What are wager free spins?

Wager free spins are free spins that you get from an online casino where all winnings are yours to keep. You do not have to wager your winnings to be able to withdraw them. This is a great value proposition as the free spins are not only risk free, you also get a much better chance of winning some real money.

Of course, if you want to stake your winnings at a different casino game you are perfectly fine to do so. Wager free spins give you the freedom to do exactly with your money as you please.

Wager free spins give you a real advantage over free spins that come with a wagering requirement. We therefore strongly advise you, when looking for an online casino that gives away free spins on a regular basis, to chose a casino where all free spins are wager free. 

Wager free spins vs spins with wagering requirement

Time for a small example that shows exactly what the difference is between wager free spins and spins that come with wagering requirement. 

  • Casino A has a wagering requirement of 30x winnings. You have to wager your winnings thirty times before the money is yours, 
  • Casino B offers wager free spins: everything you win is your to keep. 
  • You win a nice amount of money from your free spins: $80. 

Would you rather have to playtrough $2,400 ($80 x 30) at Casino A before you can withdraw the money or would you rather have full acces to your winnings straight away at Casino B?

Of course, casino B is the only correct choice. 

More and more casinos offer wager free spins

Luckily, more and more online casinos are giving players free spins that are wager free. As you are probably aware, there are lots of different free spins bonuses available for online casino players.

You can get a free spins bonus as part of a welcome package, as part of a loyalty programme or just as an extra free gift from the casino. Free spins are a great and no risk way to extend your playing time or to try out a new pokie. 

Which casinos offer wager free spins?

This is our selection of the best online casinos that offer wager free spins:


 

Guts wager free spinsGUTS – this casino not only offers the fastest payouts but also wager free spins. Get up to 100 wagerfree spins on Starburst as part of your welcome package.

GUTS offers a stellar gaming experience that will please even the most demanding players.

GUTS offers great pokies from Netent, Microgaming and Thunderkick. 


 

lucky dino wager free spinsLucky Dino – a playful and fun casino that offers up to 120 wager free spins as part of the welcome bonus.

The Spin-O-Saurus rears its head every sunday: you can earn supersized wager free spins just by playing!

Lucky Dino offers more than 200 pokies from Netent and Microgaming. 


 

thrills casino wager free spinsThrills – one of our favourite casinos, Thrills is not only stylish and cool, it offers players more than 700 of the best online casino games.

All free spins are wager free at Thrills, including the 50 Starburst spins you get when you make a first deposit and the numerous free spins that you get when reaching set goals in the wonderful Bonus-O-Metre.

Don’t forget to play on Sundays when the lightning mode is active: you will get your wager free spins twice as fast!


More great articles?

Free pokie spins – all the best free pokie spins bonuses

Free Starburst spins – where can you find the best Starburst free spins bonuses

Casino bonus tips – ten great tips that will help you to make the most of your online casino bonuses

How to choose the right online slot

Honey Rush slot play'n go huge win

Have you ever lost some serious money with slots and felt afterwards, that you played the wrong slot? Or that you played too long? Or did anything else wrong?

Of course, it is easier to say afterwards what could have gone better. Everybody makes mistakes. Most important is that we learn from mistakes.

We made hundreds of thousands of spins with the 50 most popular slots. To get an idea of how slots work and to understand when and how often the massive prizes are paid out.

Prizes paid out by slots are different for all slots, making them unique

We found out that all slots are different.

  • Some pay out prizes very often; others don’t.
  • Some pay out massive prizes; others don’t.
  • Some have bonuses or free spins; others don’t.
  • Some have a high variance; others don’t.
  • Some have a high RTP; others don’t.

slot-strategies-1-financial-slot-characteristics

Slots are so different, which makes them extremely interesting. We are not only talking about the graphics and the sounds but mainly about the financials of slots.

Below, we give you some tips and tricks on slots. See these as a guideline to help you choose the right slot and more critical, understand when you have to stop.

Before we do, we will briefly explain some critical measures for slots such as the theoretical RTP and the variance of a slot.

slot-strategies-2-financial-slot-definitions

How online slots differ from each other – 4 slot characteristics

Below we describe briefly the four financial characteristics of slots and what makes each of the slots unique.

