Understanding Payouts

When playing at an online casino, or at any casino, it is important to understand terms that are used so that you know that you are playing correctly. There are three terms however, that many players find confusing; in part, because they sound like the same thing, but they aren’t. Those terms are “payouts,” “payout percentages,” and “payout tables.”

The most basic of terms is exactly what it sounds like – a “payout” is when you request a withdrawal of your winnings from your account. A payout is a good thing, for you can only have one if you have won something. Therefore, any time a profit is achieved, you will be able to get a payout.

The other two terms are not quite as straight forward. A “payout percentage” is the amount that the casino collects in bets, as compared to the amount that it pays out in wins. If the casino says that their slot machines payout 95%, which means that for every $1.00 that comes in $.95 goes out to the players. Now, that seems like a lot for a casino to pay out, but you do have to keep in mind that the money will most likely be paid out in the form of a jackpot for one player, and does not mean that everyone will get back all but five cents of what they bet per dollar. One other thing to keep in mind is that most casinos online will pay higher than land based ones, only because they have less overhead.

“Payout tables” are a little confusing to the first time player, as they are on every casino game – online or land based – so that you know what you are looking at for possible winnings. There will be a table somewhere on the slot machines so that you can see what you will win depending on what you play. If you play three coins you will win X amount, or if you play five coins, you will win Y amount. It will show the different symbols that you need for a pay line win, and how much you will win depending on how much you bet. Other games it is a little different – such as the roulette wheel where it shows the odds and payout tables for the game before you play. Each casino and each game, and even each slot machine, can vary in what they will payout, so it is important to take note of it so that you know what you have to do to win.

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