Hit Rate Hit Rate (Hit Frequency)
The share of all spins that produce a win, regardless of the amount. A 25% hit rate means a win about once every 4 spins on average, and it is a separate concept from RTP.
| English | Hit Rate (Hit Frequency) |
|---|---|
| Classification | Math & Probability |
| English | Hit Rate, Hit Frequency |
| Category | Math & Probability |
| Calculation | Winning spins ÷ total spins |
| Example | Gates of Olympus about 28.82% |
| Relation to RTP | Separate (frequent wins ≠ high RTP) |
| Related concepts | Volatility, max win |
Overview
Hit rate (Hit Rate, Hit Frequency) is the share of all spins that produce a win, regardless of the amount. A 25% hit rate means that on average, 1 out of every 4 spins wins something. A win that pays less than the bet still counts as a win.
Hit rate = number of winning spins ÷ total number of spins
How it differs from RTP
Hit rate is “how often,” while RTP is “how much is returned.” Even if wins come often, if most are smaller than the bet, the RTP may not be high. Conversely, even with a low hit rate, one big hit can make the RTP high.
| Games | Hit Rate | RTP | Max win |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gates of Olympus | About 28.82% | 96.5% | 5,000x |
| Starburst (NetEnt) | About 22.7% | 96.09% | 500x |
| San Quentin xWays | About 34.25% | 96.03% | 150,000x |
| Tombstone Slaughter (Nolimit City) | About 9.39% | – | – |
Relationship with volatility
Generally, the lower the hit rate, the higher the volatility. Wins are rare, but when they hit, they hit big. That is not always the case, though. San Quentin xWays has extreme (10/10) volatility, yet its hit rate is high at about 34%. Small wins come often, but the max win (150,000x) is extremely rare, concentrated at roughly once every 91 million spins. That is why hit rate alone is not enough to judge a game’s character; you should look at the max win and bonus frequency together.
Effect on how it feels
In short sessions, what you actually feel is hit rate and volatility rather than RTP. RTP is an average over a very long run, so you don’t experience it directly in a single session, but hit rate is noticeable after just a few dozen spins. According to one analysis, to see the same number of meaningful wins, a game with a 20% hit rate needs roughly twice the money of a game with a 40% hit rate.
How to check hit rate
Unlike RTP, hit rate is not always shown on a game’s info screen. You can refer to simulation figures from review sites, or spin the free demo many times to get a rough feel for win frequency.