The Theoretical return of slots

The theoretical return to player of slots (theoretical RTP) tells you how much the slot pays out in the longer term. If, for example, the Theoretical RTP of a slot is 96%, you can expect to get $96 paid out in prizes for every $100 that you stake. The $4 is then in-built casino house edge. After all, the casino also needs to make money.

The higher the theoretical RTP, the better it is for you as a player.  Usually, online slots have a theoretical RTP between 95% and 98%. If it is higher than 96%, we classify it as reasonable.

Don’t play slots that have a theoretical RTP below 95%. In that case, you are giving too much money away, and it makes sense to find a better paying slot – lots of online slots have a theoretical payout percentage of over 97% or even 98%.

The variance of the slot – higher prizes equals higher variance

Slot variance is an indicator of how often huge (or even mega) prizes are won when you play a slot.

A slot with a high variance has more potential to pay out huge prizes than one with low volatility. When playing low or medium variance slots you can, on rare occasions, maybe win up to 100x to 500x of your bet. Compare that to some high variance slots where you have winnings up to 3,000x, 5,000x or even a mind-blowing 10,000x your stake.

High variance slots, when it comes down to it, offer you an “all or nothing” scenario. Win massive payouts or lose your shirt in a hurry.

Prize distribution of slots

The prize distribution of a slot is linked strongly to the variance of a slot. A high variance slot pays out more massive prizes. Low variance slots pay smaller prizes: these are paid out much more often though. The latter is the major advantage of low variance slots.

Features and free spins

Many slots offer attractive features and free spins. Some slots have many of these, and some slots do not. It is not necessarily the case that slots with more features pay out more. Nevertheless, players get a feeling that this is the case.

Slots work with a Random Number Generator (RNG). The features and the free spins are a visualisation of the prize you have won, which is determined (in advance) by the RNG.

What is the best slot to play? How many spins do I need to make?

Now, that we just took you to the more theoretical part of this story, let’s get to the real deal. The key questions are:

  • What type of slot do I want to play? A high variance or a low variance?
  • How many spins do I want to make?
  • How high should the total bet per spin have to be?
  • How high is my bankroll?
  • When do I stop playing?

Once you have made clear for yourself, what you prefer to do, you can select the right slot and strategy.

These questions look trivial: unfortunately, they are not. We found it is easier to identify ourselves with one of the player profiles we see below.

Do you identify yourself with one of the four slot player profiles below?

PLAYER TYPE 1: RECREATIONAL PLAYERS

Recreational players prefer to take a limited risk. It is more important to have long playtime and not lose too much.

Recreational players don’t expect to win anything more than 1 or 2 times their initial bankroll (with a bankroll of $€100, a profit of $€100 to $€200).

PLAYER TYPE 2: PLAYERS WHO TAKE MODERATE RISK

These are players who like to take some risk but don’t want to overdo it. Typically, these players are cautious. They understand that you need to take some risk when playing slots.

They are happy if profits are doubled or trebled. With a bankroll of $€100, a profit of $€200 to $€500 is more than enough.

PLAYER TYPE 3: PLAYERS WHO TAKE A LOT OF RISK

These are players who accept a lot of risks and accept that there is a good chance that they might lose their entire stake. Nevertheless, they do want some form of entertainment while playing. They prefer to lose everything after a long session rather than lose everything in 5 minutes.

These players typically aim for a profit of 5 to 20 times the initial bankroll (with a bankroll of $€100, a profit of $€500 to $€2,000).

PLAYER TYPE 4: ALL OR NOTHING PLAYERS

These players want to win huge and accept that chances to lose the entire bankroll are much higher than to win big. Recreation is not so important as winning. Doing spins of $€10 or $€100 is not a problem either.

These players typically aim for a profit of at least 50 times or even 100 (or more) times the initial bankroll. This boils down to a profit of at least $€5,000 or $€10,000 (with a bankroll of $€100).

