Best Payout Casinos in the UK

RTP, Variance, and House Edge 

RTP, variance and house edge are important terms for new players to understand in order to gauge their chances of winning, and we’ll explore these in detail below.

RTP

The Return to Player percentage (RTP) of a slot game is the amount paid back to players over a certain — usually very high — number of games. As a simple example, a slot with an RTP of 95% can be expected to pay out, on average, £95 for every £100 that goes in. 

You may be thinking this means that if a player were to play 100 spins of £1 each, they would win £95 in total. However, because the RTP is calculated across a high number of spins, millions or more, there is no guarantee the player will win at all, especially over shorter play sessions. 

The bottom line? The slot is programmed to pay out the RTP percentage of money that players put into it over an infinite number of spins. As a general rule, a higher RTP is more favourable to the player, but it’s also important to consider the variance of the game to understand how an RTP will translate into a more tangible payout rate. 

Variance

The simplest way to think about variance is that it’s an indication of the frequency of wins across a given number of spins. A game with lower variance will pay out more frequently but these payouts will be smaller. The reverse applies to a game with higher variance — the payout rate will be lower but the value of the payouts will be higher. 

When you combine the variance of a game with its RTP, you get a clearer picture when it comes to your chances of winning. While a game may have a high RTP, if it also has a high variance, you’ll get returns less often and the majority of the RTP will be concentrated in a few big wins. If the variance is lower, your chances of winning will be higher but the rewards won’t be as large.

RTP and variance are no guarantee of winning any amount of money, but they can help you to pick a slot best-suited to your play style. For example, someone who will be hitting the reels for longer sessions might prefer a higher variance as they’ll have more opportunities for a big win spread across a large number of spins. On the other hand, some players may prefer a higher chance of a smaller win with each spin. 

You should always remember that slots are volatile by nature, and there’s a risk you may not receive any payout, no matter the RTP or variance of the game. 

House Edge

It’s likely you’ve heard the phrase “the house always wins”, but what does it really mean? Simply put, there’s an advantage built into casino games that allows the casino to make money, and this is called the house edge. Every casino game will have some amount of house edge and — similar to RTP — a player can use it to get a sense of how much the game pays back over time. 

The house edge varies between games, but can also be affected by different conditions within a specific game. Take Hold’em poker — the house edge can change depending on a player’s strategy. 

The simplest example of a game with a fixed house edge is roulette. In European roulette with a single ‘0’ pocket, the player has a 1/36 chance of winning a bet on any given number but a win will only pay out 35 to 1. Mathematically, this means the house has an edge of 2.7%.

Knowing the house edge across different games can help a player identify which ones are going to give the best returns on their bets, as games with a lower house edge will pay out more over time. With some casino games, the house edge can also be minimised through skill and strategy, but it’s usually impossible to eliminate it entirely.

Games at the Best Payout Casinos 

The best payout online casinos feature many different games, and which ones you play will affect your chances of winning. Below, we’ll outline the different considerations when it comes to payout percentages.

Slots

When seeking slot games with a good payout rate, the RTP and variance are helpful indicators. Look for games with a high RTP — 95% is a good starting point, but the higher you go, the more the slot pays out over time. With variance, think about whether you’d prefer to see more frequent smaller wins or rarer but larger payouts. 

The number of reels and how many paylines you play with each spin will also affect your chance of winning. You can minimise the house edge by playing the maximum possible paylines.

Table Games

Not all table games are created equal when it comes to payout rate. The house edge varies between games and can also be affected by a player’s skill and strategy. 

The house edge in single-deck blackjack starts at around 0.5%, assuming favourable rules and use of basic strategy by the player. The more decks in play, the greater the house advantage. Be aware of other rules too, such as whether the dealer must hit or stand on soft 17.

With roulette, French and European have the lowest house edge. Due to variations in rules, French comes in lowest at 1.35% with European at 2.7%. The addition of the ‘00’ pocket in American roulette increases the house edge to 5.26%, almost double that of European. 

Baccarat is a game where house edge is heavily affected by a player’s actions. With savvy play, the edge can be minimised to 1.01% in a single-deck game, which means strategies such as backing the banker and never taking the tie bet. 

Craps is another game with a variable house edge, ranging all the way from 0% to 13.9% depending on the bets you make and the odds offered.

Video Poker

Players can come close to defeating the house edge in video poker, bringing it close to 0% or even better. Get familiar with the different games on offer, as certain strategies can even lead to the player gaining an advantage over the house in particular games. Payouts can vary too. If you can, put in some practice without staking any real money first. 

