Many players complain that they were deceived, robbed, games do not pay out as they should. For the most part, this comes from ignorance of the principle of operation of games in online casinos. But sometimes these suspicions lead to surprising discoveries.

One such case happened with GameArt demo games. Then the players began to complain that the test game is much more profitable than the mode for money. At first it was denied as impossible. But in the end it turned out that it was. Moreover, the developer himself admitted this.

Play'n GO and different versions of slots

Another case occurred at the beginning of 2017, when a player posted data on different returns of the same slots in different casinos on the Casinomeister forum. These were Play'n GO slot machines. Then a discussion began about the fact that the players are being deceived, and the developer, together with the casino, are acting illegally.

It turned out that there was no crime. All of this is legal and works as follows. Some developers release multiple versions of the same game with different returns. This is done so that their slots sell better. Some institution will want a version with a return of 96%, another will prefer a minimum return. This "flexibility" in choice provides developers with more customers.

For normal manufacturers, all these versions with different returns are licensed, just in different jurisdictions. And the operator really cannot influence the results of the game. At most, he can choose which version he will offer. However, it is not known whether this choice is fixed, or whether the casino is free to choose one or another percentage over time.

Since all versions are licensed, neither the developer nor the casino violates the laws and does not deceive players. It's just that in some cases this information is kept silent, and legally. Reputable jurisdictions such as the UK and Malta require the RTP of each slot to be stated.

But Curacao casinos, as you might expect, are not required to provide this information. So, guess what they prefer - a higher return or a minimum one. The requirement to indicate the RTP may influence the institution to prefer a higher return percentage. But in a Curacao casino, you can only guess which version you are playing. Obviously, maximum return is not their most popular choice.

The fact that operators can choose the return percentage became clear from the response that one of the representatives of Casinomeister received from a Play'n GO employee. Here's what he said about it:

All of our games come with an RTP of 96% by default. For example, Book of Dead has 96.21%, 7 Sins has 96.28%, Holiday Season has 96.51%.

Depending on which market and jurisdiction the client wants to use/run the game in, we have added different RTP levels.

Play'n GO releases games with 96.xx% return by default, then the customer can change it to another configuration if they want. So, each operator decides for himself.

Each game and its RTP is certified for all regulated markets and controlled by NMi as a test lab.

By the way, all providers offer different settings for their games, and so does Play’n GO to comply with all markets and all rules.

According to one of the forum participants, casino operators are offered three versions of Play'n GO slots: RTP 89%, 94% and 96%. However, the user noted that he was not 100% sure of this.

It is believed that Microgaming slot machines do not have different versions with different returns. Despite the fact that they are also licensed under numerous jurisdictions, the RTP is always the same. This was stated by the owner of the site Casinomeister, who spoke with representatives of Microgaming.

RTP - a secret or not?

Do developers hide the fact that they release several versions or just keep silent? Perhaps no one asked them before, or they were asked by people with whom they do not consider and can ignore the request. But the fact is that at least Play'n GO did not mislead anyone and told everything as it is. Even if this is bad news for the players.

Who else works under this scheme is unknown. But most likely a lot. This is especially true for new developers who need some way to make their way under the sun in this busy industry.

Someone argues that casinos always choose higher returns due to competition. However, one can disagree here. After all, players in many cases do not even know which version they are playing. And it's impossible to tell by feeling.

It can be assumed that not all casinos have freedom of choice. For example, if the UK recognizes only its own standards, then operators will be forced to offer only one version of the game that is licensed there. If the jurisdiction recognizes other licenses, then casinos can choose which version to offer. This, for sure, is common among the casinos of Curacao. They most likely have a huge selection.

Miscellaneous RTP in land-based casinos

The fact that online casino software developers offer different versions of the same game may be news to players. However, this has long been practiced in land-based casinos. Back in September 2019, Kevin A Harrigan and Mike Dixon published research findings that shed light on the practice.

In their study, they study the impact of different returns of the same slot on the development of gambling addiction. But from it you can get very useful information in general. For example, in the published material they say:

Ontario generally approves seven to eight versions of a single game, with return rates that range from 85% to 98%.

They also mention that they contacted the local Grand River Raceway casino and asked for information about which versions of the four games they have. It turned out that in the same land-based casino out of four games, there were 9 or 8 versions for three with different theoretical returns from 85 to 98%. And only one of the games turned out to be with one return - 92.6%.

It turns out that the institution can have the same slots, but with completely different returns. And this is in the same casino. Moreover, this is all legal, and establishments in Ontario are not required to tell players which slot is configured for which return.

So, for now, you can be glad that at least in reputable jurisdictions, online casinos are required to indicate the theoretical return of slots.