The short answer
Fair Go says its pokies return about 97% on average, which works out to roughly $3 kept per $100 wagered over the long run. It's Fair Go's own figure, it's an average across many games, and it says nothing about how any single session will go.
Fair Go Casino payout rate: the headline figure
Fair Go's casino payout page quotes an average pokie return to player (RTP) of approximately 97% (checked 7 October 2026). Put simply: across a very large number of spins on its pokies, about $97 of every $100 wagered goes back to players as wins, and the remaining $3 or so is the house's margin.
Three qualifiers matter:
- It's an average. It blends many pokies together. Individual games sit above or below it, and Fair Go doesn't publish a per-game figure for the titles in our register.
- It's long-run. RTP describes millions of spins, not your Saturday night. One session can finish far above or far below it.
- It's Fair Go's number. We haven't seen an independent test certificate confirming it, so we label it an operator claim. Our is Fair Go legit page gives the status of every claim like it.
Payout rate isn't payout speed
Search for a casino's "payout" and you'll find two different things tangled together. The payout rate is about the games: how much they return. Payout speed is about the cashier: how quickly winnings reach you. At Fair Go, speed is set by verification, the 2-business-day processing window and the method you choose, all covered in our withdrawal time guide. A higher RTP doesn't make withdrawals quicker, and a quick withdrawal doesn't make the games more generous.
What 97% looks like in dollars
RTP is easiest to grasp as an average cost of play. Our arithmetic, using Fair Go's 97% average:
| Total wagered | For example | Average returned | Average cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| $100 | 100 spins at $1 | $97 | $3 |
| $1,000 | 200 spins at $5 | $970 | $30 |
| $5,000 | 500 spins at $10 | $4,850 | $150 |
"Total wagered" counts every bet, including wins you play back through. A $100 deposit can easily turn over $500 or more before it's gone, so the real cost of a session depends on how long you play as much as on the RTP. A time limit does as much for your budget as a high-RTP game; our responsible gambling page has simple ways to set one.
Game by game: where the returns differ
Not everything in the lobby pays back at the same rate. Figures marked "operator figure" are Fair Go's. Roulette figures are standard mathematics for the wheel type; Fair Go's exact rules and pay tables should be checked in-game.
| Game | Return | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Pokies (average) | about 97% | Fair Go's figure |
| Kev's Bush Bonanza | Not published | Fair Go lists medium volatility |
| Cash Bandits 3 | Not published | Fair Go lists a progressive jackpot |
| Aces and Eights video poker | 99.78% | Operator figure |
| Jacks or Better (full pay) | 99.54% | Operator figure |
| European Roulette | 97.30% | Standard maths: one zero, 2.70% house edge |
| American Roulette | 94.74% | Standard maths: two zeros, 5.26% house edge |
The pattern is a familiar one. Video poker played well returns more than pokies, and the single-zero wheel beats the double-zero one. Video poker returns like these assume you play every hand with the best strategy; mistakes lower them. The games chapter of our review walks through the whole lobby.
Same RTP, different ride: volatility
Two pokies with the same RTP can feel nothing alike. Volatility describes how the wins are spread: frequent small ones, or rare big ones. Fair Go's game pages give a volatility for some titles:
- Dr. Winmore: low volatility, with a 300-coin maximum award.
- Kev's Bush Bonanza: medium volatility, with a 50,000x top award.
- Devil's Jackpot: high volatility, with wild multipliers up to 20x.
Higher volatility means longer dry spells and bigger swings, so a budget can run out quickly on a bad night. If you want a session to last, a lower-volatility game helps more than hunting for a slightly higher RTP.
How the payout rate shapes bonus value
Bonus wagering turns RTP into a real cost. Take the Crimson Castle code, CASTLE: "150% + 50 free spins, redeem 3 times" from a $40 deposit. On that minimum the bonus is $60, and if Fair Go's standard 30x deposit-plus-bonus rule applies, clearing it takes $3,000 of bets. At a 3% average house margin that turnover costs about $90 on average, against a $60 bonus (our arithmetic; the free spins aren't counted).
That doesn't make bonuses worthless. They stretch your play, and variance means some players finish the wagering ahead. It does mean a bonus is best treated as extra entertainment rather than money in the bank. The Fair Go wagering guide runs the same sums for every current code.
Can you check the payout rate yourself?
- Open the game's info screen. Many pokies show an RTP in their help or paytable pages. Where one is shown, it's specific to that game and more useful than a casino-wide average.
- Know the provider. Fair Go names Spin Logic. Claims that it's RealTime Gaming under another name are widely repeated but unconfirmed.
- Treat averages as averages. No personal record, however long, can prove or disprove a 97% figure; the sample is far too small.
Whatever the RTP, the house keeps an edge over time. If you'd like to see the lobby for yourself, browse Fair Go's pokies with a budget you've set in advance.
Fair Go payout rate: common questions
What is Fair Go Casino's payout rate?
Fair Go quotes an average pokie RTP of about 97% on its payout page (checked 7 October 2026). That's an average across its pokies over the long run, not a figure for any single game or session.
Is Fair Go's RTP independently verified?
Not that we've seen. We haven't found an independent test certificate for the 97% figure, so we treat it as Fair Go's own claim.
Which Fair Go games have the best payout rate?
By Fair Go's own figures, Aces and Eights video poker returns 99.78% and full-pay Jacks or Better 99.54%, assuming the best strategy. Among table games, single-zero European roulette (97.30%) returns more than American (94.74%).
What is the RTP of Kev's Bush Bonanza?
Fair Go doesn't publish one in the pages we checked. It lists the game with 50 paylines, a 50,000x top award and medium volatility.
Does a high payout rate mean I'll win?
No. RTP is a long-run average, and every game keeps an edge for the house. In a single session you can win or lose far more than the RTP suggests, so set a budget you're happy to spend.