Best Payout Casinos

Casino payout ratios are such an important factor when choosing an online casino, a factor that's mostly overlooked and rarely taken into consideration by the vast majority of online slots and table games players. Most players will find the allure of a big welcome bonus, a free casino chip, or similar offer to be the deciding factor when choosing a place to play, or even something as simple as they like the look and feel of a casino, however payout ratios do indeed matter, but what exactly are they?

The casino payout ratio is quite simply the amount paid out by the casino against the amount of wagers made, and it's almost always expressed as a percentage. Surprisingly, most good online casinos will have a payout ratio upwards of 90%, however when you take a look at the RTP, or Return to Player ratio, and the house edge of most slots and casino games, it makes much more sense as to why the casino payout ratio is high.

Casino Payout Ratios, House Edge and RTP

It's important to understand the difference between the RTP (Return to Player ratio), casino payout ratio and house edge, as while the RTP and house edge are figures derived from specific games, the casino payout ratio comes from the casino as a whole...

• RTP - The Return to Player ratio is the amount, expressed as a percentage, that any given game will payout, and it differs quite dramatically from game to game. Lottery games for example have a considerably low RTP of around 60%, however online slots average around 96% and blackjack when played with optimal strategy garners an RTP of around 99%.
• House Edge - The odds are always in favor of the house, right? Well yes, but not to the extent that many players believe. The house edge is basically the profit the casino can expect to make from any single game, and again it differs depending on the game with blackjack for example providing around a 2% house edge. This differs significantly from roulette where the casino can expect a ´cut´ or house edge of around 5%, and slots which vary depending on the type of slot with anywhere between 3 and 10% being the norm.

In a nutshell, the RTP and house edge are games based, and the casino payout ratio is casino based, and it's well worth noting that there's plenty of transparency as to these numbers with all online slots and table games clearly stating their RTP within the info or help section of the game itself, in fact, online casino governing bodies, ensure this is the case.

Choosing A Fair Casino

It should go without saying that all players should opt for a casino that is regulated, has provably fair games and has a good reputation when it comes to paying players and while Industry governing bodies and licensing authorities are in place to ensure fairness and transparency, word of mouth and casino review sites also help to create a fairer environment. If a casino is either not paying its players or is providing games that simply never payout, word soon spreads, and that casino doesn't last long, as for a casino to have any payout ratio at all, it does of course need deposits, and players placing their bets!

There are many online casino licensing bodies that test games, audit casinos and ensure fairness. The Malta Gaming Authority, Kahnawake Gaming Commission, the Curacao E-Gaming Authority and the United Kingdom Gaming Commission all help in creating a fair and transparent gaming environment and it would do players well to ensure that their casino of choice is regulated. There are also independent games testing organizations such as eCOGRA and Gaming Labs International that check games fairness and RTP ratios, and importantly make this information public, with anyone being able to check out their findings. We do however live in a time of player power, and, as mentioned, bad actors with zero transparency and a reputation for providing low payout ratios and slow or no payments to players simply don't last long.

Payouts and Bankroll Management

While all of the best online casinos are regulated, provide transparency as to their slots and games RTP and provide provably fair casino gaming, it is of course up to the player to manage their bankroll effectively. Blackjack, for example, has a high RTP of around 99% when played correctly, however that doesn't mean you're guaranteed to win 99% of the time and it absolutely doesn't mean that should you deposit $100 that your minimum win will be $99! The RTP is derived from thousands of hands spread over long periods of time and over many tables. The same applies to slots, as while the average slot may have an RTP of 96%, with enough spinning and a little bad luck a $100 deposit could be lost quickly, on the other hand, you could hit the jackpot or a big special bonus round on your very first spin and more than x100 your deposit...again, the RTP is based on huge amounts of spins of the reels.

Most players of course understand this and also know the importance of bankroll management, that house edge comes into play and that it's up to them to know when to stop. Blackjack Player A for example could deposit $100 and after an hours play be left with $50, while player B could deposit that same $100, hit a winning streak and within an hour have $1,000, and it has to be remembered that the RTP is a macro view of long periods of many hands and it's always up to the player to manage money efficiently.

Casinos with Good Reputations Regarding Fairness and Payouts

Luckily for today's real money slots and casino games players certain standards have been set. Regulatory bodies, review sites and social media means word travels fast and that's bad news for the bad actors, however it's great news for those casinos that provide an all round safe and fair environment in which to play, and a few casinos that make the grade across the board are worth pointing out...

