Game reviews with RTP in focus

Land Based vs. Online Slots

The good news is that the best RTP slots are found online and most users who transition from brick and mortar casinos to online slot games soon start to realise that online slot games are a lot bigger and better, at least in terms of max wins and RTP’s. Although the gambling world is full of myths, fables, and wrong beliefs, this isn’t one of them. Online slot games do, in fact, play and pay better in a very large majority of cases. Most online slots, even if it’s the exact same title that is found in a brick and mortar venue, have significantly higher RTP. Slots in brick and mortar casinos are usually set to return anywhere from 72% to 90%, with very few casino games ever going over 92%. 

Rule of thumb: RTP >96%

Online slots that are under 95% are usually considered a no-go and the newer generation slots typically have RTP of +96%. This number is often considered the industry’s standard average. Everything of 96% or above is considered okay, everything below is generally seen as potentially risky, jackpot slots being the sole exception as they can trigger prizes of up to millions of dollars. 

Online slot games come with way better RTP

Don’t get us wrong, this isn’t some brick and mortar casino conspiracy kind of theory. We truly adore land based casinos and we’re pretty confident we’ve been in more physical casino venues than most people in Canada. This doesn’t change the fact though that online slots offer way better value for money. The main reason why games in land based are set to return considerably less is because brick and mortar casinos are a lot more limited in physical space. This explains why they have to make more money from land based slot machines placed on their land based gaming floors to keep up with their expenses. Online casino websites, on the flip side, can have thousands of titles readily available for play at any given time with no physical restrictions in their way. This is why they can afford to offer games with significantly higher RTP and even come up with free play in the demo mode, widely available at all casinos recommended by Vernons.

Before you make your first spin

Of course, you should always take into consideration that only the very best slot sites offer high payout casino games from which you should definitely take advantage as a player. Finding a slot with a high RTP is quite a challenge, but another one is to pay attention to the other features that come with a slot game. Below you’ll find some of the other factors that can affect the eventual RTP of your preferred game. 

• Trustworthy casinos: sticking to trustworthy casino websites is very important before you get engaged in all the action. As most people will play for real money it is always advisable to stick to the casinos recommended by Vernons as these are the ones that are available in Canada. 
• Bonuses: getting the most out of your experience by claiming free bonus money and free spins is another way to lower your risk and benefit from every free spin. In the end, this is why you’re seeking to stick to high RTP casino games. 
• Ranging RTP: this is getting more common, giving casinos the flexibility to offer the same game with a different, predefined set of RTP. This is something that needs to be verified before making your first spin. In our High RTP slots game reviews we will always mention whether the game is offered with an RTP range and what their exact numbers are.
• Feature buys: in an industry as fast-paced as the online casino market, players want results and they want it now. Feature buys makes players buy their way to the game’s bonus without the need to trigger it manually. Feature Buys, also referred to as Bonus Buys, Buy a Bonus, or Feature Drops, need to be bought by the player by paying an x-amount of the stake. Some feature buys come with different RTP. 

High RTP slots game reviews

The Return to Player percentage of a casino game is measured over thousands of game rounds, yet short term differences can occur. It, however, stands to reason that the higher the RTP, the better the deal for the player. With this in mind, we went ahead and created a list of the best online slots with the highest RTP.  This list has taken the RTP in focus, but also offers enough variety for those looking for different game themes and a nice range of providers. Make sure to check this list every now and then as we frequently add new games. We also suggest you read the individual game reviews to learn more about the best RTP games available for Canadian users. Let’s take a closer look at the best options.

For a game developer of this status, Book of Ra is a highly remarkable slot game that’s found its way to the catalogs of a large number of casino websites in Canada. Book of Ra was launched back in 2004 offering popular excellent gameplay and graphical artwork. The game metrics are also very interesting and a good way to decide if Book of Ra is the best option for you. With a well balanced math and chances of actually making massive wins, this game never fails in terms of excitement. Overall, it delivers a highly enjoyable gaming experience that is notable even now as it’s still widely available years after its launch. Book of Ra appeals to players who prefer a game that offers both authentic and modern elements. Even without an active bonus, the base game is still lots of fun, but once wild symbols, scatter symbols or other features make their way to the reels, the game really gets to business. 

