What is Payout Ratio?

The payout ratio is the relationship between what a winning bet returns and the amount staked, written as 3:2, 2:1, 35:1 or as a multiple such as pays 6x. It describes one specific bet, unlike RTP, which is a long-run percentage for a whole game. Comparing a ratio with the true odds of the event shows how the game is priced. A single number on a European roulette wheel pays 35:1, but the wheel has 37 pockets, so the true odds are 36:1, and that gap is where the house edge comes from. The same logic explains why a blackjack table paying 6:5 for a natural costs the player more than the traditional 3:2. Reading payout ratios tells you what a game costs; it does not remove the advantage built into every wager.