Best Payout Slot Machines in the US
If you love playing real money slots for fun or for bonuses, you need to know which slots offer the best payouts at US casinos. Every slot has its own return-to-player (RTP) percentage; this is the average amount that the game pays back on total bets in the long run. Check out our list of the highest payout slots in the US to play now!
Highest RTP Slot Games in the USA
The average RTP for online slot games is 96%, but games we’ve collected below all offer higher payout percentages of up to 99%. Play for cash or real money and enjoy some of the best returns available in online casinos today.
Slots
Blackjack
Roulette
Live Dealer
Crash Games
Card Games
Baccarat
Scratch Cards
Arcade
Bingo
Casual Games
Craps
Dice Games
Fish Shooting
Game Shows
Hilo
Instant Games
Instant Tap
Keno
Limbo
Lottery
Mines
Other
Plinko
Slingo
Table Games
Video Poker
Virtual Sports
Amatic Industries
Barcrest Games
What are Slot Payout Percentages?
Slot payout percentages (also called RTP or return to player) are the long-run amount of the total wagers that the game is mathematically designed to pay back. Keep in mind that an RTP is strictly theoretical over a large number of spins; meaning you are not guaranteed to win back that exact percentage of your stake every time.
There are a couple of key factors to consider when you choose a slot with the best payouts or highest RTP to play online.
First, the RTP can vary by casino or operator. Software providers who design online slot games often ship them out with different mathematical configurations. This is done so that the game can be changed according to factors such as market popularity or jurisdictional laws. Check the information section inside a slot game to confirm the RTP in use.
RTP is not the only way to decide which games offer the best payouts for you. Jackpots and progressive jackpots such as Mega Moolah or Megajackpots Cleopatra often offer a low-to-average RTP in exchange for the opportunity to win from a top-heavy prize pool.
Casinos make a profit by building an advantage right into the rules of the game. That's reflected in the payout percentage and it applies to all online casino games, not just slot machines. But, like we said before, that's just an average. In a single session there's always the potential for a big jackpot or, on the other hand, a cold streak of rotten luck. That's one of the reasons people love slots. They give you the opportunity to blow the payout percentage out of the water with one big win.
Explore the Thrills of Progressive Jackpots
Progressive jackpots work by taking a small slice out of every bet and adding it into a shared prize pot that keeps growing over time until someone triggers it. This can lead to wins in the range of millions of dollars. Pools for progressive jackpots can sometimes be localized to an individual casino, but they are often part of a network of casinos. That means more players helping the prize pool to grow… and more players trying to cash in on a record payout.
In terms of RTP and payout percentage, however, there's always a trade-off with games that offer big jackpots. Check out our progressive slot jackpots page to try some of the biggest games on the market.
While it's true that the odds of winning a huge jackpot are slim, many players find progressive jackpot games thrilling just for the chance of a life-changing win. Our tip? Play progressives if you’re comfortable with longer dry spells in pursuit of a bigger payout.
Further Reading
If you're still hungry for more in-depth slots payout percentage resources, check out these two advanced studies:
- A Personal Guide to Electronic Slot Machines by John M. Pacyniak, Ph.D.
- Slot Machine Payback Percentages: The Devil is in the Moment by Scott Farrow and Jackson Costa of the University of Mayland, Baltimore County.
Best Jackpot Payout Slot Machines
There’s more than one way to find a slot game with the highest payout potential. Jackpot slots are always popular thanks to the thrilling chance to win record-breaking prizes.
The highest online slot win ever recorded in the US came at the beginning of 2025 at DraftKings in Michigan, when a player won a $9.3 million jackpot on the game Irish Pot Luck while playing for just $0.20 per spin. Check out the list below for more jackpot games with some of the best payouts available at US casinos. You can even give them a spin for free right here on Casino.us to try them out!
Play Slots with Record Payout Percentages
As a smart gambler, you know you need to find the slot machines with the best odds. It's fine to play for entertainment, and that's usually a priority for slots players, but it's also more fun when you have the best chance of winning and you know you're getting the best value for your money.