Going strong since 2004

Book of Ra works with a 92,13% RTP, which is considerably lower than the 96% minimum RTP we addressed above. In addition to its low RTP, Book of Ra doesn’t have many extra features compared with other new slot machines. Somehow, it still manages to be considered a classic among the slot games available on the internet. Despite its drawbacks, Book of Ra is a slot game that is easy to play with a simple design and gives players a rather unique and engaging symbol that acts both as a wild and a scatter. Although it may not offer the max wins of its sequels and other Book-of-spin-offs that hit the market after Book of Ra, this slot machine still has plenty of stories to tell. Like a lot of the medium volatility games available, this slot game will give you a shot at collecting big prizes, but without getting too risky. As the RTP is in focus in our reviews, we do have to point out that the RTP of 92,13% is this game’s major downside as it’s a lot lower than the holy 96%. Despite its relatively low RTP, Book of Ra is considered one of online gambling all-time classics. It is often referred to as the very first Book of-title which caused a major buzz in the industry.

We’re sure Rich Wilde is Play’n Go’s and even one of the industry’s most likeable fictional expedition travellers which is largely thanks to the success of Book of Dead. In this internationally popular slot game, traveller Rich Wilde finds himself in one of his many adventures. This trip, his destination is found in the mythical tombs of a colourful pyramid. Finding the tombs will give both Rich Wilde and players major prizes so we’re already convinced the trip to Egypt is going to be worthwhile. Those that are familiar with the previously mentioned Book of Ra game will see the resemblance with Book of Ra, which is also one of the most popular adventurous slot machines of all time. Play’n Go was widely called a copy-cat after launching Book of Dead, but that doesn’t really take away from the fact that this is a very good slot game. Painters steal, artists steal, and so do slot makers apparently. Our focus is mainly on the quality of the game itself, and what it has to offer in terms of RTP. 

A casino legend standing at at 96,21% RTP

We don’t know about you, but an RTP of 96+ percent is one of our main criteria when choosing a casino game to play. Book Of Dead’s RTP stands at a comfortable 96,21% which we consider fine. This means that 96,21% of the bets made go towards the players’ pockets and the remaining 3,79% stands for the house edge. This is also how much the house, which usually is the casino you choose to play at, gets from your wagers. Brick and mortar casinos do the same with their own house edge, and even charge a lot more, so Book of Dead’s RTP should be evaluated as fine by most experienced players. Regarding its volatility, the Book Of Dead slot game sits steadily on the higher part of the variance spectrum. This means that wins come more sparsely than in medium or low variance games, but when they do, they come in bigger amounts. In reality, Book Of Dead responds just fine to having higher bets placed at it. This Play’n Go game seems to favour the bold when handing out wins, but your best bet is to start low or even play the free demo mode first before moving your way up. Play responsibly, even when the RTP is considered fine.

RTP ranges

Book of Dead from Play’n Go is a game that offers RTP ranges. RTP ranges is a game feature that gives online casinos the option to adjust RTP. For Book of Dead the RTP ranges at 96,21%, 94,25%, 91,25%, 87,25%, 84,18%. Make sure to check the RTP of the Book of Dead slot game at the casino before playing with real money. 

More about Book of Dead? Read Vernons’ Book of Dead review.

Adventure awaits players from all across Canada in this NetEnt classic. Join Gonzo, an offbeat Spanish explorer looking for El Dorado. With 3D graphics, excellent gameplay and the chance to always hit massive wins, Gonzo’s Quest slot is an all-time favourite among Canadian players. This NetEnt title was also the very first game to replace spinning reels with the Avalanche feature, which turned out to be a huge success in the field of slot games. With each win, the symbols on the reels explode and new ones find their way to the grid. This gives players the chance to hit numerous wins with a single spin while a win multiplier increases with each new Avalanche. This game was released quite some years ago, but it hasn’t lost any of its charm with players. As NetEnt’s first real premium game, it managed to raise the bar in terms of gameplay, features and visuals. The game’s cool intro immediately immerses you into the theme, as you join the funny looking conquistador on his way to the mythical city of gold, El Dorado. Considering its huge popularity, we’re sure you won’t struggle to find a casino site in Canada that offers Gonzo’s Quest. 

