Can You Find RTP for Social Casino Games?

Social gaming arose in the late 2000s and has remained popular ever since. It blends elements of both online casinos and social media sites into a unique type of entertainment.

Social casinos are certainly different from real money online casinos in various regards. Most notably, they’re pure entertainment and don’t give you an opportunity to win real money.

However, their games are very similar to what’s offered at traditional internet casinos. Given that online casino developers offer RTP figures on most of their games, you’d think that social casinos would do the same.

But is this really the case? I’m going to discusses whether or not it’s possible to find payout percentages for social casino games.

How Do You Find RTP for Standard Online Casino Games?

RTP represents how much money a game pays back in the long run. For example, a slot with 96.5% payback will deliver $96.50 back for every $100 wagered.

Of course, payout percentages are theoretical figures that take countless rounds to play out. But if you know the RTP, you at least have a vague idea on how well a game pays.

Many online casino game developers feature RTP in a game’s info screen. You simply need to visit the info section to see the payout percentage.

Even if you don’t find the RTP within the help screen, you may locate payback through a simple Google search. Here’s an example on how to do this:

• You’re playing NetEnt’s Gods of Gold InfiniReels.
• You google “Gods of Gold InfiniReels” RTP.
• You find out that the payback is 96.21%.

As you can see, finding RTP figures for internet casino games isn’t overly difficult. You can often locate payout percentages within a minute or less.

Not all developers provide this information, though. Some just don’t bother offering RTP, while others give casino operators multiple choices.

In the latter case, the developer doesn’t list payback because their payout percentages for each game vary based on the casino. For instance, RealTime Gaming lets casinos choose between 91%, 95%, and 97.5% RTP for slots.

By and large, though, most internet casino game developers do offer RTP figures. Therefore, you’ll have a good idea on what kind of payback to expect.

Social Casinos Don’t Feature RTP Figures

You can see that the online gaming world is quite transparent with payout percentages. Unfortunately, the social gaming industry doesn’t fall in line. I’ve never played at a social casino or seen an associated game developer that lists RTP for the games.

I’m not saying that payback for social casino games is completely nonexistent. Maybe somewhere, a social casino or developer does offer payback figures. Even so, the industry standard is to act like RTP info doesn’t exist.

If you play a social slot, you’ll be going into the matter blind. You have absolutely no idea how much you can expect to win back on a long-term basis.

You might play a social blackjack game and feel that you know a little about the odds. Most online blackjack games offer between 98.5% and 99.5% RTP.

Then again, internet games don’t always have to represent the true odds seen in land-based casinos. Instead, developers can program certain cards to turn up more.

I’m not saying that social casinos cheat to take your chips away faster. Instead, I’m just noting that you have no idea what the reality is behind the situation.

You Must Put a Lot of Faith in Social Gaming

Social casinos fly under the radar when it comes to gaming regulations. After all, these sites are all about the social elements and entertainment.

They don’t require you to bet money to win money. Instead, you can purchase chips that will help you complete missions and achieve accolades.

It’s not like social casinos have lots to gain by pulling one over on you. But they do stand to benefit if you lose your chips rather quickly.

You’ll be forced to reload your bankroll quicker in this case. You may spend anywhere from $10-$50 acquiring more chips (or more).

Given the lack of publicly available RTP, you must put lots of trust in these sites. They’re not forthcoming enough to show you the payout percentages for the games, but they’ll still take your money.

None of this confirms that the entire social gaming industry is crooked. But again, you can’t verify anything regarding payback at these sites.

Why Don’t Social Casinos Offer Payout Percentages?

You might be wondering why online casinos are willing to list RTP while social gaming sites aren’t. The main reason is that social casinos simply don’t have to.

Regulated internet gaming markets feature a licensing and governing body (e.g. UK Gambling Commission). This authority vets online gaming applicants and makes rules for the market.

In the UK, for example, operators must list payout percentages for games. The same holds true for gaming sites that operate in regulated American states.

The reason for all of this red tape is that online casinos constitute real-money gambling. They accept wagers and pay out money when you win.

The stakes are high if there’s a crooked online casino. That said, states do whatever they can to prevent any sort of cheating.

Forcing operators to list RTP is one of the best ways to accomplish this goal. Regulators also require operators/developers to undergo third-party lab testing to ensure that their payback is as listed.

Social casinos and developers don’t need to deal with the same strict regulations. They get a pass for being pure entertainment and aren’t treated like true internet casinos.

Will You Get Ripped Off at Social Casinos?

You’ll probably never get a clear picture on your odds of winning at social casinos. But do you have to fear getting cheated in the process?

I firmly believe that social slots don’t pay back as much as regular online slots. I also wonder if the baccarat, blackjack, and roulette games feature odds that are true to real decks.

In any case, social casinos aren’t breaking any laws if they don’t offer 95% RTP for slots and 99% payback for blackjack. They can theoretically offer 1% RTP for games and get away with it.

This doesn’t mean that you have to accept these situations. If you feel that a social gaming site is really ripping you off, then you definitely don’t want to purchase chips there again.

I don’t personally feel that the average social casino is doing anything terribly wrong. But that’s not to say one of these sites won’t completely skew the odds in their favor just to encourage you to buy more chips.

Conclusion

Social casinos don’t draw players from the gaming alone. They incorporate fun social elements that allow you to share achievements and big wins with friends.

Given the lack of real-money gambling going on, the social gaming industry doesn’t abide by the same rules as regulated online casinos. As a result, social casinos don’t have to list RTP figures.

They take advantage of this fact to by never listing payout percentages. Therefore, you’ll never know what your true chances are of winning with social games.

I’m not advising you to completely ignore social slots and table games if you enjoy them. However, I also wouldn’t put too much trust in them either.

You might play at social casinos for fun and make small chip purchases when you really want to. But considering the lack of RTP, you also should be careful with these sites.