In the next section we'll explain how to find the best games and how to give yourself the best chance of hitting a big jackpot. Or, if you're itching to get in on the action right away, browse our comprehensive online slots reviews for a shortcut to the very best games the internet has to offer.
Big Jackpot
Popular
How to Find the Payout Percentage on Slot Machines
Online and offline games operate on the same basic principles as far as how slot machines pay out. Remember, it's equally important to know the numbers whether you're playing on the internet or in a brick and mortar casino.
Online Slots
If you're looking for online casinos that actually pay out, taking a closer look at the payout percentages is a great place to start. You're probably wondering where you can look to find the stats. With online casinos it's usually pretty straightforward.
The payout percentage is sometimes posted on the rules or information page for the game itself, or as a list on either the online casino or the game developer's website. If you're having trouble finding where the slots payout percentage is posted, try a quick Google search of the game's name and either "payout percentage" or "return to player". If that doesn't work, a good last resort is to contact the casino directly using their live chat or customer support tools.
Generally speaking, online casinos offer better payout percentages compared to brick and mortar casinos. That's because they have lower overhead and an unlimited number of people can play the same game at the same time. It's common to see slots with payout percentages in the high 90s which is a lot harder to find in real life.
Slot Machines in Land-Based Casinos
When it comes to payout percentages, it's all about how slot machines are programmed. To make matters trickier, casinos and game developers don't always publish the numbers for specific machines. However, there are ways players can figure out which machines have more favorable payouts.
Luckily, other people have already done most of the hard work for you. There are tons of great forums and resources for bettors online and the best place to start is with a quick Google search to find the numbers for the game you're looking for.
The geographic location can also tell you something about the payouts. In the US, casinos must meet a minimum payout percentage which is set by the gaming authorities in that region. It varies by state but is usually 80% or higher. It's also true that the payouts vary even within the same game depending on how much you're betting. Usually the more you bet, the more favourable the payout percentage is.
The House Edge Explained
When you hear bettors talk about "the house edge", they're actually referring to the same thing as the RTP and payout percentage. The house edge is the casino's statistical advantage that's built right into the rules of the game.
The house has an edge on almost every bet in the casino, but the size of that edge varies dramatically depending on the game, or even between different bets within the same game. The house edge is represented as the average percentage of your bet that the casino will keep. A game with a payout percentage of 95%, for example, has a house edge of 5%.
Variance in Slots
Whenever players discuss payout percentage in slots, the topic of variance usually follows. Also known as volatility or payout frequency, variance refers to how often a slot pays out jackpots, and the size of the winnings. Slot variance can be broken down into three types:
- Low variance slot games - these games land wins frequently, but the amounts are usually small token jackpots.
- Medium variance slot games - with these slot games, players can expect to hit wins fairly frequently, with a combination of small token wins and larger payouts.
- High variance slot games - players may experience long droughts in wins with these slot games, but when they pay out, the winnings are huge.
Casinos and slot games will not usually feature the volatility of a game on the paytable. However players can find this information online or themselves through free slot games. Simply spin the reels 100 times in a free game and record what wins you land. If you triggered the paylines frequently but the amounts were mostly no more than 2x the original stake, then the game is a low variance slot. If the opposite happens, then it is a high variance slot game.
Generally, low variance slot games can be found on penny slots and games with small jackpots, such as Quick Hit. Most progressive jackpot slots such as Mega Moolah, have high variance, which is unsurprising given the massive jackpots they offer.
Loosest Slot Machines
What is a loose slot machine?
When people call slot machines "loose" and "tight" they're referring to the payout percentage. A looser machine pays out more often and at a higher percentage while a tighter machine has a lower RTP and pays out less frequently.
The looser the slots, the better it is for the player. That's why you'll often see casino billboards advertising "The Loosest Slots in Town!"