RTP on the average mark

Experienced casino fanaticos will already be familiar with the term RTP and all licenced casino websites and developers list these RTP in the game rules. The RTP is a good indicator of how lucrative it can be to play the game and the official Gonzo’s Quest RTP is set at 95,97% as published by developer NetEnt, but you will often find this percentage rounded to 96% in the game rules and even at casino platforms. It is, nevertheless, fair to say that NetEnt slot games fare pretty well against those from other developers, with pretty much all NetEnt productions exceeding 95%. It falls a lot closer to the highest end of the RTP scale than the lower end which we would set at lower than 95%. Gonzo’s Quest comes with a medium-high volatility and a max win of 3750x which are other excellent statistics if you ask us. 

As you’ve probably guessed yourself as well, the source of inspiration and game theme of the Dwarfs Gone Wild slot were found in Disney’s Snow White. In the course of time, different versions of the same story have evolved, but there are eight constant factors: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs that take care of her. This is why you’ll find the princess herself and the little dwarfs on the reels, although the slot’s title doesn’t carry the name of the original fairy tale. Quickspin has done this more often with other games as well, giving its own twist to popular fairy tales. This has turned out to be a highly successful formula. As always, Dwarfs Gone comes with colourful symbols, but there are even cartoon-like 3D graphics, so this provider has done well showing what the fairytale stands for. This 5 reel, 20 payline slot game is full of dynamic features including 7 cool Dwarf features in the Free Spins Bonus. The max win is just over 6000x the stake. 

Quickspin’s twist on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Dwarfs Gone Wild’s RTP sits at 96,38% which is very reasonable compared with other games in the industry. The RTP shows Dwarfs Gone Wild is one of Quickspin’s medium volatility slot machines. Smaller wins may therefore be a lot more frequent in the slot, but it doesn’t mean this game is actually risk-free. The Dwarfs Gone Wild slot game is highly entertaining thanks to the presence of great graphics and a complete range of free spins and wilds. The biggest drawback, however, is that a lot of these (bonus) features need to be triggered via the (spectacular) Golden Minecart Free Spins bonus and these are actually pretty darn hard to activate. Most players will need to spin this Quickspin slot a lot of times to finally end up in this free spins feature, so patience is a very important factor. Yet, even in the base game itself, there are still plenty of options to win this game. So it is definitely worth giving Dwarfs Gone Wild a shot at one of our selected Canadian casinos.

Who Wants to be a Millionaire Megaways was Big Time Gaming’s first branded slot game back in 2018 when it was launched. The game is, of course, based on the world famous TV show that goes by the same name. Although not always included in the name, Who Wants to be a Millionaire runs on the Megaways engine, making sure every win benefits from an Avalanche feature leading to even more winning chances. If you ever wanted a try at becoming a millionaire on a game show without actually needing to go to a TV studio, this is your best shot. The reels are part of a fancy gamestudio, and the grid shows 6 reels and up to a max of 7 symbols per reel. The very high variance in the game also calls for extreme payouts, or at least, we believe it should. But no need to worry too much as Who Wants to be a Millionaire doesn’t fail to impress with its other features. You can win up to 50,000x your stake, which could very well make a lot of players actual millionaires. It all goes down in the free spins feature, where you can win extra spins by either “asking the audience” or “calling a friend”. Just like we’re all used to in the real TV show.  

Average RTP, high volatility

The RTP of Who Wants to be a Millionaire is set at a fair 96,24%, which is in line with what most people would expect from a modern slot game. Also very handy is that players won’t have to pick the line bet or the number of lines in this game, but only need to select a total amount. This BTG game offers a range for its bets between $0,20 and $20 which isn’t very impressive in our opinion. The biggest potential of this popular slot game comes during its free spins, and can hit an impressive 50,000x the stake. Please bear in mind that this is a very high volatility game, so even though the RTP might be saying 96,24%, there is no exact way to tell how each session will actually look like. What we can guarantee you is lots of fun as there aren’t a lot of slot games that resembleWho Wants to be a Millionaire.

