Slot Machine Volatility Explained: Everything You Need to Know

If you're joining the world of online slots for the first time, you'll find immediately that choice is the name of the game. Relatively any online casino will give you numerous slot titles to choose from, and selecting the proper title can be difficult. Many players might be drawn to certain games based on the promise of a progressive jackpot or just the graphics, and while those are valid ways to pick a game, the truly informed slot fans will evaluate games based on other things, such as RTP percentage, hit rate and more volatility. However, when you're new to slots it can be difficult to understand what volatility is, and which volatility is best for your gaming style. In this article, we're going to explain the ins and outs of the topic, along with examining what volatility is best for different types of players.

While volatility shouldn't be the only reason one picks a specific slot game, it is one of the key factors. Other factors players should consider when evaluating slots include the RTP percentage, the betting limits and how they apply to your specific budget, along with the prize structure. All of these will work together and properly determine whether or not the slot offers great payout potential, or whether not a game is just a dud. Before you even get into evaluating different volatility options, you should know that the volatility of a game, just like an RTP, is theoretical. The ratings are all based on statistical averages from thousands of spins. It's an overarching rating but won't determine how often you'll win in any given slot session. For instance, you could go 60 spins without landing a single win on a low volatility slot then eventually hit 10 wins from spinning 30 times on a high volatility game. The results of spins are still random, and there's no accurate way to fully predict the outcome of a slot session. However, by looking at the results of all sessions over time, you can group slots into the mhigh, low or medium categories.

Low Volatility Slots Explained

It's easy to run into misconceptions about slot volatility, but the reality is each level is beneficial but it depends on the type of player you are. When volatility in a slot is rated low, that means the game generally has a high payout frequency. However, since payouts hit more often than they do on medium and high-volatility slots, the average value of the payout will be lower than a high-volatility game.

For instance, a low volatility slot may have an average payout frequency of 80% but the average prize might be worth 70% of your bet size. On the other hand, a higher volatility slot will have maybe a 40% payout frequency but the average prize is 150% of your bet size. Some of the most popular games are low-volatility slots, including Starburst, Fishin' Frenzy Jackpot King, and Agent Jane Blonde Returns.

Starburst

This game was created by NetEnt in 2012, and is one of the most popular online casino games. This five reel slot features a starburst wild, which expands to cover the whole reel and offers players additional chances to complete a winning pay line, while also expanding to cover up an entire reel. It'll reward you with up to three respins, and is a great example of a successful low volatility slot. This game has an RTP of 96.09%

Agent Jane Blonde Returns

Agent Jane Blonde Returns is a Microgaming slot featuring re-spins, and a maximum win of 2,000x your total stake. This creative slot hosts one of the most popular original characters in the slot industry, and is basically a blonde, femme fetale version of James Bond, in a nutshell. She has her own exciting stories though, and this cartoonish slot is rendered with impressive graphics and creative characters.

Medium Volatility Slots Explained

Medium can be tricky to explain to new players because this volatility is sandwiched between two extremes. As the name would imply, medium sits between the high and low categories, and also implies players will receive a stream of medium sized payouts, that's actually not always the case. Many beloved, fan favorite slots fall into this category, as many players prefer an even balance of risk and reward. Players who can't decide between safety and risk often find themselves drawn to medium slot games, because there's an anticipation with these games that low-volatility games don't offer, without the high risk that high volatility forces upon you.

As I previously mentioned though, casino gambling is still gambling in any right, so there are no certainties. However, if we're discussing the original definition of volatility you'll realize this is still about statistical averages. If you're playing a medium volatility game, you will enjoy mid-sized payouts fairly regularly. There are also slots that lean towards one volatility or the other, even when they're classified as a medium volatility game. For example, there are medium-low volatility slots, that pay out a mixture of mid-sized and lower payouts in exchange for awarding more frequent sums, and there are medium-high slots that pay out mostly mid-sized payouts along with some higher payouts here and there. Some popular medium volatility slots include Eye of Horus, Magic Jokers, Rainbow Riches Fishin' Frenzy and the Big Catch.

