06 / Interpreting labels
Ask what was counted.
Return, spread and frequency answer different questions. A label without its measurement rule cannot tell you what a session will do.
Definitions before adjectives
No product ratings or recommendations
Volatility is about spread
Technical reference — Great Britain. UK Gambling Commission technical terminology describes volatility as the spread or variation in game results, commonly represented by standard deviation. That is distinct from the mean theoretical RTP: identical averages can accompany different patterns of individual outcomes. This GB technical reference does not establish an Australian label or scale.
Technical reference — Great Britain. UK Gambling Commission, Key terms relating to live RTP performance monitoring of games (updated 28 January 2021). The cited source does not set a universal low/medium/high volatility scale for consumer labels here.
Ask what was measured and how: a descriptor such as “high volatility” without the underlying distribution, a stated metric and its comparison set is not a session forecast. The invented A/B comparison demonstrates different prize patterns with the same expected RTP, without assigning either game a marketing category.
“Hit” needs a threshold
If someone supplies a “hit frequency”, ask whether a hit means any prize, a prize larger than the stake, or some other event, and what set of plays supplies the denominator. Do not assume that a comparable hit-frequency figure is available for every Australian product; the sources used here do not establish a standard Australian disclosure of it.
| Counted event | Game A | Game B |
|---|---|---|
| Any prize | 90% ($1 prize) | 10% ($9 prize) |
| Prize greater than $1 stake | 0% ($1 only returns stake) | 10% ($9 is $8 above stake) |
| Expected prizes ÷ stake | $0.90 ÷ $1 = 90% | $0.90 ÷ $1 = 90% |
Australian context GambleAware NSW, Poker machines (undated) notes that a payout smaller than the stake is a net loss. The table is original hypothetical arithmetic; the NSW page is not its source of probabilities.
Check the denominator and the time
- 01Is this designed or observed?
Theoretical RTP is a design average; an observed ratio needs actual prizes and stakes for a specified set of plays.
- 02What counts as “winning”?
A returned stake is a prize but not a net gain; a smaller prize leaves a net loss on that play.
- 03What jurisdiction and source?
Do not import a Great Britain technical term as an Australian legal requirement. Check the date and scope of the cited source.
Technical reference — Great Britain. UK Gambling Commission, Key terms relating to live RTP performance monitoring of games (updated 28 January 2021) distinguishes theoretical and actual RTP. This is a technical reference, not an Australian rule.