More about this game? Read Vernons’ Wants to be a Millionaire review.

Fully set in the wild, somewhere in one of the many jungles of Central America, this popular online game by Scientific Games/WMS is a great tribute to Montezuma, a warrior and leader of the Aztec as well the vast riches of the legendary Aztec civilization. Montezuma is a 5 reel, 30 pay-line slot game that turned out to be highly popular with land based players after which it hit the online casinos as well. With a somewhat limited betting range of $0,20 to $20, the base game gives players a jackpot with a max win of 10x the total bet. The real win potential in Montezuma is to be found in the Free Spins Bonus where players can win up to 25 Free Spins with a possible 2x, 3x, 5x, or 10x Win Multiplier. Montezuma was succeeded by a Megaways version in 2020 and one feature that will probably sway you is the Bonus Pass. This feature gives players the option to buy their way into the lucrative free spins bonus for 85,5x your stake. We’ll discuss the RTP of both the regular version launched in 2014 and the Megaways edition of Montezuma of 2020. 

Montezuma (2014)

Though Montezuma isn’t necessarily considered one of the hardest hitting slots by Scientific Games/WMS, it definitely seeks to entertain and reward players in Canada with what we believe are very decent wins that can occur in the multiplying bonus game. The regular Montezuma slot game is a 5 reel, 30 payline, game featuring a 95,86% RTP, medium variance, and up to 25 free spins and a 10x multiplier. The 95,86% Montezuma RTP is somewhat below what we typically like to find in slot games. An average of around 96% is a good guideline and we’re sure most players will agree on this. Of course, depending on your luck, you can still finish up or down from your spins, but it’s good to know you’re playing with the odds slightly in your disadvantage than with other slot games. This is something you’ll need to bear in mind when it comes to your bankroll management. 

Montezuma Megaways (2020)

Megaways slots are internationally known for their high variance and decent RTP to players over the long run. The theoretical RTP for Montezuma Megaways is 95,92% which is also below average, but slightly higher than the original Montezuma game of 2014. Also note that the RTP depends on whether you’re in the basic game or not. In the base game the RTP is set at 95,92%, but it hits 96,17% with a Buy Pass. Players in Canada can also opt to make use of the free spins feature, which will cost 85x the stake. With Montezuma Megaways’ 117,649 ways to win on any spin it won’t come as a surprise that the Megaways version of Montezuma offers a very high volatility, as you might just win 12,500x your stake on any spin.

Powered by gaming giants NetEnt, the Dead or Alive 2 game was one the most anticipated follow-ups ever to hit the online casino industry. With 5 reels and a total of 9 paylines, Dead or Alive 2 is as volatile as slot games can get. This Wild West themed slot machine sees you join the adventures of the notorious outlaws Apache the Kid, Jesse James, Della Rose, and Billy the Kid on the reels. The slot was released on the 23rd of April 2019, and the Swedish game developer NetEnt was smart enough to include the original free spins feature as 1 out of 3 free spins options. This gives you the option to stick to only this game if you wish. Dead or Alive 2 is set in a small town with a bunch of criminals preparing themselves for a big heist. A lot of players agree that this is one of NetEnt’s best slot games ever made: the visuals and audio are outstanding, and with a max win of $2,000,000, this slot turned into an instant classic on the day it was launched. 

Above average RTP

The Dead or Alive 2 RTP is set at 96,8% which is quite high for a modern online slot. The RTP in the base game is 68,6% while the Free Spins RTP is 28,2%. The second part of Dead or Alive comes with an RTP that is somewhat higher than the industry average, and we can tell you that this is a very volatile game too. So make sure to saddle up cowboy/cowgirl, as you’re about to take part in one heck of a ride. The bigger wins will mainly come from the 3 free spins features, so this is where your attention should be heading to. The overall hit frequency is 29,8% meaning players land a win in just under a third of spins. The max win in Dead or Alive 2 per free spin is 40,500x your stake from the High Noon Saloon Free Spins feature, which has a win limit of 111,111,11x the total stake. The game’s 96,82% RTP is exactly the same as the first Dead or Alive game that was launched in 2013. This also holds for the Feature Buy option available since May 2020: the RTP remains the same, even when making use of the buy feature. 