Eye of Horus

This medium volatility slot is a dynamic Egyptian-style game with expanding wilds and free spins galore. This premise blend of simplicity and excellent atmosphere makes this an outstanding choice for both experienced and new players alike. The bonus rounds come with re-triggers and upgrades, and they offer a wide range of potential bets which compliment the otherworldy Egyptian graphics. This game focuses on Horus, and the game visuals feature other iconic ancient Egyptian imagery, and is designed with a vibrant color palette of mystique and power.

Rainbow Riches

This medium payout slot is by Barcrest, and is a five reel, three row slot with 20 fixed pay lines. The game has many bonuses, like the Pots of Gold feature, the Trail of Gold bonus, and the Wishing Well Bonus, all of these bonuses are triggered by landing special scatter symbols, too. Theme wise, Rainbow Riches explores the luck of the Irish with the main character being a leprechaun that pops up randomly as a symbol on the reels.

High Volatility Slots Explained

High volatility slots may sound the most alluring on the surface, but this is actually a low payout frequency option. So the payouts do not hit as often as the other options, however, when you do hit a win, the wins will pay out a lot more than low and medium volatility slots. The average value will always be higher than other volatility games, and the prizes are usually bigger than your bet. Some great higher payout slots include the legendary Big Bass Splash, along with Gold Blitz, and Book of Dead.

Big Bass Splash

Big Bass Splash by Pragmatic Play is a five reel, ten pay line game with an amazing Free Spins feature, along with other random features available in the base game. Once you're in, there are 5 modifiers that will give you more fish money, or Fisherman Wild symbols! The RTP for this game is 96.71%. This high volatility slot is the virtual fishing experience of your dreams, and players can win up to 5,000x your bet while playing this game.

Book of Dead

This slot is one of Play'n Go's best high volatility slot games, and is a 10 pay line slot with five reels and three rows of symbols, and comes with a variety of extras like a gamble round after every win, along with expanding symbols that rise during the extra spins mode. This adventurous slot follows the main character Rich Wild as he explores ancient Egypt.

How to Pick a Volatility Rating

Since volatility is based on how often a slot machine awards money, and the worth of those prizes on average, players will often pick out a game based on several different elements. High volatility is for players willing to wait for a worthwhile prize, so you need to wager more mone for a longer period of time. This makes this a high risk option, however, payouts that land when you hit a prize are huge. Meanwhile, low volatility allows players to win frequently but you'll probably win smaller prizes. This means when choosing volatility, you need to consider whether you prefer a high-risk, high reward game experience, or a low risk and low reward experience. That being said, it's not impossible to win larger prizes through low-volatility slots, or small prizes while playing high-volatility games. Both things can be true, but if you're a strategic player, you'll want to really examine a game’s potential. Some games have more payout potential than others, but the potential might not be fully realized during a short session. However, if you only have time for a shorter session, picking a game with lower but more frequent payout potential is probably the smaller choice. You have to base your decision on your budget, time, and your overall goals and desires.

The impact of volatility on a single session might not be immediately noticeable. You might not notice the difference in the amount you win on a high-volatility slot versus a low volatility slot. However, if you continuously play a game for a long period you'll start to notice the differences in both how often you win alongside the average size of the aforementioned payouts.

The Best Volatility For You

Every player is approaching a slot game in a different situation, with different personal preferences, and general goals. Timing is oftentimes key in this, because not everyone has the same amount of free time to dedicate to playing slots. For instance, you might prefer to play a high risk session because you'd rather win larger payouts, and you have plenty of time to dedicate to spinning. On the other hand, you might have less time and would rather accumulate loads of little wins over a session rather than betting high. There is no singular better option overall because it depends on the personal demands of someone’s life, their financial state and their ultimate goal. However, with a firm understanding of casino volatility and it's role in online gambling you can more easily choose the slot that is right for you. Knowledge is always power, and this is true when it comes to slot machine volatility as well. Remember, at most online casinos you can also play games for free, so take advantage of that if you're still figuring out what playing a high-volatility game versus a low-volatility game (or even a medium-volatility game) really looks like. You can test out most games for a long time without having to place any bets, which should help you familiarize yourself with both the game features as well as the overall payout potential of the game.