Online slot games are incredibly popular all over the world, with the collection of slots at any given online casino being the main draw for most players. Whether you’re playing on the new Realme phone or through your computer, the first games you’ll see at an online casino will most probably be slot games. With most of the top online casinos boasting over 500 slots and some having over 1000 slots, it can be difficult for gamers to know which games they should play to make the most of their game time.
Rather than letting some fancy artwork or pop-culture brand catch your eye, you should look deeper into the game’s programming to find the best games. Here, we’ll be breaking down elements like RTP, volatility, variance, and progressive jackpots to give you a good understanding of slot games and what you should look out for when you play.
How does RTP work in slots?
RTP stands for ‘return to player’ and is shown as a percentage value. It signals the frequency with which the slot game pays out wins to its players. So, the larger the RTP percentage, the more money that gets paid out to the general player base. You will often find the RTP percentage in the description or down the sidebar of the slot game once you’ve loaded it up. Most regular video slots will have an RTP percentage in excess of 85 percent, but they rarely venture north of 96.5 percent.
Seasoned online slot players seek out games with higher-than-usual RTPs as it will, on average, pay out more than games with low RTP percentages. Some of the highest payout slot machines boast lofty RTPs ranging from 96.6 percent all the way to 97 percent. Many of these games are a little older in terms of release date but have been able to stick around at top online casinos because the RTP-chasing players keep coming back.
What is volatility and variance in slots?
Some say variance, some say volatility, but we’re talking about the same thing with both terms when it comes to slot games. The volatility of a slot game dictates how risky the game is on each play. A high volatility slot, on average, presents a lower chance of your play returning a win. However, with greater risk comes greater potential reward as high volatility slots will average less payout, but the payouts that do come will generally be of greater value to those from low- or medium-volatility slots.
So, you have to find a slot that suits your preferred style of spinning. If you like regular payout to top up your balance while vying for the big jackpot, consider a low-volatility slot. If you’ve got a healthy balance and are willing to try and wait it out for larger returns, opt for the high-volatility slots.
What’s the deal with progressive slot games?
While they play likes slots and look like slots, progressive slots are fundamentally different in one key way: the jackpot. Online progressive jackpot slot games see players all over the world log-in to spin for the win; from every bet placed, a little bit goes towards the ever-increasing jackpots. Eventually, a player will spin the right combination to, most likely, get into the bonus game and play for the huge jackpot. In regular slot games, there are designated jackpot maximums, but progressive slots can keep ticking up for months.
Microgaming is one of the most famous providers of slots and progressive slots in the world. In 2016, their title Mega Moolah paid out the largest ever mobile jackpot win at close to €8 million. Available across all devices, progressive jackpots offer a unique way to play for ever-increasing jackpots and have proven to be very popular with regular gamers.
There’s an ever-expanding ocean of slot games out there. If you want to gain an edge on the casino, find games with high RTP, high volatility, or go all-in and battle for a multi-million progressive jackpot.