Slip in a quarter or even a dollar to watch one fateful spin change your finances forever. Engage with a Megaways slot game to find one spin out of the blue avalanche to winning multipliers over 100,000x. Sure, playing slot games is 100% chance. However, you don’t have to take blind chances to try to hit the big one. This guide is meant for players, both new and veterans, to boost their odds for bigger payouts.
The RTP: The Foundation to Spin or Not to Spin
While the house edge applies to every casino game, slot players focus more heavily on the RTP. The RTP, Return to Player, is the opposite of the house edge. It serves as a pretty accurate gauge for players to help determine how much money they can reasonably expect to get back over a solid period of time from a $100 wager.
For this reason, most slot players focus on the slot games with at least a 95% RTP. This means from a $100 wager, over time, it is highly likely a player gets back $95. The 95% RTP is somewhat middle in the pack regarding the best RTP slot games. Therefore, the higher the RTP, the more desirable the slot game.
The Volatility: The Perfect RTP Partner
The best way to describe volatility is the perfect marriage partner to RTP. In some circles, you will hear volatility referred to as variance. Although there is a slight difference, for the most part, the terms are used interchangeably.
The volatility refers to the frequency with which players can reasonably expect to enjoy getting wins. Therefore, there is a strong relationship between the RTP and volatility. The higher the RTP, the lower the volatility, and the more frequently you can expect to get payouts. When dealing with slot games, these are the three variance levels:
- Low volatility: Slot games with at least a 96% RTP are considered low volatility. While low volatility slots usually don’t pay big, they do pay more frequently.
- Medium volatility: These slot games are in the middle of the road. The average RTP for medium volatile slots is 95%. You can usually find these slot games with a free spins round or a re-spin bonus.
- High volatility: These slot games are highly desired because they feature the biggest payouts, especially the jackpot slot games. However, the trade-off is that you can wait months or longer for big payouts. The usual RTP for high volatile slots is below 95%. They are also the most expensive, costing between fifty cents and a dollar per spin. However, the right spin, even months down the road, can lead to jackpot spins worth millions.
For those new to slot games, sticking with classic slots is a sound strategy. Classic slot games are low in volatility, so you can expect the RTP to be as high as 99%, like Mega Joker, or 98% for Bloodsuckers.
The Bonuses: Your Passport to Slot Game Heaven
Fortunately, because slot games are the most abundant, you can find the most bonuses. If the online casino supports a no-deposit bonus, it will work with most slot games, except for the progressive jackpot slot games and perhaps for those with an extremely high RTP. No-deposit bonuses are also a way to play online free slots so you can better understand the nuances.
Playing for free with no skin in the game helps you determine the true betting odds and a more realistic variance and payout schedule.
The general deposit match bonus also works with most slot games, except for progressive titles. Most deposit match bonuses offer a $1,000 max in bonus. Another friendly alternative for new players is the refund credits. Usually, new players receive between $500 and $1000 in refund credits after losing on the first day.
Undoubtedly, the free spins are the most abundant slot game bonus. For maximum effect, many free spin packages are part of the welcome bonus to further seal the deal for new players. When a new slot game hits the lobby, it is customary to find an exclusive free spin bonus to help players bond with the game.