In addition to the RTP, another important stat to look for is called the "hit frequency". This number is also a percentage and refers to how likely each spin is to result in a winning outcome for the player. It doesn't say anything about how much the player wins, just how often the player will win money on a spin compared to losing. A game with a 20% hit frequency will result in a winning combination one in five times on average.
How to Find Loose Slot Machines
If you're looking for the loosest slots around, the best answer is the internet. Online casinos can offer the highest RTP because they have much lower overheads than brick-and-mortar casinos. When it comes to slots in a land-based casino, gamblers have developed a few theories about how to find the loosest games.
Some players believe the loosest slots are always positioned in the most visible areas of the casino since the house wants new customers to see people winning and be inspired to get in on the action. Machines close to cash redemption machines are also thought to be loose since the casino wants players cashing out to see people winning and be lured back to the games. The same theory says to avoid slots near lines like the buffet and shows. The casino knows people here are just killing time while they wait and won't be playing for very long.
Slot Machine Payouts by State
As we mentioned earlier, casinos and game developers aren't forced to release the payout percentages for specific games, but they still publish some valuable information on slots. First, most states set a minimum and maximum payout percentage that casinos must follow. Second, they release average payout percentages that include all the casino's gambling machines. By using these numbers, we can get a general idea which of states have the loosest slots and the highest RTP.
Nevada
It shouldn't surprise you that Nevada has the highest average RTP percentage with the Boulder Strip being the absolute highest at 95.8%. The Las Vegas Strip is significantly lower at 93.6% but if you head to downtown Vegas that number jumps back up to 95.6%.
Florida
The State of Florida requires casinos to provide a minimum 85% payout percentage and the casinos also must publish averages that include all of their gambling machines. Depending on the area, averages range from 90.91% all the way up to 93.55%.
Illinois
Casinos in Illinois average between 89.18% and 92.45%, depending on the area.
Indiana
Average payout percentages are reported by casinos in Indiana and they range from 89.83% to 91.61% depending on the property.
Iowa
In Iowa the slots are even tighter with payout percentages starting at 89% and going up to 92%, depending on the casino.
Atlantic City
Compared to Nevada, New Jersey has pretty tight slots. They range from 90.5% to 91.7% per cent depending on the casino.
Oklahoma
Casinos in Oklahoma aren't required to release any information about their payout percentages and the state does not have a minimum RTP that casinos must follow. For these reasons it's assumed that Oklahoma is among the tighter regions for slots.
California
Just like Oklahoma, California doesn't have a minimum RTP and also doesn't require casinos to publish any information about payout percentages. Some estimates put the average payout percentage in California as low as 85%.
FAQs
What percentage do slots pay out?
Each slot machine will pay out at a different percentage depending on its return-to-player percentage. Generally, slot machines pay out somewhere between 74% and 99%
What slot machines have the highest payout percentage?
The Ugga Bugga slot machine game has the highest payout percentage, at 99.07%. The second highest is Mega Joker by NetEnt, with a 99% RTP. Jackpot 6000 by NetEnt and Uncharted Seas by Thunderkick come in second and third, with RTPs of 98.8% and 98.6%, respectively. In fourth place is Blood Suckers at 98% RTP, also by NetEnt. Starmania by NextGen takes fifth place, with an RTP of 97.87%.
What casino has the best slot payouts?
Record-breaking payouts on slots have all occurred in Vegas casinos, such as The Mirage, The Freemont, and The Excalibur. We recommend players visit casinos that offer a huge variety of slot machine games to find one they enjoy and might payout. The Bellagio in Vegas, for example, has 2,300 slot machines.
Can casinos control slot machine payouts?
While a slot machine has a chip that controls its payout percentage, casinos operate these chips on computer systems. A casino can control the payout percentage of slot machines by adjusting their RTP, but this is also regularly inspected and regulated by independent gambling authorities.
Is it better to bet max on slot machines?
Whether playing online slots or on slot machines, players should max bet if they can afford it. Slot payouts are exponentially higher when making the maximum bet compared to the minimum bet. This means when a winning payline lands, players can receive a much bigger jackpot.
