Slot machine volatility.
Slot volatility matters. Be it your bankroll or your goals; slot machine volatility is tied to everything. The machine you choose to play at is ultimately going to decide your fate. It is also going to determine how long you play.

It is important to choose the slot machine properly. Slot players often make the mistake of choosing a highly volatile slot at the beginning of their journey as a slot player. You should only explore highly volatile slots if you have much to invest or are a professional player. 

As you move through the casino and try different kinds of slots, you will begin to understand the difference they make. Highly volatile slots may eat away your bankroll much faster than slots with low volatility. 

What is Slot Volatility?

To understand slot volatility, exploring the word “volatility” itself is important. When something is termed “volatile, ” that event’s outcome is extremely unpredictable. The more volatile a slot, the riskier it is to invest in. 

For some players, investing in a slot with higher risk is the way to play slots. But the more the volatility of a slot, the less often it will give you a payout. Although, when it does give a payout, it is going to be a big one!

In some games, progressive slot machines may build up jackpots for a while, often from around the country, before they produce a payout. In this case, you will be stuck for a while until you get your payout. 

However, since these payouts are completely random, you may also be able to get multiple big wins in a small period. The slots are called unpredictable for a reason. In the low volatile slots, you get many more payouts, but they are much smaller in comparison.

When to Play a High Volatility Slot?

High volatility means you are adding much more risk to your bankroll. This is because even though the payout is much larger, there is a lot of time between when you aren’t getting a payout. So, you can press the “spin” button all you want, but until your fate decides, you won’t be able to win.

The next obvious question is, “When should I play a high volatility slot?” The answer varies greatly. It is best to choose the high volatility slot when you have a lot of time and money to waste. However, if you are a beginner who just wants to have some fun gambling for a while, you should stick to slots with low volatility. 

It is important to determine what your goals are from the slots. If you have a lot of money to lose and don’t need to worry about your bankroll, you can definitely spend more on a highly volatile slot, lose, and still have enough left over to keep playing. In fact, for some slot players, the thrill slot machine volatility provides is enough entertainment in itself. 

Moreover, one of the best things about a highly volatile slot machine is that there is always a possibility that you will make it big. You can easily win a huge payout after a few small losses. If you can afford those losses, we suggest you go for it. 

When to Play a Low Volatility Slot?

On the other hand, a low-volatility slot is a low-risk slot. A lower volatility means your bankroll is suffering much less risk, but it will also get a lower reward if you win. 

Yet, this is a great choice if you like spending hours on the slot machine. You get many more wins frequently, which keep you happy and entertained for a long time. You also avoid getting bored, especially if there are small bonus features to keep you entertained throughout. 

As usual, if lady luck is feeling particularly in the mood to shower you with big wins, they are definitely possible on these slots. They are just not as frequent. 

How to Look for Slot Machine Volatility?

Although casino managers will not spell out volatility for you and will make it extremely hard to find, you can still figure it out yourself. Once you begin playing a slot, it doesn’t take long before you find out whether it is high or low volatile. 

Playing slots and experimenting is also a great way to determine whether you like one slot over another. Start playing online slots for free and try to figure out whether the slots are high or low volatile without looking at the description.

Try applying that knowledge in the real world when you have practiced enough. One great trick to figure out volatility is to look at the prizes. If they are really high, it may be a highly volatile slot.

Key Consideration

Remember that volatility isn’t the only thing that will affect your outcomes on the slot machine. The house edge will also change what you win and how much of your investment you may get back.

The higher the house edge, the lesser you can make for each bet. The house edge is much more defined, so be sure you figure out the house edge of the particular machine before you start betting!

Slot players playing online.
Picture of a slot machine jackpot.

Final Thoughts

In short, slot volatility is eventually going to determine how much you win or lose. Although your goals are going to matter, try considering your bankroll too. You don’t want to lose a lot at the start of the night. 

If you have a lot of money left at the end of the night, perhaps that is the time to try out a highly volatile slot and test your luck. But if you want to keep the money and quit to go back home with your earnings, that is also a great idea. Weigh out the pros and cons before you make a decision!

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