Payout rates vary enormously by game type. Table games, video poker, and select slots all offer significantly better returns than the average casino game. Here is a complete breakdown of the highest-paying game categories and the specific games within each that give you the best mathematical odds.
Video Poker: The Highest RTP in the Casino
Video poker is the highest-paying game category available at UK online casinos, and it is consistently underrated by players who stick to slots. With the right strategy, video poker titles can approach or exceed 99% RTP.
Jacks or Better is the most widely available video poker variant and the best starting point for new players. Full-pay versions (9/6 Jacks or Better, referring to the payout for a full house and flush respectively) offer 99.54% RTP when played with optimal strategy. This means the house edge is under half a percent. No slot comes close to this figure.
Deuces Wild takes it even further. Full-pay versions of Deuces Wild offer an RTP of up to 100.76% with correct strategy, which technically gives the player a mathematical edge over the house. These versions are rare and casinos that offer them at high stakes typically do so because very few players play with genuinely optimal strategy in practice.
The catch with video poker is the strategy requirement. Unlike slots where every spin is equally valid, video poker requires you to make correct hold decisions on every hand. An incorrect hold significantly reduces your effective RTP. If you want to capture the full benefit of video poker's high payout rates, spend time learning basic Jacks or Better strategy before playing for real money. It is not complicated, but it does require some initial effort.
Blackjack: The Best RTP of Any Table Game
Single deck blackjack with optimal strategy can reach 99.5% RTP. Even multi-deck versions, which are more common online, offer around 99% RTP when played correctly using basic strategy. No other table game in the standard casino library matches this.
The key phrase is "with optimal strategy." Blackjack RTP figures assume you are making the mathematically correct decision on every hand: when to hit, stand, double down, split, or surrender. Play by feel instead of strategy and your effective RTP can drop to 97% or below as errors compound over hundreds of hands.
The good news is that blackjack basic strategy is not difficult to learn. A basic strategy chart covers every possible combination of your hand and the dealer's upcard. You look up your situation, follow the recommendation, and over time your results will closely match the theoretical RTP.
Rules to look for when choosing a blackjack game: dealer stands on soft 17 (better for player), double after split allowed, late surrender available, played with fewer decks. Rules to avoid: dealer hits on soft 17, no resplitting allowed, continuous shuffle machines on live dealer games.
Avoid insurance and side bets at blackjack. Insurance is a side wager on whether the dealer has a natural blackjack when showing an ace. The house edge on insurance is around 7%, making it one of the worst bets in the casino regardless of what you think about the dealer's hand. Side bets like Perfect Pairs and 21+3 look attractive but carry house edges of 5% to 10%.
Baccarat: High RTP With No Strategy Required
Baccarat is the simplest high-payout game in the casino. There are three bets: Player, Banker, and Tie. The optimal strategy requires no decision-making beyond which bet to place, because there are no choices to make during play.
Bet on the Banker. That is the entire strategy. The Banker bet carries a 1.06% house edge, equivalent to 98.94% RTP. Even after the standard 5% commission on Banker wins, it remains the best bet on the table. The Player bet has a 1.24% house edge (98.76% RTP). The Tie bet, despite its attractive 8:1 payout, has a house edge of around 14%. Never bet the Tie in standard baccarat.
No Commission Baccarat changes the payout structure to eliminate the Banker commission while adjusting wins on certain hands to maintain the house edge. The resulting RTP is very similar to standard baccarat, typically around 98.94%. It makes the game faster and simpler to play without significantly affecting the odds.
Lightning Baccarat from Evolution Gaming introduces multipliers on randomly selected card values each round, which can produce much larger wins than standard baccarat. The RTP remains close to standard levels (around 98.77%), so you get the multiplier potential without significantly sacrificing the underlying odds.
Roulette: Choose Your Variant Carefully
Roulette RTP varies dramatically depending on which version you play. The differences are created by the number of zeros on the wheel, and the presence or absence of player-friendly rules.
French Roulette with the La Partage rule offers 98.65% RTP. La Partage means that if the ball lands on zero, even-money bets (red/black, odd/even, high/low) receive half their stake back rather than losing entirely. This single rule halves the house edge on even-money bets compared to standard European Roulette.
European Roulette has a single zero and 97.30% RTP. This is the standard version available at the vast majority of UK online casinos. It is a perfectly reasonable choice and significantly better than American Roulette.
American Roulette has two zeros (0 and 00), which raises the house edge to 5.26% and drops the RTP to 94.74%. For UK players with access to European and French versions, there is no mathematical reason to play American Roulette. Avoid it.
Lightning Roulette from Evolution Gaming has a 97.30% RTP on standard number bets but introduces randomly multiplied numbers on each spin. The multipliers create the possibility of wins up to 500x your stake on a straight up number, but the base RTP is identical to European Roulette.
Slots: How to Find the High Payout Versions
The average RTP for slots at UK slot sites is around 96%. The best slots exceed 98%. The worst fall below 94%. Choosing between them makes a meaningful difference to how long your money lasts and how much you can expect back over time.
Here are the key things to check when selecting a slot for its payout value.
Look for the RTP in the game information panel, usually accessible by clicking the information or settings icon within the game. A slot with 97% or higher RTP is a strong choice. Anything below 95% should give you pause unless you have a specific reason to play it.
Check whether the stated RTP applies to the base game or only in a bonus round or specific mode. Some games like Mega Joker have different RTP profiles depending on the mode you play in. Mega Joker has 76.9% RTP in its standard base mode and 99% RTP in its Supermeter mode, which is triggered by filling a meter in the base game. If you are playing Mega Joker for the 99% RTP, you need to be in the Supermeter mode to benefit from it.
Check that the version deployed at your specific casino is the high RTP version. As discussed above, some games exist in multiple RTP configurations. The game RTP panel within the specific casino instance will show you the exact version you are playing.
Craps: Strong Odds on the Right Bets
Craps is not widely available at UK online casinos but is worth mentioning because it offers some of the best player odds in the casino when you stick to the right bets. The Pass Line bet carries a 1.41% house edge (98.59% RTP). Adding free odds bets behind the Pass Line, which carry zero house edge, brings your combined effective RTP close to 99% depending on the odds multiple.
The key with craps is to limit yourself to Pass Line, Don't Pass, Come, and Don't Come bets, and to take the maximum free odds offered. The proposition bets and hardways in the centre of the table carry house edges of 10% or more and should be ignored entirely.
.webp)
