Instrument 3 · Return
What the return figure costs
A return figure, where a game gives one, is the share of turnover the game is designed to pay back over a very large number of spins. The rest is the expected cost.
- Paid back on average
- $450.00
- Expected cost
- $50.00
| Return figure | Expected cost per $100 bet | Expected cost per hour at $1.00 × 10 a minute |
|---|---|---|
| 85% | $15.00 | $90.00 |
| 87% | $13.00 | $78.00 |
| 89% | $11.00 | $66.00 |
| 90% | $10.00 | $60.00 |
| 91% | $9.00 | $54.00 |
| 93% | $7.00 | $42.00 |
| 95% | $5.00 | $30.00 |
| 97% | $3.00 | $18.00 |
Return figures here are a range of invented examples, not figures for real games.
Worked by hand
- Calculator default: $500.00 × (100% − 90%) = $50.00 expected cost; $450.00 paid back on average.
- Expected cost per $100 bet = $100 × (100% − return).
- At 90%: $100 × 0.10 = $10.00. At 95%: $100 × 0.05 = $5.00.
- Per hour at the default pace: 600 spins × $1.00 = $600.00 of turnover; at 90% that is $60.00.
A few points of return, a lot of turnover
A difference that looks small, such as 90% against 95%, halves or doubles the expected cost, because it applies to every dollar of turnover.
Long run, not this session
The return figure describes the design of the game over a very large number of spins. It does not set what any one session returns; see the spread instrument.