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Slots Volatility Explained  

Emma Smith | September 7, 2021 | Updated on: January 9th, 2024

Slots VolatilityIf you are an avid slot player, you have probably come across the term slots volatility a few times. However, what do volatility and slots mean, and should you be paying attention to this piece of information when playing slots?

There’s no definitive and set answer to this question. However, we will be sharing more insight on why the variance should play an important part in your decision-making when choosing games to play. You also find the difference between the volatility and variance of slots and the RTP of slot machines. Keep reading this guide for the difference between high medium and low volatility slots.

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Slots Volatility Index

What Does Volatility Mean In Slots?

In gambling, volatility is defined as the risk of losing a bet. Therefore, slot volatility defines how risky playing a particular online pokies is. This particular term will also tell you how often you can expect a slot to pay out and how big the expected payout will be.

Slot machines are categorized into three levels of volatility, mainly high, medium and low, which we will discuss below. When playing online or at a land-based casino, you would have noticed that not all casino sites will display the slot volatility information.

While this information may not always be readily available, a great way to determine the slot’s volatility is to check the paytable. The prize amounts mentioned will also most likely tell you what type of slot you are about to start playing. Knowing how to differentiate the slots will allow you to play slots suited for your bankroll and playing style.

Regarding the difference between the volatility and variance of slots, volatility is the risk of losing when playing slots. On the other hand, the variance looks at the frequency of a slot’s probabilities of landing on a winning combination. This is the slot average payout size.

Types Of Slot Volatility

Types Of Slot Volatility

As we had mentioned, there are three popular types of slot volatility categories. We explain what each type is as well as share free slot machines that fall under the category.

High Volatility Slot Machines

This is a high-risk slot category that rarely pays out. These slots are perfect for risk takers or those with large bankrolls. The slot machines in this category have very few but large payouts. The games will boast an RTP that is usually about 96%, offering players a thrilling experience.

These games usually have several lucrative bonus features, but not all games will come with these features. You will need the right type of budget and mindset to play the slots as not only will you be making risky bets, but you will also be facing very view payouts. We have handpicked the top 5 high-volatility slots that you should try out.

  1. Crystal Quest – Thunderkick
  2. Immortal Romance – Microgaming
  3. Book Of Dead – Play’N Go
  4. Moriarty Megaways – Isoftbet
  5. Aztec King Megaways – Pragmatic Play

Medium Volatility Slots

Medium volatility slots are the most popular gaming machines found at casinos and amongst Aussie players. This is because medium volatility slots offer the best of both worlds and terms of payouts and betting amount. The volatility in the slots allows you to play the games for much longer than what you would with higher volatility slots, as you won’t be spending as much.

This would again depend on the budget that you have set aside to be playing slots. The upside is that you can enjoy more frequent wins than what you would with high volatility slots, and the payout will be far better than what you would find in Low volatility slots.

Software developers have ensured that these slots also have several bonus features while giving players decent wins. Below are the top 5 medium volatility slot games available for Aussie players

  1. Gold digger – iSoftBet
  2. Jack’s and the Beanstalk – NetEnt
  3. Fire Joker – Play’ n Go
  4. Fire Busters– Thunderkick
  5. Mr Macau – Betsoft

Low Volatility Slots Meaning

This category is the complete opposite of the high volatility slots in that it offers low-risk bets but frequent payouts. While you’ll be making lower-risk betting, you can expect several little wins every couple of spins. It is easy to assume that these are boring slots as the payouts aren’t great.

However, that couldn’t be more untrue. These games also have interesting features and animations that will keep you entertained for a while. Also, with all the frequent wins that you’ll be getting, it’s hard to stay bored while winning money. With the right budget, you can enjoy a long and happy session of playing slots from various software providers.

The lower value winning combinations are what make these slots extremely popular amongst slots players. Here is a list of low volatility slots that you should try out.

  1. Lava Gold – Betsoft
  2. Starburst – NetEnt
  3. Enchanted Garden II – Real Time Gaming
  4. 1429 Uncharted Seas – Thunderkick
  5. Holmes And The Stolen Stones – Yggdrasil
Determine The Volatility Of The Slot Machine

How To Determine The Volatility Of The Slot Machine

The slot’s volatility will not always be in full display with each game you choose to play. Being able to determine the volatility of the slot is favourable for any slot player. So how would you determine the volatility of the slot if this information was not displayed?

For starters, it would be easy to assume that the size of the prizes on the game either makes the slot a low or high volatility slot. However, in some cases, this could be the exact opposite. Fortunately, there are a few things that you can look at that can easily help you determine what type of slot you are about to start playing.

  1. Play the Game For Free – Trying out the slot machine for free for a while can give you an idea of which category the game will fall under. When using the demo version of the game, you don’t have to worry about risking any money, therefore, giving you enough time to play the game until you know which category the slot falls under. Unfortunately, this can take several rounds, arranging anything between 500 and 1000 spins.
  2. Check Out the Game’s RTP – The software developer usually determines the return-to-play rate over multiple spins. This will indicate whether or not the game is a low, medium or high volatility slot. The higher the RTP rate, the higher your chances of winning. This makes the game less volatile, whereas slot machines with a lower RTP are generally considered more volatile.
  3. Check the Maximum Bet Size On The Slot – Another indicator of slot volatility can often be found in the maximum bet size. A smaller maximum bet can mean you are playing a higher volatility game as it is commonly found that slot that offers lower prices accept small bets

High Volatility Vs Low Volatility Slots

To make differentiating volatile slots better, we have created an easy-to-follow table. We mention features of both categories as well as what you can expect from both.

High Volatility Slots Best Low Volatility Slots
Require a big bankroll Has more pay lines the games
Offer bigger wins Features a lot of wilds
Bonus features are rarely triggered Requires a lower minimum bet
Feature always pays ‘all way wins’ model generally between 243 or 1024 ways to win Great to play if you don’t mind getting smaller payouts
Has to scatter symbols combined with all ways to win You can play for longer sessions

 

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