Slots are characterized by volatility, one of the essential features of these popular games. Volatility is the pace and size of winnings awarded to players. In the general context of gambling, volatility refers to the risk of losing a bet. Because it is unequivocal that any push of the button on the slots means a bet. How often is this bet winning? Volatility tries to establish and provide clues.
Volatility refers to the risk of losing a bet
Gambling is influenced in whole or in part by chance. This means that the outcome of the game (winning or losing) is determined by a lot of factors beyond the skill and ability of the player. With money management anyone can set a clear win/loss limit, playing time, personal expectations according to their budget.
In relationship with the player, volatility shows the risk I take when I choose a slot. It represents how often and how much I can expect to win. Volatility is a driver of short-term gains. The concept is correlated with the player payout ratio (PPR), which shows the percentage of total bets refunded over a long period of time. Because of this, I am talking about an RTP declared by the manufacturer.
Slot volatility
Volatility is classified as high, medium or low
Here, as an example, are 17 slots considered to have high volatility: Immortal Romance, Football Star, Supe It Up, Break Da Bank Again, African Quest, Dead or Alive 2, Twin Spin Megaways, The Wish Master, Vikings, Secret of the Stones Max, Drago – Jewels of Fortune, Bonanza, Medusa 2, Book of Dead, Jammin Jars, Tomb of Akhenaten, 300 Shields. It is clear that these games can offer tempting wins for any player, but the payout pace is slow.
To remember:
- Low volatility = small and frequent gains
- Medium volatility = higher gains but harder to get
- High volatility = gains that can be very high but very hard to achieve
High volatility games have less frequent winning combinations but higher prizes. Also, games that offer small regular wins with fewer paylines are called low volatility games. Whether offline or online, volatility influences the chances of hitting a jackpot, but it also relates to the risks involved in each game.
Slot
Although an essential factor to consider when choosing a game, slot volatility disclosure is not required and is not always available. At most, some operators display a volatility rating of 1-5 stars. When I choose 3-star volatility, I will probably be playing a medium to high risk game. A rating scale that can be discussed and analyzed in detail without influencing the players’ choices too much. Why? Maybe it’s because each of us has preferences, we like to take risks differently, we have different budgets and expectations when we have fun.
However, any slot tends to reveal its volatility after 50 or 100 hands. That’s when it’s practical because I can check the pay table. Slots that promise massive prizes will most likely be those with high volatility, as they certainly won’t award that amount every few spins.
Many reputable manufacturers have medium volatility slots in their portfolios. At the same time, many high RTP slots are among the medium volatility games.
New medium-volatility slots are created less frequently, as high-volatility slots with huge potential payouts attract many categories of players, and the demand cannot be ignored.
Medium volatility slots offer a good balance between the maximum possible win and how often it can be achieved. The maximum possible win is usually somewhere between x1.000-x5.000 of the stake used.
Here are some slot titles considered benchmarks for average volatility: Steam Tower, Toki Time, Halloween Fortune, Dragons Awakening, Bust The Bank, Divine Fortune Megaways, Guns N Roses, Golden Tour, Ancient Fortunes: Zeus, Starmania, Gordon Ramsay: Hell`s Kitchen, Apollo – God of The Sun, Monopoly Big Event.
Regardless of the volatility or variation of slots, the choice of a slot game still depends on the player’s personal choice and the amount of money they can spend.
We have also reached low volatility slots. Reading the above, you may think that low volatility slots give you everything you want. Since it’s not quite like that, it’s good to be careful and informed. When it comes to this category, I know I have to choose a high RTP slot. Otherwise, I will all too quickly be disappointed by the winnings (too many times less than the stake).
Choose very high RTP games if they have low volatility
Games famous for their low volatility include: Secrets of Atlantis, Blood Suckers II, Holmes and The Stolen Stones, Wild Lava, Eastern Emeralds.
There is a huge correlation between low volatility and the frequency of winning spins. The less volatile a slot is, the more often it will produce line wins. Therefore, the frequency of winning spins for low volatility slots is usually much higher than average (25% on average, 30-40% for low volatility slots).
In the case of this vampire hunter game, I caught on pretty quickly to the attractive combination above. After about 20 spins on 1.25 bet. The payout was 63.76, 51 times the stake.
Volatility or variation?
Volatility and variation are synonymous terms used by experienced casino players, but they have different meanings. Volatility is often a term used in finance when discussing stock market risks and options, while variation is a term used by poker players and, very recently, slot games. Both terms refer to the risk factor in slot games and give players an idea of the cash prizes and winning combinations that can be accessed during play. It is the frequency and amount of winnings and risks taken when playing and having fun at a slot machine.
Knowing what it’s all about is a real help when choosing my game, deciding how much to play, how much I can afford to lose or expect to win, how much time I have to have fun. My choices are entirely my own and I try to be as informed as possible. It’s simple to do a Google search for a game and consider the factors I’m really interested in.
