There are literally thousands of different slots, all with different themes, different bonus features and different winnings. As players we are drawn to different games for a variety of reasons. Some people like to play slot machines for huge jackpots because they like to dream that one day they can just get lucky and earn a life-changing amount. Other players like to play regular-winning games that offer regular bonus games.
Although most players are not aware of it, volatility actually plays an important role in deciding which games we prefer to play and understanding it can increase fun and profitability.
What is volatility?
In term of slots, volatility can be seen as a risk and used as a description of how risky the game is. If you have played online slots before without a doubt, you will notice that some games pay regular profits, but others seem to go through long dry periods when you win nothing. This is not because of luck, but because of volatility.
A high-volatility slot machine will have very little winnings, but when it does, the winnings are very large sums. Progressive jackpot games are a perfect example of a high-volatility slot. This type of game is not suitable for all players as it requires a lot of patience and a serious budget to survive after zero turns before you make big profits. However, high-volatility games usually have large jackpots and offer the thrill of playing lottery prizes.
Low-volatility games are just the opposite - they pay regular profits, and bonus games are activated frequently. The profits from these types of slots tend to be small and frequent, which is great for your budget, but they rarely offer large jackpots and usually pay modest amounts.
RTP percentage
Return to Player (RTP) percentage is another factor that can help you determine which games are best, although casinos do not always provide such information. Almost all games are now run by random number generators (RNGs) and are pre-set to return a certain amount to the casino. This is often called "house edge".
The gaming machine can have 95% RTP, which means that for every € 1 spent on the machine, € 0.05 goes back to the casino and € 0.95 goes back to the player. This does not apply during your one-hour gaming session, as it averages over millions of spins throughout the life of the machine, but if you happen to win, it's only because someone else has lost, and the casino will receive its 5% regardless. There may even be a situation where the slot pays a large sum and the casino temporarily stops operating but will always be profitable in the long run.
The percentage of RTP can vary a lot with different games, with some reaching 85% and others up to 97%. Clearly, it makes sense to play a game with a higher RTP rate, as you are more likely to win more often.
Volatility and variation
In the world of gambling, volatility and variation mean almost the same thing. A high-variance game is one that pays infrequently but has higher potential winnings, and a low-variance game is one that pays very small winnings on a regular basis, but offers small jackpots.
It's not always easy to tell which games have high or low variation, but a quick look at the payout table can give an indication of the instability of each game. Games that have huge jackpots are easily seen as games of great variation, since they would not be able to accumulate money to support such a large payout unless they paid very little in the way of small profits. The payout table can tell you how much you can earn if you hit the jackpot slot.
You can also look at the difference between the payouts for a match of four symbols and five symbols. If there is a big difference, for example, the five symbols would be 15 or 20 times the payment for the four symbols, this is another sign pointing to a high variation slot. If there is a slight difference between 3-5 times the payout, this shows a game with a low variation.
High volatility slots
So what type of game should you play? Well, there is no right or wrong answer and it depends more on the type of player. You need to play high-volatility games if you want to chase big winnings and don't mind being patient while spinning in anticipation of big winnings. You will also need a large budget to deal with the times when you are not winning and to be a player who will gladly give up if he has spent his budget.
High-volatility games can be very profitable if you play them in the long run, but you must be prepared to accept the no profit moments, as well as the winning ones.
Low volatility slots
Low-volatility games are usually much more fun and more suited to players who like a lot of action and bonus features and aren't looking for huge profits. Payouts for low-volatility games happen all the time, although they are often a little more than your original bet. Bonus games are also activated much more often, but again the payouts are much smaller.
Low volatility games are a good choice if you have a limited budget, as there are rarely times without profit and some players prefer them because the game is more exciting. With limited budget, you can also try our free slot games.