Decide what your player profile is (low risk or high risk) and choose the slot that meets your wishes best

Below you see what type of slot is most suitable for each of the player profiles we described. Choosing the right slot is not everything, though. Equally, as important is to decide how much you stake per spin.

  • If you are “recreational,” it is better to stake $€0.10 or $€0.20 per spin (assuming your bankroll is $€100). The better slots are the low variance slots.
  • If you like to take more risk, but not overdo it, it is better to have spins of $€1 and play the medium variance slots.
  • If you are a “risk-taker”, you can go for the high variance slots and also increase your stake to say $€1 or $€2 per spin. Alternatively, you aim for the extremely high variance slots and limit your stake per spin to $€1.
  • If you identify yourself with an “all or nothing” player, you have better chances to reach your (very ambitious) goal if you have spins of $€5 or even $€10 (if your bankroll is $€100). You also need to play the high or even the extremely high variance slots. The result is that your session may end after a couple of minutes!

slot-strategies-3-player-profiles

Conclusions – choosing the right slot and stake per spin avoids unnecessary disappointments.

When you play slots, make sure you select the slot that fits best with your player profile. Also, make sure your stake per spin is not too high or too low.

One way to make the right decision is by finding out what the best player profile is (recreational/cautious, moderate risk taker, high-risk taker, all-or-nothing player).

If you are an all or nothing player and you play a low variance lot, you will not reach your goal and therefore most likely lose your entire stake. If you stake only $1 per spin, you will not reach your target either.

If you are a cautious/recreational player, you have much better chances to make a modest profit with a low variance slot rather than a high variance slot.

In the end, there are thousands of slots to choose from. Below you see a list of the most popular low variance slots, medium variance slots, high variance slots and extremely high variance slots.

These are the top 10 best Thunderkick slots

Flame-Busters-Thunderkick

Swedish casino games developer Thunderkick stands out from the crowd thanks to its unusual, quirky and unique online slots

While many slots providers focus mainly on reproducing what has worked well in the past, Thunderkick takes a slightly different approach.

Their main objective is to develop slots which are different in all respects from what has been done before.

In a world where slots providers continuously ‘borrow’ the most successful ideas and game mechanisms from each other, is Thunderkick a real breath of fresh air.

Incredibly entertaining slots, however, are the primary reason for their success.

What are the 10 best Thunderkick slots?

Since their start in 2012, Thunderkick has built a strong collection of more than 20 online slots. As you can tell, they’re not known for their high productivity as they release only about 3 to 4 titles per year.

Thunderkick always aims to introduce original slots and to add genuine value to the online casino world.

Their releases are always a bit quirky, unusual and above all, unique. Thunderkick slots often have a polarising effect: because of their distinct characteristics, either you’re crazy about them, or you don’t like them at all.

We’re part of the first category and love Thunderkick slots and everything they represent. So it wasn’t hard for us to pick 10 of our favourite Thunderkick slots. What was challenging, however, was to put them in the right order. After all, we’re excited about all of them.

Are you ready?

Those are our top 10 favourite Thunderkick slots:

1. Flame Busters

best-thunderkick-slotIn our humble opinion, Flame Busters is absolutely the best Thunderkick slot ever made. It’s no surprise; Flame Busters won the SuperBigWin prize for the best online slot of 2017.

What makes Flame Busters so much fun? It’s a mix between a classic video game (you know, those Sega, Atari or Nintendo games) and a video slot.

With 243-ways-to-win and superb retro-style graphics, sounds and animations, Flame Busters is a feast for the eyes and ears.

The bonus feature is not only cool but one of a kind as well: free spins with mystery symbols, increasing chances to win and retriggers. Pretty awesome.

Flame Busters is not only the very best Thunderkick slot but also 1 of the best online slots ever created.

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2. Fruit Warp

fruit-warp-best-thunderkick-slot-300x240In second place of this top 10 of best Thunderkick, we have Fruit Warp. It is not a video slot in the classic sense of the word. There are no reels, no paylines, no free spins bonus, and you don’t know in advance how much you can win. Wild symbols are also missing.

Sounds a bit vague? It is. But man, Fruit Warp is such a great Thunderkick slot.

