SlotSlot RTP versions: why the same game can pay less
By the SlotMystery team. Updated .
The same slot can run at different RTPs at different casinos. Providers build several versions of a game and the casino chooses which one to install. The game looks and plays the same. Only the long-run return changes.
Pragmatic Play’s game pages show one RTP. Hacksaw Gaming’s page for Wanted Dead or a Wild lists four, which makes it the clearest example.
Four versions of one game
Hacksaw Gaming’s game page for Wanted Dead or a Wild lists four RTPs. Here is what each one costs over the long run, for 100 spins at a 1.00 stake:
| RTP version | Average cost per 100 spins at 1.00 |
|---|---|
| 96.38% | 3.62 |
| 94.55% | 5.45 |
| 92.33% | 7.67 |
| 88.42% | 11.58 |
RTPs from the Hacksaw Gaming game page, read 25 October 2026. Costs are our calculation: 100 staked minus the share returned.
At the lowest version, the average cost is a little over three times the cost at the highest. The game screen does not show which version is running until you open the game’s information.
Why casinos choose lower versions
A lower RTP means a higher house edge on every spin. A casino can install the provider’s default or a lower version.
This is why we label every RTP on SlotMystery as the provider’s default. It is the figure the provider publishes, not a promise of what your casino runs.
Defaults we have recorded
Pragmatic Play shows one RTP on each game page, which we treat as the default. Pragmatic Play’s game pages do not list lower versions, so we cannot show them.
| Slot | Default RTP |
|---|---|
| Gates of Olympus | 96.50% |
| Gates of Olympus 1000 | 96.50% |
| Sweet Bonanza | 96.48% |
| Sugar Rush | 96.50% |
See the full list in the slot data table.
How to check which version your casino runs
- Open the game at your casino.
- Find the information, help or paytable screen. It is usually behind an “i” or menu icon.
- Look for “RTP” or “return to player”. Note the figure.
- Compare it with the provider’s default on the game’s SlotMystery data file.
If the in-game figure is lower, you are playing a lower version. You can look for the same game at a casino that runs the default.
FAQ
Is a lower RTP version a different game?
The features, symbols and look are the same. The maths behind the long-run return is different.
Can I see the RTP before I deposit?
Not always. Where a casino lets you open a game before you deposit, check its information screen. Otherwise check it after you sign up and before you stake.
Why does Hacksaw Gaming list four RTPs?
Hacksaw does not say why on the game page. With four versions public, you can see where your casino’s version sits against the default.
Written by the SlotMystery team. SlotMystery is a brand voice. Pages are written and checked by the site team, not by a named individual.