When you are looking to play slots, there are several things that you are going to need to think about. Most people are not aware of this, though. They take a quick glance at the game’s theme, maybe look at a few features, and then they are done.
However, in our opinion, there is something far more critical than either of these examples. It is slot RTP % and Slot Variance. We are going to take a look at what those mean on this page and how you can use them to adapt your betting strategy to help you chances to score the biggest wins for the least amount of money.
What Does RTP Mean?
Slot RTP means ‘Return to Player’. Companies do not run online slots and slot machines you see in land-based casino venues for the love of gambling. They run these slots to make money. This means a little bit of money will be trimmed away from the players for profit. The rest goes back into the hands of the players. RTP is a term used to signify this and is usually represented with a % amount.
For example, you may see a slot with an RTP of 97.3%. This means that 97.3% of all money that is put into that slot goes back into the hands of the players – over time. Depending on the reviews you read, you may see this listed as ‘house edge’ instead. If it is, this number will read as 2.7%, because that is the house’s edge. This means that, on average, for every £100 put into the slot, £97.30 is paid back to players.
Now (and this is important to understand) this will not work in practice every time you play, because an RTP is calculated over millions of spins and not per gaming session. Think of it this way: some players will score the big wins, which means that some players need to make losses.
The higher the RTP (and there are some slots which go up to 99% RTP, although they are rare) the more chance you have of breaking even. You never want to play at a slot with a dreadfully low RTP, because it means lower chances of winning. An online casino can get away with a lower RTP if they are running a progressive jackpot slot because some extra money needs to be taken to ensure all those systems are up and running and the jackpot is accrued to grow large and lucrative.
Slot “Variance” Explained
It’s also wise to pay attention to a slot games Variance. The slot variance tell us two things:
- How often will the slot pay out
- The size of the average prize
There are three types of slot variance. You have low, medium, and high. Let’s take low variance as an example. When a slot is low variance, it means that the game is going to pay out often. However, when it does pay out, the prizes tend not to be that high.
On the other hand, if a slot has a high variance, you may see some high prizes from the game. However, you may go dozens and dozens of spins before you see a win. With a high variance slot, there is a greater risk and prizes to get your hands on. A medium variance slot will lie somewhere in between the two. Most slots are going to be medium to high variance.
There are some low volatility slots out there, but they tend to be ‘beginner slots’ and are often not brimming with features, mostly because low variance slots can’t rely on features to dish out prizes as people would not be triggering them often enough.
Searching out a slot’s variance is probably best done by reading slot reviews. It will never be listed in a slot, but you should be able to work it out yourself. If there is little difference between the value of a low-value symbol and a high-value symbol, it is probably a low to medium volatility slot. If the variance between the two is relatively high, then it is likely a high volatility slot machine.
Getting The Right Casino Bonus For Your Game Play
The type of game that you play should be dependent on your bankroll. If you are playing high variance slots, keep your bets as low as possible. It will make it far, far easier on your wallet.
Having said this, it is widely known that this is where online casino bonuses come into things. The highest online casino bonuses are usually the best, but you need to also look at some finer details about the casino bonus before claiming. For example; if you have your eye on a large deposit bonus because you want to double up your deposit amount because you have your eye on a high variance slot like Microgaming’s Immortal Romance Slot, it’s a very good idea that you read the casino bonuses full terms and conditions before you start playing.
This is because some casino bonuses exclude the well-known “high variance” slots such as that one. This means no matter how much you play this game; it will never count towards the wagering requirements you need to fulfil so you can cash out any winnings. If you plan to play a selection of mixed slots and ones with mid-variance and volatility, then most casino bonuses should fit the bill; most of the time, online casinos will add some extra slot free spins into the mix too. Another option is to look out for no wagering casino bonuses because they do not have any play through requirements attached.
So there you have it, a rough guide to RTP and variance; the bottom line is to always read up and research before playing games and claiming bonuses, and by doing that, you will have plenty of options and knowledge to help your gaming session be as successful as it can (but don’t forget playing online slots is all about luck and random outcomes).
