Well the issue isn't whether or not they can change the %. I'm aware with the RTG software there's that capability. The questions I have are, why aren't more reputable casino's open with their payout %'s, have them posted on their website, or alert players when the percentages have changed? (have a monthly % report on the site or something) If a casino is well established, has a good reputation, has good customer service etc... informing players they dropped their % down a point or two should not scare away loyal players.
But back to my original and most important question. WHO of our loyal casino hosts is going to tell us what they are?
INetBet probably will, they have answered this question before, and recently gave me this information because a post in Winner Screenshots looked like RTG Video Poker had the option to recycle discards. iNetBet assured me that these games can only have their overall payouts changed by using alternative paytables. If we assume the RNG to be sufficiently random, it is possible to calculate the percentage payouts of all the table games mathematically. Slots are a little different, iNetBet have always maintained they stick to the 95% option, and do not mess with it, this assurance was also volunteered to me today, even though the main thrust was the possibility that VP could recycle discards.
Only the "manager bonus" has a max cashout at iNetBet (although presumably, if they gave another kind of no deposit chip, this too would have a max cashout), and Club World have a max cashout an any kind of free chip that does not require a deposit.
With the Reel Series slots, around 1% feeds the random jackpot, so for most players, the return would be 94%, but with the chance of hitting the RJ built into each spin. This has the effect of increasing the variance, as it is, in effect, a progressive slot model.
RTG operators also have the option to combine the RJ's to run over several slots, or even the entire lot. They can also define some of the other games to be progressive, or not, as they wish, mostly the stable of "classic" slots.
Reputable casinos that choose RTG have to struggle for credibilty though, this is not because of what they ACTUALLY do, but because of what RTG software LETS them do if they wish (and the rogues have been CAUGHT doing). Software such as MG does NOT allow individual operators to mess with payout percentages, the games are supplied "as is", to a paytable and percentage payout determined by MG, and operators have to either take a game as it comes, or not have it. This was the case with the early Classic Blackjack with a house edge of under 0.2%, it was rare to find the game at a MG casino. With EZBonus, and the ability to weight it at 2% or less, the Gold version is pretty much everywhere.
With RTG it is down to trust. Even if an operator tells you what the payout is set to, players have to trust that they are telling the truth. A rogue operator would give the answer that would encourage players to deposit, which would likely be the wrong one.