• Bovada Casino - Bovada has stood the test of time and has been online for over a decade, and that alone tells a story. It's consistently rated as a top US online casino and it also provides a live dealer casino, sportsbook and racebook as well as a whole world of promotions and bonuses. The mobile platform is industry leading and runs on all devices and the casino is licensed by the Curacao Gaming Authority.
• Ignition Casino - Ignition Casino is a respected and trusted online casino that provides a tremendous selection of online slots and table games with a great reputation for fast payouts and good customer support. Fully licensed and regulated it also offers a popular poker room as well as more than enough promotions and bonuses.
• BetOnline - BetOnline is again, a great place to play that has been online for many years, in fact it's provided great action for casino players and sports betting fans for over 25 years and that really does say a whole lot about it. With a great reputation for fast payouts and also being one of the first online casinos to welcome bitcoin, BetOnline has consistently provided a great all round offering and is noted for providing a great player experience. Great support, wide ranging banking options and a world of casino games means it's managed to stay popular for over two decades and there aren't many online gaming operations that can compete with that pedigree.
• Drake Casino - Fully licensed and regulated, Drake is an extremely popular stand alone casino and on top of having a great reputation for fast payouts it also stands out due to the amount of slots it provides. That's down to the fact that Drake is home to the full selections of Betsoft slots and games, Rival Gaming slots and Arrow's Edge slots too, and yet another stand out feature of this modern instant play and mobile casino are the superb slots tournaments.
• Fair Go Casino - A mention has to be made to a top Australian online casino, that of Fair Go. A pokie players paradise that mixes up huge amounts of bonus cash and great player rewards, Fair Go is fully licensed and delivers fast payouts, great support and arguably just as importantly, it gets consistently great player reviews.

There have been many positive developments over the last few years that have changed the casino payouts landscape and the way players deposit and withdraw, and of course the biggest one of those developments is crypto, more specifically bitcoin, and it's no surprise that each of the casinos mentioned above were quick to adopt bitcoin as a preferred banking option. It's now the case that many of the world's best online casinos are seeing the vast majority of deposits, and therefore payouts are in bitcoin, and this is for many reasons.

The Changing Face of Casino Payouts

There's absolutely no doubt that bitcoin has shaken things up in the world of casino payouts, and all for the good. With no third parties required and each transaction easily traced it's now the case that many of the world's biggest online casinos are seeing upwards of 80% of their players using this convenient option, and it's alleviated the need for expensive credit card processing, reduced payout waiting times dramatically and created a much smoother experience for both the player, and the casino.

In years gone by players could see waiting times of weeks while bank transfers were being made or while money was being returned to credit or debit cards however this is no longer the case. Bitcoin has empowered both the player, and the casino to make payments on their own terms and it's absolutely no surprise at all that many casinos with the fastest payouts, simply use bitcoin. It also provides more transparency, as each BTC transaction can be found on the bitcoin blockchain and there's no doubt it has a huge part to play in all modern online casinos.

We're now at a time where many casinos will no longer offer bank transfers and e-wallets for many are becoming a thing of the past, and it's thanks to many online casinos who are actively educating and encouraging players to use this faster, more transparent option and surely that's a massive plus point for the industry as a whole, in fact blockchain tech in general will indeed play a big role moving forward.

Blockchain and Web3 Casinos

There's also a new breed of online casino in the pipeline, where each game has all results stored immutably on a blockchain and all payments made in crypto. This again hugely advances transparency and although the tech is new, it doesn't mean to say that the actual brand, or places you'll be playing will have to be as the tech is adopted on the gaming side of things without those changes being noticeable as far as gameplay or branding. For example, playing slots at Bovada will still provide the same experience and the actual slots themselves will be the same, however the results of each spin or jackpot payout will be stored and then able to be checked out in a different way, with the main changes being how players deposit and collect their winnings. It's fair to say that players using crypto for casino deposits and payouts and having discovered the speed and transparency of those interactions, would probably never choose to go back to depositing using a credit card and then waiting however long it takes for a withdrawal to be processed!

In Conclusion

It's becoming increasingly obvious to regular slots and games players that crypto has a large part to play in online casino money movement, with even casino affiliate programs and the majority of third party providers also realizing this. That's not to say debit card transactions will disappear, not at all, but what it does mean is that players now have a better choice. It does seem to send a farewell note to many e-wallets however and it looks like we're seeing the end of many of these types of providers, who, it's fair to say, provided an alternative to traditional banking options for a while, but in reality were middle men that are really no longer required.

Instant money in and fast payouts are what players really want and of course, debit and credit card processing isn't free. If a casino can cut costs by offering better payment options they'll surely try and implement them, and if those newer payment options also suit the player, then it's a win win situation which is pretty hard to beat. Predicting the future of casino payments is of course tricky, however tech is always the driving factor and the tech points to more of a tokenomics type of future, with less third parties and middle men, more P2P and that means better value all round.