Double Diamond RTP and volatility: 95.40% or 95.44%, and why it can swing

Double Diamond’s online RTP is published as 95.40% in IGT’s rules file at Borgata Online and as 95.44% on Bally Casino’s game page, which most likely reflects two configurations of the same game. Its sibling Triple Diamond publishes 95.06%. IGT gives no volatility rating for either game, and machines on casino floors run payback settings each casino chooses.

Why are there two RTP figures for Double Diamond?

The two numbers come from two different sources describing the same title. The most likely explanation is two configurations of the game, with each casino’s version showing its own figure. We cannot confirm which casino runs which, so the practical rule is simple: the figure on the rules screen of the game you open is the one that applies.

The difference is tiny. At 0.04 percentage points, it amounts to 40 cents per $1,000 wagered.

What 95.40% means in dollars

RTP is measured against everything you wager, including wins you play back through the game. Take a hypothetical $500 wagered, for instance 500 spins at $1:

These are averages over an enormous number of plays. IGT’s rules text warns that a single session can land far from them in either direction, and more so the fewer spins you play. In 500 spins you could finish well ahead or lose much more than $23.

Why a one-line classic can feel streaky

IGT publishes no hit rate and no breakdown of where Double Diamond’s return comes from, so we can describe only the structure. The game has one way to win per spin, no free spins or bonus to spread returns across a run, and multipliers of 2x and 4x plus a top award for three diamonds. As a general principle, the more of a game’s return sits in less frequent, larger results, the more its sessions run as stretches of small or empty spins broken by occasional bigger wins.

IGT’s own help text links the game’s simplicity with the volatility that comes from a single payline, without putting a rating on it. Labels you see elsewhere are not drawn from a published IGT figure.

A dry spell is not a sign that a win is coming. The rules state that the odds stay the same whatever happened on earlier spins, so a top award is exactly as likely on the spin after one as on any other.

Floor machines and online RTP

IGT still sells games from the Double Diamond family for casino floors, such as Double Diamond Deluxe and Triple Double Diamond on its mechanical-reel line. Each casino picks the payback setting for its machines from options IGT offers, and no per-machine figure is published. So 95.40% and 95.44% describe the online game only, not the cabinet at your local casino. Casino floor vs online explains why the two can differ.

How to check the RTP yourself

1. Open the game and go to its help or rules screen from the in-game menu.
2. Make sure the title matches: Double Diamond and Triple Diamond carry different figures.
3. In IGT’s Double Diamond file, the RTP is the last line of the rules section.
4. If you cannot find a figure, ask the casino’s support team before you play.

Keep reading

If the nine-line version tempts you, Double Diamond vs Triple Diamond compares cost per spin and the extra small pays. To see the game without staking money, read playing Double Diamond free, and set a budget first with our responsible gambling guide.