If you’ve played slots before, you are bound to have come across the term slot volatility, also commonly referred to as variance in gaming circles. It is one of the most elements of slot machine gaming that you must grasp before you start spinning reels available on leading iGaming sites like https://vulkanvegas.com/ca/category/slots.
Simply put, a slot machine’s volatility is a measure of how often a slot is likely to hit a winning combination and the probable size of payout achieved from the said winning combination. So, understanding a slot game’s volatility means that you can have an idea of the frequency of landing wins and the average size of payouts you should expect when you play. Read on to find out more information about this critical slot machine feature.
Slot Volatility Basics
There are three different levels of slot volatility you will come across.
High volatility slots are ones where you’ll strike wins less often than you’d probably like, but when you do, the win size is likely to be a massive payout.
Low volatility slots, on the flip side, present you with more frequent wins, but the payout is likely to be relatively small. The high volatility slots are what you’d describe as high-risk, high-reward slots, with the low volatility slots taking the low-risk, low-reward tag.
That being said, the third type is the medium volatility slots that offer an average win frequency with average-sized payouts. These slots are considered a favourite to players who prefer a mix of high and low-variance reel-spinning experiences in the same game. Before we dig deeper into the subject, here’s a quick summary of the three types of volatility:
| Volatility | Win Frequency | Win Size |
|---|---|---|
| High | Low | High |
| Medium | Average | Average |
| Low | High | Low |
Low Variance Slots
Low volatility slots are typically easier to play than high volatility slots. This perhaps explains why their win frequency is high. In addition to offering more frequent wins, these slots are known to slow down the rate at which you burn through your bankroll. Characteristically, they also provide lower-paying special power-up features like scatters, wilds and lower-paying symbol combinations. And sometimes they won’t even have any special features present.
These types of slots are your safest route to gambling if you are a risk-averse gamer. They are the perfect choice for anyone who just wants to have some fun and still have a chance to win big. So, if you want to check out a new game or don’t have a big spending budget, then the low volatility slots will do you good. In case you don’t know where to start, some of the most thrilling low-variance slots you can play today include:
- Immortal Guild by Real Time Gaming (RTG)
- Monkey Madness by Pragmatic Play
- Sunny Shores by Yggdrasil
- Starburst by NetEnt
- Wild Scarabs by Microgaming.
High Volatility Slots
High volatility slots are the exact opposite of low volatility slots. They offer bigger payouts thanks to a selection of higher-paying symbols and the availability of much more bonus features. And even though they bare a low win frequency tag, they are certainly the most popular types of games with high rollers.
If you are the type of player not willing to invest large sums of money in a slot game in the hope of more significant returns later on, then it is in your best interest to avoid high variance slots. So, if you enjoy the thrill of taking big risks on the reels, then the high volatility slots are certainly your niche.
In other words, you have to be a “go big or go home” kind of person to enjoy the high volatility slot games. So, if you’re willing to weather the high bouts of dry spells with the promise of significant wins, some of the most captivating high variance slots you can play are such as:
- Bonanza by Big Time Gaming (BTG)
- Book of Dead by Play n Go
- Gonzo’s Quest by NetEnt
- Wild Harlequin by Quickspin.
Medium Variance Slots
The medium variance slots offer a safe landing for most slot players who do not wish to play high or low volatility slots. Players who engage in this type of slot machines may not be averse to small risks but are unwilling to compromise their bankroll budget too hastily.
That’s because these games are characterized by a combination of small wins and considerable payouts in equal measure without taking you through particularly long spells of dry runs. Some excellent examples of medium variance slots include the likes of:
- Flame Busters by Thunderkick
- Wild Volcano by Amatic
- Reels on Fire by Swintt
- Almighty Sparta Dice by Endorphina.
It is up to you to pick which type of game you will enjoy best. With low volatility slots, you can play the game at a steady pace and win slowly through many spins. With high volatility ones, you get to invest higher amounts of bankroll, with the slots being more advanced and the potential payouts being big. The medium volatility slots will be more accommodating to all kinds of players. The choice is all yours!