The national standard
One standard, many settings
The Australian/New Zealand Gaming Machine National Standard sets how machines and games must behave. Its Appendix B lists the values each jurisdiction chooses.
How it fits together
Revision 12.1 is dated May 2025. Jurisdictions adopt it through their own documents: Tasmania’s standards adopt it as their Appendix A, Victoria’s Commission brought 12.1 and its Victorian Appendix into effect on 1 August 2026, and the NSW page states it took effect there on 12 March 2026. A jurisdiction can also set some sections aside; Tasmania’s standards, for example, say sections 4.24 and 4.25 will not apply.
These parameters may be set by the jurisdiction, operator or manufacturer.
Rules in the body of the standard
These sections apply wherever the standard is adopted without an exception.
Game minimum RTP section 4.15
A game must have a theoretical/estimated statistical expectation that the minimum RTP of the game will be greater than or equal to [MINRTP].
National Standard 12.1, section 4.15 RTP tolerance section 4.17
Within a single game variation or configuration, a change to the betting options selected must not cause a change to the resultant theoretical RTP of more than 0.20%.
National Standard 12.1, section 4.17 No automatic start section 4.14
The gaming machine must not automatically initiate play after credits have been added the credit meter.
National Standard 12.1, section 4.14 No qualifying bet section 4.20
There shall be no qualifying bet requirement to win a top prize or a jackpot prize or game feature.
National Standard 12.1, section 4.20 Free game maximums section 4.22
The number of Free Games that can be awarded as a result of Free Game features is limited to a maximum of 20.
National Standard 12.1, section 4.22 No “Maximum Bet” button section 4.23
Buttons or any other player interface method, labelled ‘Maximum Bet’ or similar on gaming machines are prohibited.
National Standard 12.1, section 4.23 Near-miss designs section 3.11
Games cannot use a programmable ‘near miss design’.
National Standard 12.1, section 3.11
Return to player, as defined
The ratio of total wins (including progressives and other features) to the total turnover in a game cycle (note gamble bets do not affect turnover and total wins is only affected by the final gamble outcome).
What this means
The return to player is a ratio over the game’s whole cycle of outcomes, not a promise about a session. A minimum of 85% means the game’s design must expect to pay back at least 85 cents of every dollar bet over that cycle.
The parameters in Appendix B
- Maximum bet MAXWAGER
- Maximum wager permitted in a gaming machine game.
- Minimum return to player MINRTP
- Minimum acceptable RTP.
- Maximum return to player MAXRTP
- Maximum theoretical acceptable RTP.
- Note acceptor cut-off BKNTLIM
- The maximum credit balance which may exist on a gaming machine or account beyond which a note acceptor must be disabled due to a High Credit Balance condition.
- Largest non-jackpot win MAXNPWIN
- Maximum non-progressive win permitted in any game element (any individual primary or feature or gamble or bonus element).
- Largest jackpot win MAXPWIN
- Maximum progressive win permitted in a gaming machine game.
- Machine reserve RESERVE
- A functionality that allows a gaming machine to be reserved by a player without play for an appropriate length of time.
Definitions quoted from National Standard 12.1, section 11.1.