Live Casino

Live casino games are immersive experiences where the games are streamed live to your device from studios and land-based casinos. The house edge depends on your choice of game.

Best Payout Casino Bonuses 

Many online casinos offer bonuses to attract players to their platform, and these should be considered when looking for the best online casinos for payouts. Casino welcome bonuses are a great way for new customers to get to grips with a site, and we’ll cover some of the popular ones below. 

As usual with any online gambling offer, terms and conditions will vary and it’s important to read them to be sure the bonus is as good as it seems. There are often high wagering requirements which make it unlikely you’ll be able to withdraw any cash won as a result of a casino bonus offer, although some online casinos tout no wagering requirements as part of their offering.

Matched Deposits

A matched deposit bonus is exactly as it sounds — when you make a deposit to your online casino account, the casino will match the amount of the deposit. The match could be 100%, but other popular amounts are 50% and 200%. There’s almost always a limit on the maximum match bonus, too.

Imagine an online casino offering a 100% deposit match bonus up to £100. A player who deposits £100 will then receive a bonus credit of £100 to use towards play, giving them a total balance of £200. If they deposit more than £100, the bonus will be capped and the player will receive a maximum deposit match bonus of £100. 

Bonus funds are usually segregated from real money and are subject to specific wagering requirements before they can be withdrawn, so make sure you check beforehand. For example, a £20 bonus with a 10x wager requirement must be played through 10 times before any cash can be withdrawn — this means wagering £200 total on eligible games. 

Free Spins

Whether you’re an experienced online slots player or looking to try it for the first time, free spins offer a risk-free way to try out certain slot games and learn how they work. 

How many free spins you get will depend upon the specific casino and bonus. They can be triggered by different things, such as depositing or betting a certain amount. They may also be given as a reward for playing on the site. They’re frequently combined with deposit match bonuses too. Bear in mind that wagering requirements will often apply to your free spins winnings.

No Deposit Bonuses

If you want to try out an online casino before you commit to depositing real money, keep your eyes out for no deposit bonuses. These are a specific type of bonus where players are given credit upon signing up — usually in the form of free spins — without having to make a deposit.

Payment Options 

Once you’ve picked one of the best payout online casino sites, you’ll likely want to know how you can deposit and withdraw funds. There are a few ways common to all online casinos, and we’ll explore some options below. Online casinos usually take some time — up to 48 hours — to process withdrawal requests, so bear that in mind when considering the speed of different payment methods. 

Debit Cards

With the ubiquity of debit cards today, it’s no surprise this is one of the most popular and widely available methods for both deposits and withdrawals. All you have to do is enter your card details and the deposit amount, and you’re good to go. Funds are usually available to the player straight away, because the bank authorises the payment at the time of transaction.

Withdrawals are just as easy. Oftentimes, card details can be saved from the deposit process and so a withdrawal request can be made to the same card, generally with no fee for the player. One drawback to debit card withdrawals is that it can take 3–5 days for funds to reach your account after the casino processes your request. This could mean up to a week in total. 

e-Wallets

An easy way to transfer funds to and from your online casino account is with an e-wallet. There are many available, with varying degrees of support. PayPal, Skrill, and Neteller are three popular e-wallets you’re likely to find across casino sites, and are usually fee-free.

When making payments online, security is at the front of many people’s minds, and e-wallets are a great option in this regard. As your card or bank information is stored securely with your e-wallet account, you only need the account login to make a deposit to an online casino. 

Another advantage of e-wallets comes with the speed of withdrawal, which can be near instant once the casino has processed your request to cash out. 

Prepaid Cards

Depositing via a prepaid card works much the same as with a debit card. The difference with prepaid cards is they must be topped up in advance. This makes them a great way to control your spending and adds an additional layer of security, as they’re not tied to your bank account and can’t be overdrawn. A particularly popular prepaid system is Paysafecard, which consists of vouchers you can purchase using cash in retailers. The voucher value is then transferred to your casino account by entering a PIN. The main drawback here is that withdrawals are generally not supported.

Pay by Phone Bill

Some online casinos offer players an ability to pay with their mobile phone, either through the airtime credit on their account or directly via their contract. Withdrawals via your phone bill aren’t available, but deposits through pay by phone bill purveyors like Boku are usually very quick. Keep in mind that many mobile carriers place limits on this payment method, so it may not be suitable for larger deposits.

Get Started with a Best Payout Casino 

Now you know what to look for when finding a best payout online casino, why not browse our recommended sites? You can compare the bonuses on offer and sign up for the sites that look good to you.