Plinko RTP and risk levels: every version's odds, checked

The published figures

Version	Where the figure comes from	Published RTP	Recalculated from the tables
BGaming Plinko	Game page ¹; rules ²	99%; “98.91% - 99.16% depending on the player’s chosen strategy”	98.91% to 99.16% across 27 tables ⁵
Spribe Plinko	Game configuration ⁴	House edge 3%, so 97%	97.00% on all 9 tables ⁵
Stake Originals Plinko	Game page (in-house)	“house edge of 1% and a return-to-player rate of 99%”	Not possible: Stake publishes only the top and bottom pocket of each table; see the Stake page

Two percentage points separate the two versions with public tables. Over $1,000 staked, that’s about $10 kept by the casino on BGaming’s tables against about $30 on Spribe’s, on average and over a long run.

Why the odds don’t depend on risk

At each row the ball goes left or right with an even chance, so the pocket it ends in follows the binomial distribution. For n rows, pocket k (counting from the left edge) is hit with probability C(n, k) ÷ 2ⁿ. Nothing in that formula mentions risk; risk only changes the multipliers written on the pockets.

Rows	Middle pocket	Next to middle	Either edge
8	27.34%	21.88%	1 in 128
12	22.56%	19.34%	1 in 2,048
16	19.64%	17.46%	1 in 32,768

Multiply each pocket’s odds by its multiplier, add them up, and you have the table’s RTP. That’s how the recalculated column above was produced, and how the simulator shows the target next to your result.

BGaming: 27 tables, 98.91% to 99.16%

BGaming’s rules give the RTP as a range that depends on your settings ². The lowest tables are 8 and 10 rows on Normal (98.91%), the highest is 11 rows on High (99.16%). What really moves between settings is the swing, measured here as the typical deviation of one $1 drop ⁵:

Rows	Low	Normal	High
8	98.98% · $0.56	98.91% · $1.24	99.06% · $2.67
12	98.98% · $0.39	98.99% · $1.29	99.12% · $4.38
16	99.00% · $0.33	98.99% · $1.47	98.98% · $6.57

The multipliers behind these figures, pocket by pocket, are on the BGaming page ³.

Spribe: nine tables, all 97%

Spribe uses coloured balls instead of a risk menu, and its configuration sets a house edge of 3 ⁴. Every table, green, yellow or red on 12, 14 or 16 pins, comes to exactly 97.00% ⁵. The red line is the volatile one: its centre pocket pays 0×, and about one red ball in five lands there. Full tables on the Spribe page.

See the difference between 97% and 99% the practical way: 1,000 drops on each, side by side, free.

Compare the tables in the simulator

What RTP means for one session

RTP describes millions of drops. In a session of a few hundred, the swing dominates. I ran 1,000 drops at $1 on seven BGaming tables: results ranged from $952.20 to $1,086.40 back for $1,000 staked, and one 12-row High session sat $113.90 down before a 170× hit. The 1% edge is real, but you’ll meet the variance long before you meet the edge. The sessions are listed on the strategy page.

Read the number in the game

BGaming offers casinos custom versions with “upgraded design, RTP, features, and game settings” ¹, and Spribe’s demo hides its RTP line altogether ⁴. Whatever a provider or a review site says, the figure in the info screen of the game you’re about to play, at the casino you’re playing it, is the one that applies. If it isn’t shown, that’s worth knowing too.

Questions people ask

What is the RTP of Plinko?

It depends on the version. BGaming lists 99%, with 98.91% to 99.16% by setting in its rules; Spribe’s version is set to a 3% house edge, so 97%. I recalculated every table from the exact odds and the figures match.

Does the risk level change Plinko's RTP?

Barely. On BGaming’s version the 27 tables range from 98.91% to 99.16%; on Spribe’s all nine are exactly 97%. Risk changes how results are spread, not the long-run average.

What are the odds of hitting the edge pocket in Plinko?

One in 128 for either edge on 8 rows, one in 2,048 on 12 rows and one in 32,768 on 16 rows. The odds are the same at every risk level.

Which Plinko has the highest RTP?

Of the versions with published tables, BGaming’s, at 98.91% to 99.16%. Spribe’s returns 97%. Always read the RTP in the game’s own info screen, because casinos can run custom versions.

What does 99% RTP mean for a session?

Over a very long run the game keeps about $1 of every $100 staked. A single session of a few hundred drops can finish well above or below that; the house edge is small next to the swings.

Sources

BGaming, Plinko game page, checked 29 September 2026.
BGaming, Plinko rules (Return to Player section), checked 29 September 2026.
BGaming, Plinko free demo: paytable returned by the game, checked 29 September 2026.
Spribe, Plinko free demo: game configuration (house edge and multipliers), checked 29 September 2026.
Pegdrop, RTP and swing recalculated for all 36 tables from the binomial odds (method on How we test), checked 29 September 2026.

Plinko RTP and risk levels: what each version really returns