Key takeaways
- RTP (return to player) is the share of all money staked that is paid back over the long run. For Aviator it's 97%.
- The house edge is the rest: 3% of everything you stake, on average.
- Chance of reaching multiplier x ≈ RTP ÷ x.
- Every cash-out target has the same expected return. Strategy changes your risk, not your edge.
On this page
What is RTP?
RTP stands for return to player. It's the percentage of all money bet on a game that is paid back to players over time. If players stake a combined $1,000,000 on Aviator, about $970,000 is paid back as winnings, and the casino keeps about $30,000.
The part the casino keeps is the house edge: house edge = 100% − RTP. For a 97% game that's 3%.
RTP is about the long run. Over 10 rounds, anything can happen. Over 10,000 rounds, your results will almost certainly land close to −3% of everything you staked.
The one formula that explains crash games
In a crash game, the chance that a round reaches multiplier x before crashing is approximately:
P(reach x) = RTP ÷ x
For Aviator (97%): reaching 2x is 0.97 ÷ 2 = 48.5%. Reaching 10x is 0.97 ÷ 10 = 9.7%. Reaching 1.01x is 0.97 ÷ 1.01 ≈ 96%, which means about 3% of rounds crash instantly.
Full odds table (97% RTP)
| Target | Win chance | Lose chance | Roughly | Avg. return per $1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1x | 88.2% | 11.8% | 1 in 1.13 | $0.97 |
| 1.2x | 80.8% | 19.2% | 1 in 1.24 | $0.97 |
| 1.5x | 64.7% | 35.3% | 1 in 1.55 | $0.97 |
| 2x | 48.5% | 51.5% | 1 in 2.06 | $0.97 |
| 3x | 32.3% | 67.7% | 1 in 3.09 | $0.97 |
| 5x | 19.4% | 80.6% | 1 in 5 | $0.97 |
| 10x | 9.70% | 90.3% | 1 in 10 | $0.97 |
| 20x | 4.85% | 95.2% | 1 in 21 | $0.97 |
| 50x | 1.94% | 98.1% | 1 in 52 | $0.97 |
| 100x | 0.970% | 99.0% | 1 in 103 | $0.97 |
| 1000x | 0.097% | 99.9% | 1 in 1,031 | $0.97 |
Why every target returns the same
Look at the last column: $0.97 every time. Here's why. If you always cash out at x:
- You win x per $1, with probability 0.97 ÷ x.
- Average return = x × (0.97 ÷ x) = 0.97.
The x cancels out. A 1.2x player and a 50x player lose the same 3% on average. They just experience it very differently. The 1.2x player wins 81% of the time but has painful losses; the 50x player loses most rounds and occasionally wins big.
The practical lesson: choose a cash-out style that suits your budget and nerves, not one that promises to "beat" the game. None can.
What does the house edge cost you per hour?
Crash games are fast, roughly 100 rounds an hour. Expected loss = stake × rounds × house edge.
| Stake per round | Rounds / hour | Total staked | Expected loss (3%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0.20 | 100 | $20 | ≈ $0.60 |
| $1 | 100 | $100 | ≈ $3.00 |
| $5 | 100 | $500 | ≈ $15.00 |
| 2 × $5 bets | 100 | $1,000 | ≈ $30.00 |
That's the average. Real sessions swing far above and below it. Think of the expected loss as the price of the entertainment, and set your budget accordingly.
Test it: the strategy lab
Don't take our word for it. Run thousands of rounds at any target and watch where the bankroll ends up:
Strategy lab: test it on 1,000s of rounds
Pick a strategy and press Run. Every run uses fresh random rounds at 97% RTP. Run it a few times and watch how often the line ends below where it started.
Frequently asked questions
Does 97% RTP mean I get 97% of my money back?
Only on average, over a very large number of rounds. In a single session you can win big or lose everything. RTP describes the long run, not your next 20 rounds.
Which crash game has the best RTP?
Aviator's RTP is 97%, and JetX can be configured up to around 98% depending on the casino. Spaceman is 96.5%. Always check the game's info panel, because casinos can choose different versions.
How do crash games make money if I can cash out any time?
Through the distribution of crash points. A small share of rounds crash instantly at 1.00x, and the odds of every multiplier are shaded by the house edge, so the total paid out is about 97% of the total staked.
Is Aviator Rigged? Provably Fair Explained (and How to Check a Round)
Is Aviator rigged against Zimbabwean players? How server seeds, player seeds and SHA-256 hashes fix every crash point before take-off, and how to verify a round yourself.
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