Slot Machine Volatility Explained: Everything You Need to Know

Slot games can have all kinds of features, but one of the most important facets of any slot has nothing to do with how it works or what theme it uses. Instead, it relates to slot game volatility. If you’re not sure what this means or you’ve never even heard of it before, keep reading. It’s important that you know all about it.

What does slot volatility mean?

Slot machines can have high or low volatility levels, with some slots deemed to be somewhere in the middle of the two extremes.

If a slot is said to be a low volatility game, it means it will be more likely to pay plenty of smaller prizes quite regularly. Conversely, a high volatility slot is more likely to drop much bigger prizes, but it won’t do so that often. You are more likely to get long periods of no prizes at all with high volatility machines. Low volatility ones usually pay out more often, but the prizes are smaller.

That said, you cannot predict the outcome of any spin on any slot machine. This means a low volatility machine could drop the jackpot, while a high volatility machine might end up paying out several smaller prizes. It simply refers to how likely each type of prize is to land, and how often.

How can you gauge a slot game’s volatility level?

In some cases, you will be able to identify the level when you load the slot game. For example, it might appear on the loading screen or inside the paytable. Some providers give five-star ratings for their games, with more stars given to denote higher volatility levels.

Alternatively, you can go online and search for the title of a game and see what you can find out about it. You should be able to find information that way, or by visiting the game studio’s website if you know who created it.

Decide what matters most to you before you choose a game to play

The lure of trying to win a big prize is obvious, but there are plenty of advantages to playing the lower volatility games. They have a better chance of paying out smaller prizes more often, after all, whereas a high volatility game may provide a quiet period with zero prizes. This isn’t ideal if you only have a small budget to play with.

Whichever game you play, make sure you know the volatility level before you begin. At least that way you will know what is more likely to happen before you get underway.