Continuing our gambling terms series, teaching you how slots work and understanding the maths and creativity behind them, today we tackle "Volatility". A slots volatility is a measure of risk involved in a bet placed with different slots offering varying degrees of risk, these typically fall into three distinct categories low, medium and high volatility. Understanding these categories and their different characteristics will help you choose which games are more suited to your play style and aid in helping you gain a win.
Low Volatility
Lower volatility slots typically pay out little and often, the max win of this slot maybe reduced in comparison to medium or higher volatility slots but with the players goal being to win consistently, rather than hoping to be that one lucky player that wins a jackpot or max win. Lower volatility slots are typically preferred by players when wagering a match deposit bonus given by a casino or by more casual gamblers who want a spin but enjoy winning regardless of size. Popular examples of low volatility slots are;
Starburst By NetEnt
Thunderstruck 2 By Microgaming
Blood Suckers 2 By NetEnt
High Volatility
Higher volatility slot games are designed to pay much less frequently than low volatility releases but upon gaining a win it is usually much higher than could be won on its low volatility counterparts. These games commonly have jackpots attached to them and players should expect a series of winless spins during play, we would recommend avoiding these if you are on a strict budget as despite being able to award life changing wins the actual win rate is much lower. Popular Examples of High Volatility slots are;
Reactoonz By Play'n Go
Book Of The Dead By Play'n Go
Fishin' Frenzy Megaways By Blueprint Gaming
Medium Volatility
The best of both worlds, these slots combine the big wins of high volatility games whilst also providing frequent smaller wins typically associated with lower volatility slot releases. The beauty of medium volatility slots are that you can typically play them for a much longer play session than if you were spinning a high volatility slot with each spin giving you more chances of landing a big hit. Popular examples of medium volatility slots are;
Steam Tower By Netnet
Bust The Bank By Microgaming
Jumanji By Netent
Our previously discussed RTP rating although used as another way of determining a slots likely hood of winning is distinct from a slots volatility as jackpots, bonuses and free spins all help in giving an RTP percentage whereas volatility is a mere measure of win frequency regardless of these factors. Most online slots now come with a volatility rating indicating how volatile the slot you are playing is, however this type of information is not something game developers or casinos usually display although of course some do. We always recommend to not only gamble responsibly but to gamble smart, have an idea of what your budget is and how much of a risk you are willing to take when playing a slot by paying attention to its volatility level whether that be by reading a review, looking through the games provided information or using your own knowledge to weigh up the varying risks involved with each slot release.