Have you ever wondered what factors influence the success rate of online slots? Is it just a pure luck game, or are there other elements at play?

Interestingly, there are some very specific variables at work that can alter your odds of hitting the jackpot and increase (or decrease) your chances. These factors include an online slots game’s volatility, variables of a slot, the payout percentage of each online slot machine (how much a machine pays out in winnings compared to the amount of wagers made) and your bankroll.

The Volatility of a Game

Volatility is very important when playing at online slots, and it is directly related to one basic fact: if you bet more, you’re more likely to win. That’s right, the most successful online slots players are those who bet the highest amounts possible on every spin.

Actuaries have determined that if you were to “bet it all,” your chances of winning would be a staggering 1 in 100 million! However, keep in mind that for almost all players and their bankrolls, betting the highest amount possible is not a feasible option.

Most players can afford to wager around $1 per spin, so in general there will be an inverse relationship between how much you can bet and your success rate.

“The good news is that there are very few (if any) slots that payout absolutely nothing, so you can rest assured that if you wager your money in a responsible way, then those losses will not have been for nothing. However, you should also be aware that the average payout on highly volatile slots is relatively low compared to “medium volatility” games,” says Mr. Ong of WS88, an online slots singapore-based site.

There is no way around this: if you want to win big slots, then go for the most volatile ones you can find because your chances of winning are greater than if you play lower volatility games.

However, there are other factors that take place in a slots game that can make the volatility go up or down. These are known as “the variables.”

The Variables of a Slot

There are anywhere between one and three different variables which affect the outcome of your spins on any given slot machine, and they are extremely important to be aware of.

  • Varied Reel. This feature actually affects the volatility of a slots game. In games with a “varied reel feature”, each spin is randomized, and you can receive anywhere between one and four of the same symbols on your reels. Some people believe that the three-reel slot is superior to other variations, but this simply isn’t the case. The variance in a game will determine your overall level of success, not whether the reels are on a three or five-reel slot machine.

  • Blank Reel. On some slots, there is a chance that you might get a blank reel during play. This doesn’t happen very often because it serves as an anti-cheat measure, but it is certainly possible. If this does happen, then your chances of winning are reduced slightly, so bear that in mind when playing, at, say, online slots singapore sites or to any online casinos with slot games.

  • Random Progressive Jackpot. Some games come with a random progressive jackpot which has its own payout table and can affect the volatility of the game for better or worse. You will be notified when this happens, and it will make the volatility of the game go up. This is especially prevalent in progressives slots, but they also happen on some non-progressive games.

Payout Percentage

The next factor that influences your online slots odds of winning is the payout percentage of each machine; this figure tells you how much a machine pays out in winnings compared to the amount wagered by all players.

Every online slot game has a different payout percentage, and these numbers can vary anywhere from 75% most of the time to 98% for some games.

It is important to note that as the payout percentage increases, so does volatility. So there’s an obvious trade-off here. Do you want more volatility or a higher chance of winning? That is completely up to the player.

Bankroll Management    

Finally, bankroll management is absolutely essential for playing online slots no matter how much you bet per spin and regardless of which games have the highest payout percentage. It’s very important to budget your money and stick to your budget no matter how badly you’re doing or what your current balance is.

Otherwise, you might be in for a negative bankroll experience and end up losing it all! That’s why it’s so important to manage your money wisely and always have a larger amount of money set aside should you need to last several rounds or sessions.

Takeaway

As you can see, there are a number of variables that determine the volatility of slot machines, which is why they have such different levels of success rates. Playing games with higher volatility will increase your chances of winning big, but this also means that you could lose more quickly if you get a couple of bad spins in a row.

Mr. Ong advises going for the highest volatility you can find. You should also be aware of the variables in a slot machine and how they affect your chances of winning since these things can impact whether a game is highly volatile or not.