More about this game? Check out Vernons’ Dead or Alive 2 review.

Launched in 2018, Extra Chilli was the long-expected sequel by Big Time Gaming to one of their most successful games ever, Bonanza (2016). Bonanza was one of the first games to include Big Time Gaming’s trademarked Megaways mechanisms and offered users a complete new perspective of how to win a slot game. Brought to you from a fictional mine, the game gives us a set of symbols of gems, diamonds, and a lot of other shiny stuff. The slot turned out to be a blast for a lot of players as it remains one of the most popular games that has ever been launched by BTG. Extra Chilli Megaways takes much of what Bonanza had to offer and manages to meet the expectations by adding some new tweaks. As with a lot of games that are powered by Big Time Gaming, Extra Chilli Megaways gives us a highly entertaining story and great graphics. Being an extremely volatile slot, chances are that Extra Chilli will consume your bankroll so make sure to be very patient as you spin yourself a way.  

Better than its predecessor

The Extra Chilli Megaways RTP is set at 96,19%, which we consider fine. Bonanza Megaways was launched with a 96% RTP so this version gives players a little more back in theory. As far as RTP percentages go, we consider these to be pretty reasonable. Please note that some differences can occur as this title comes with a bonus buy, or a Feature Drop as they called this optional feature at BTG. The standard game without buying Feature Drop works with an RTP of somewhere between 96,15% and 96,41%. The game with Feature Drop has an RTP between 96,26% and 96,82%. All of these RTP are fair, so whether you’re using a Feature Drop or not, we believe most players should be fine. The Feature Drop is something to point out though as it often affects the game’s RTP. While not all online casinos offer it, a lot do. Many newer online slot games work with the concept of giving players the option to “buy” the feature, meaning that, instead of spinning and hoping to get to the free spins, players are allowed to pay a certain amount of money upfront and buy their way in. The default cost to make use of this feature is 50x the bet. 

The popular game developer Play ‘N Go decided to take both loyal players and new fans on an unforgettable trip to Japan when it launched Moon Princess. This cartoonish online slot game is a Japanese game themed title packed with lots of colours, lots of fun, and lots of thrilling features, which is why gamers will still have a great time playing the game that was released back in 2017. Three amazing princesses – gently called Love, Storm and Star – will use their special powers to help users clear the 5×5 grid. Doing so will lead to winning major prizes, and by triggering the Free Spins feature, players will be offered 3 different options. Make sure to fully charge the Meter to trigger the Princess Trinity Free Round and see for yourself how the power of the princesses combine into one. This visually outstanding Play ‘N Go product is playable from a comfortable $0,20 per spin and all you’ll need to do is land matching symbols both vertically and horizontally to make a win.  

Above average RTP for a Play’n Go slot

The Moon Princess RTP is set at 96,5% which is somewhat higher than the usual 96,2% RTP that characterise most slots that are powered by Play’n Go. The RTP of Moon Princess slot is also half a percent higher than the industry average, which is typically 96%. Bear in mind though that the variance is very high in Moon Princess, so expect less frequent wins. We would even dare to label it extremely volatile, as this is also rated as 10/10 by developer Play ‘n Go on the volatility front. The max win is 5,000x the total bet per spin which is one of the other upsides of this game. If things go your way, it can get very interesting in this game. Once you manage to clear the grid in the Free Spins feature, you’ll be rewarded with a 100x win, which is also a nice feature of this popular game. The Princesses will get you 10x the bet for five of a kind and this counts for all three of them. Combine them in the same winning combo and get 5x the bet for the max combo.

RTP ranges

Moon Princess by Play’n Go has RTP ranges. RTP ranges is a game feature that gives casinos the possibility to adjust RTP according to their needs. For Moon Princess these RTP are: 96,50%, 94,51%, 91,49%, 87,50%, 84,50%. Pay attention as many operators offer this slot game with the second RTP setting of 94,51%. 

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