In 2006, Microgaming created Mega Moolah and gambling winnings increased tremendously. Mega Moolah is a progressive slot with four jackpot modes: Mini, Minor, Major, and the MEGA Jackpot.
To qualify for any jackpot, you just need to play the game. Mega Moolah selects random players and adds them to its jackpots. In 2021, a lucky Belgium gambler won a life-changing $23.6 million from the game.
Historically, jackpot payouts have been increasing. Before the record-breaking windfall of 2021, the biggest online casino jackpot was last won in 2018. Some had hit a $23.5M windfall in Mega Moolah.
In 2015, a British ex-soldier held the record for the biggest iGaming record at the time with a $17.2M jackpot. He had also won his money from Mega Moolah. The biggest online jackpot triumph not paid out by Mega Moolah was a $21M jackpot on the game Mega Fortune. A Finnish bettor hit the jackpot in 2013.
Table Games
Have RNG table games changed over time? The short answer is that table games have changed drastically. For starters, most casinos offer blackjack, roulette, and poker in a live format.
When it comes to payouts, most games have maintained their original payouts. Take roulette as an example. European roulette has always had a 2.7% house advantage. Blackjack has also maintained its 1-2% house edge over the years.
The only table games with better payouts are new variations. For example, lightning roulette can pay up to 500x your stake. But let’s make it clear. It has a 2.7% casino edge. It just pays you more money if you’re lucky to hit its winning numbers.
Although table games have not lowered their house advantage, they’re still incredibly popular. The explanation is that these games have transformed in other ways, especially graphics quality, rules, and gaming platforms.
The standard online casino now offers table games in a live dealer version. By using video streaming technology, casinos can link up a blackjack player with a human dealer. The experience is immersive, realistic, and engaging.
Overall Casino Games—Rising Winnings
There has never been a better time to play casino games. Not only can you play your favorite games on a smartphone, but also you have a realistic chance of winning.
If you love slot machines, find a casino with a 96-98% payout rate. Choose the best-paying games and claim any bonuses you can find. You may not win every time you gamble. However, the odds of winning will be great.
If you’re a table games fan, the secret has always been to lower the house advantage. Let’s say you love blackjack. You can lower the game’s advantage by following a proven strategy. Or, you can use house money (bonuses) to minimize your losses.
Another way to improve your profitability is to pick games with fair rules. In blackjack, choose a casino that pays 3:2 and not 6:5. If you like poker, pick Texas Hold’em or any other variation with friendly rules.
Your Turn
Online casino gaming keeps improving. First, developers transformed graphics, features, and mobile support. Then they improved the payout rates. Now, you can play slots with 98% or 99% payout rates. If you’re lucky, you could win millions of dollars from a jackpot.
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