How to Understand Slot Variance and Volatility
Low to High – Variance and Volatility in Slots
Variance and volatility are two key cogs in the reels of every slot machine, whether online or in a land-based casino.
They impact the values of winning combinations, how often the games pay out, and even some of the bonus games available.
How do they do this? Read on to find out about slot variance and volatility here at Virgin Games, so you know what to look out for when spinning.
What is Slot Variance?
There are three types of Slot Variance to know when playing slot games online: low, medium and high. Variance in slots shows how much the game will move from its average payout.
Some machines can award similar wins, even over a slightly longer session, while others can have a wide range of low and high-value prizes.
Low Variance
If you’re looking for a gaming experience with the highest chance of hitting paying combinations, go for low variance slots. They are more likely to land winning spins regularly, though prize values will often be smaller.
Low variance games are ideal for players who want all the fun of playing online slots for real money with the chance to win more frequently.
Medium Variance
Next up are the medium variance slots, where there is an opportunity to trigger more valuable rewards. This could be through higher-paying symbols or even bonus rounds that feature bigger multipliers.
Expect wins to form less often than in the low category, and the payout sizes can be inconsistent, but there could still be a steady stream of matching symbols to collect.
High Variance
Lastly, we have the high variance slot machines. Wins can be harder to come by and may be spread unevenly, but there’s a good chance the top prizes will be worth the wait if they appear.
Want to try out some high variance games? Look out for any game with a jackpot, such as Eye of Horus: Jackpot King or Double Bubble Triple Jackpot, plus our Megaways slots which can have over 100,000 ways to win on every spin.
Return to Player
We mentioned the standard payout of a machine above, and here’s why it’s important.
Slot variance is closely linked with the return to player (RTP) rate in slot games, and it’s the average return to expect when you play slots online. So, if an RTP is 96.67%, it means that out of every £100 wagered, the machine will pay out an average of £96.67.
When a game has a high RTP, payouts should all be similar levels throughout your spins. A big win is unlikely, but matching symbols should hit more often to form combinations.
Slot machines with a high RTP are great for players starting out with a smaller bankroll, with regular payouts more likely.
What Does Volatility Mean in Slots?
By looking at the volatility range, you can work out how unpredictable a machine is. It could award smaller wins more often, or may have less frequent payouts but the opportunity to play for more valuable awards.
Three categories determine the volatility of a slot - low, medium and high. Here’s a little more about each of them…
Low Volatility Slots
Looking for slots to play that are likely to land winning combinations more often? Then check out our low volatile games, including Thunderstruck 2 and Zeus: God of Thunder.
Don’t expect to hit massive payouts through matching symbols or bonus features, but they should return individual wins more often, particularly in the short term.
Generally, the maximum award on low volatile machines will be around 500x a stake.
Medium Volatility Slots
As you would expect, the medium category offers a middle ground for players. Game features offer more valuable prizes than in low volatility games, as they can have bigger multipliers and extra re-triggers of bonus rounds. This normally goes up to around 5,000x in terms of bet multipliers.
The win frequency is also better than the top end of the spectrum, so they should be triggered more regularly.
High Volatility Slots
Play high volatility slot machines for the chance to win bigger prizes! Games in this range include Daily Jackpot and Jackpot King games, which offer progressive jackpots and other exciting rewards.
As these slots are more volatile, they are likely to pay out less often than low and medium games. But when they do, they can create some red-hot moments, with prizes of 5,000x and above up for grabs!
What’s the Difference Between Slot Machine Volatility and Variance?
While volatility and variance have a lot in common, they’re not exactly the same. The latter is closely tied with RTP and is more about how the payouts will deviate over a longer time. If there is a low variance over 100 spins, expect wins to be worth a similar amount each time.
Volatility refers to the size of the prizes in the game, plus how often they’ll land. progressive jackpot slots generally have high volatility, as winning combinations hit less frequently but the payouts can be much more valuable.
How To Pick the Right Online Slot Game
Before spinning the reels, we recommend checking out the game lobbies once you’ve logged in. You’ll find all the finer details about each online slot machine, including the bonus features, RTPs, volatility level and bet sizes.
Want to play for big multipliers and jackpots? Go for games with high volatility and variance. Prefer to have a better chance of hitting winning combinations? Low-risk games will be right up your street.
The good news is, we’ve got every type of slot in our collection.
Sign up and start playing at Virgin Games to discover 900+ classic slot titles. Thrilling moments await!