Floating Dragon
Floating Dragon leads on published return at 96.35 per cent, with high volatility and a 5,000x maximum win on ten lines.
- RTP
- 96.35%
- Volatility
- High
- Max win
- 5,000x
- Lines
- 10
- Asian
- Pragmatic Play
Pokie guide · Australia
Best payout online pokies — what earns a place and what does not
A high published return figure is the start of a shortlist, not the end of one. Here is how to read what a provider gives you, what to do when it gives you almost nothing, and where bonus terms quietly change the maths.
- 5pokies compared
- 96.35%best published return
- A$5max bet on a bonus
The shortlist
Which of these the numbers favour
The shortlist below is ordered on published return to player, with volatility, maximum win and line count shown alongside because return alone does not describe how a game plays.
Checked on 19 October 2026
Every figure in one grid
Sort by whichever figure decides it for you.
| 1Floating Dragon | 96.35% | High | 5,000x | Pragmatic Play |
| 2Big Bamboo | 96.13% | High | — | Push Gaming |
| 3Starburst | 96.08% | — | 800x | NetEnt |
| 4Wolf Gold | 96.01% | Medium | 5,000x | Pragmatic Play |
| 5Queen of the Nile | 95.98% | Medium | 800x | Aristocrat |
Select a column heading to sort.
Big Bamboo
Big Bamboo sits just behind on 96.13 per cent, also high volatility, and spreads play across fifty lines.
- RTP
- 96.13%
- Volatility
- High
- Lines
- 50
- Bamboo
- Push Gaming
Starburst
Starburst is close on 96.08 per cent but offers a lower 800x maximum win on ten lines.
- RTP
- 96.08%
- Max win
- 800x
- Lines
- 10
- Space Gems
- NetEnt
What a payout figure actually tells you
Return to player is a long-run average across millions of spins. It describes the machine, not your session, and it says nothing about how a particular hour will go. A pokie with a higher figure still loses money for most players most of the time; the figure just sets how much, on average, is returned over a very long run.
The second number that matters is volatility. High volatility means fewer, larger wins and long dry spells; medium volatility spreads returns more evenly. Neither is better in the abstract. A high-volatility game with a strong return figure suits a player who accepts long gaps between features, while medium volatility suits someone who wants steadier movement.
When a provider publishes nothing useful
Some providers list no return figure, no volatility band and no maximum win. That is not a scandal, but it does mean you cannot compare their games to anything. Treat an absent figure as absent, not as average. Do not assume a new title matches the numbers of the developer's earlier releases; titles get reskinned and the maths can change.
If you cannot find a published figure, look at what the game itself tells you before you stake anything: the paytable, the rules screen and the stake range. If those are also thin, the honest position is that you are playing something unmeasured. That is a reason to keep stakes small, or to choose a title where the numbers are on the record.
Bonus terms change the effective payout
A deposit bonus does not raise a game's return figure. It adds a condition. The partner's published terms are a first deposit bonus of six hundred per cent as a cash bonus, daily cashback of ten per cent of losses, a minimum deposit of twenty US dollars, and a maximum bet of five Australian dollars while a bonus is active. Those are the terms as published; check them yourself before depositing.
The maximum bet rule is the one that undoes players. Breaching it while a bonus is running can void the bonus and any winnings tied to it, and the loss is not the bonus itself but what you built with it. Cashback is calculated on losses, so it softens a bad run rather than creating a good one.
Building a shortlist you can defend
Rank the games you are considering on figures you can point to. Return percentage first, then volatility band against the kind of session you want, then maximum win and line count as tie-breakers. If two games are within a fraction of a per cent of each other on return, the difference will not be visible in your play; pick on volatility instead.
Keep the list short and re-check it. Providers sometimes publish an update and sometimes quietly withdraw a figure, and a page like this one only holds while the source does. Nothing here promises a win or a way to beat a game, and no ordering of games changes the house edge.
FAQ
Still unsure? Start here
What does RTP mean on an Australian online pokie?
It is the long-run average percentage of all money staked that the game returns to players over an enormous number of spins. It is not a target for your session and does not predict any single result.
Is a high RTP pokie better for me?
Over a long run, a higher figure means less is retained by the game on average. In a single session the difference between two close figures is unlikely to be visible, so volatility and stake size usually matter more to how the session feels.
Do deposit bonuses improve my chances?
No. A bonus adds funds and conditions; it does not change the game's return figure. Terms such as a maximum bet while a bonus is active can remove winnings if they are broken.
What should I do if a provider publishes no payout data?
Treat the game as unmeasured and either avoid it or stake less on it. Read the in-game paytable and rules, and prefer titles where the return figure and volatility band are stated.
What does RTP mean on an Australian online pokie?
It is the long-run average percentage of all money staked that the game returns to players over an enormous number of spins. It is not a target for your session and does not predict any single result.