Slots are the most popular casino game, both online and offline. It’s easy to understand why. They can offer incredibly complex special features and thrilling bonuses while keeping core gameplay simple. They can offer frequent wins and small payouts, or rare scores with mouth-watering jackpots! Slots are endlessly customizable and come with a variety of different themes. They are the perfect casino game for both developers and players.
These strengths are also a major weakness for slots. You can only spin the reels, and occasionally choose what special feature to play. The lack of control makes it impossible to devise a strategy to win at slots. Even then, the way every title is different from one another would make it impossible to create a guide for every slot. Does that mean it’s impossible to win with slots?
Of course not. It simply requires a different approach. Punters who want to win with slots need to use the fact there are so many games of this type. Each one has a slightly different configuration and our job is to find the best one for us! Finding the perfect balance between fun and rewarding is half the excitement of playing slots.
Check the RTP
Other casino games tend to have a fixed Return to Player (RTP), so long as you play them optimally. For European Roulette, your RTP will ever be around 97.30%. Keep in mind RTP does not guarantee you will always win that amount of money. However, the higher this value is, the greater the chances of winning are.
Each slot sports a different RTP due to their varied designs. When you find a game that looks like it’ll be fun, you should check its RTP. Sometimes, this value will be available in-game. At other times, you’ll need to look it up online.
Depending on the developer, the RTP for a slot may be configurable by the online casino. If that’s the case, only trust the RTP value listed on the casino’s website, if one is available. The average RTP for online slots is around 96%. The higher this goes, the better it is for you!
Check the Volatility/Variance
Volatility and variance are two terms used to describe the same thing: how frequently the game pays. Now, with as many options as online slots offer us, we are sure some games break these rules. In general, you can expect the following things depending on the slot’s volatility.
- Low variance: Frequent wins and special feature activations, small prizes.
- Medium variance: Strikes a balance between frequent and rewarding wins.
- High variance: Rare wins and special feature activations, huge prizes.
Which one you play ultimately comes down to your budget and preference. If you have the patience and money to play a high volatility game, we advise doing so. They come with the best possible winning potential if you get lucky! Low variance is for punters who prefer small, frequent wins that build up over time. If you would like an experience that offers a bit of both, then medium volatility is for you!
Consult Other Players
Both of the values we mentioned earlier are important, but they are ultimately just numbers on a page. As we already mentioned, many titles have an RTP averaging around 96%. That said, only a few of these games will become popular with players.
Slot review sites have a stake in making the game they review look good. We are not saying there are no trustworthy reviewers out there. However, there will always be a slight conflict of interest. In contrast, your fellow punters on forums have no reason to lie about their experiences. If a game does not pay that often or feels terrible to play, they will usually say it outright, with no sugar coating.
That said, you should not let every bit of negative feedback drive you away. Only two types of players will go out of their way to comment on a slot: ones that had a great time, and ones that had a horrible time playing it. Most punters who had an average experience will not go out of their way to say anything about the game. Use what your fellow players say as an unbiased overview, but do not take it as gospel.
Try it in Demo Mode
Online casinos and slot software providers face very steep competition. With so many options out there, there’s an incentive for them to do whatever it takes to attract customers. That’s why many websites will allow you to try a slot you’re interested in for free. In fact, they won’t even insist that you register an account!
We understand that a demo mode with fake money will never be as exciting as the real deal. We are not suggesting you spend three hours meticulously testing a title. That said, you will quickly get a feel of how a slot plays and how frequently it pays. If you are enjoying it and it meets all previously mentioned criteria, then you can swap to real money play.
Budget Carefully
How strict your budget will be, depends on how much you can afford to spend. It also depends on the game you’re playing. High volatility titles will demand more of your budget because wins are less frequent. Budgeting is an essential aspect of every game, but doubly so for slots.
Slot spins are very frequent, which is something to keep in mind when planning your budget. We advise wagering so you can play around two hundred spins in that particular session. It should give you plenty of time to win a special feature or two. With all these steps and a little bit of luck, you might come out ahead in the end!