During each spin in the bonus game, you can try to get at least one symbol which initially activates the bonus. If you manage to do so, then the bonus game continues. If you don’t, then you’re out.

In the meantime, you collect cash prizes and extra multipliers. You can even earn lifesavers, provided you get far enough.

As strange as it is entertaining, Fruit Warp is an absolute must!

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3. Luchadora

best-thunderkick-slot-5-300x240Luchadora is a Video slot about Mexican wrestlers. In Mexico, people worship these masked tough guys like movie stars.

This slot is perfectly executed down to the last detail: colourful graphics, spicy bonus features and mystery features.

Collect extra wild symbols during the free spins bonus by unlocking different wrestlers. Do you manage to unlock all of the four wrestlers? Then the massive La Luchadora wrestler enters the ring and brings extra stacked wilds into play.

Thunderkick’s Luchadora was a huge success. For many other game providers, it was also an inspiration to create their Mexican wrestling slots, like Yggdrail’s Lucha Maniacs.

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4. Esqueleto Explosivo

esqueleto-explosivo-best-thunderkick-Esqueleto Explosivo was our first introduction to Thunderkick, and we got hooked straight away.

It is an insane video slot which completely ignores all unwritten online casino slot rules.

For example, all symbols consist of skulls, which drop from the sky and onto the skeleton trunks. Furthermore, the skeletons form a full-blown Mariachi band, which produces beautiful vocals and trumpet sounds.

What to make of the golden Elvis skeleton? It is wild and can also blow up other symbols. Why not, right?

You can win multipliers of up to 32 x, and the big win animations are a true spectacle including an explosion of fireworks and sounds.

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5. The Falcon Huntress

best-thunderkick-slot-2-300x240The Falcon Huntress is 1 of the Thunderkick slots we play the most.

This high variance video slot is a kind of Book of Ra like slot including wilds, free spins and expanding symbols.

During the free spins, all winning combinations expand automatically, allowing you to win prizes of more than 10,000 x your bet.

Falcon Huntress is simple, fast and insane.

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6. Arcaderarcader-best-thunderkick-300x240

Thunderkick’s Arcader takes you back to the arcade games of the 80s. Remember going to the snack bar with a tenner of pocket money and spending it on games like Galaga, Pacman and Space Invaders? Oh, we cherish these good old times.

Arcader may not be the same as Galaga, but it is damn close when it comes to giving you this nostalgic feeling.

Futuristic sounds, a robot voice, fast gameplay: it’s like you’re back in those beautiful 80s — the time of souped-up mopeds, the Random Runner slot and flashy aerobics outfits.

Arcader has two great bonus features: a pick-and-click bonus and a thrilling free spins bonus, which can earn you up to 9 sticky wilds.

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7. Pink Elephants

best-thunderkick-slot-4-300x240We can best describe Pink Elephants as Thunderkick’s version of Raging Rhino.

Be prepared for high variance, almost unlimited potential and of course some crazy Thunderkick surprises.

During the free spins bonus, it is essential to collect as many “orbs” as possible. These will award you extra free spins and, more importantly, extra pink elephants.

These Pink Elephants are stacked and can result in huge payouts. For instance, in combination with the wild symbols. Prizes of 1,000’s of x the total bet are quite usual.

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8. Birds on a Wire

birds-on-a-wire-best-thunderkick-slot-300x240Strangely enough, when we played Birds on a Wire for the first time, we didn’t think much of it.

Graphically it seemed somewhat unfinished, with peculiar square birds and mat colours. We also had to get used to the game mechanism, including flying symbols and winning combos which make way for new symbols.

On top of that, the bonus rounds were a long time coming. But in the end, the penny dropped. With free spins, multipliers of up to 20 x and the possibility to form winning combos over and over again, you can make bizarre amounts of money with Birds on a Wire.

We’re talking high variance with a capital H.

Besides, if you can grab a payout of 500 x your bet or higher, then suddenly this slot turns out to be great fun. What’s also cool: the Winfinity Spin guarantees you can finish the bonus round with a winning spin.

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9. 1429 Uncharted Seas

1429-uncharted-seas-top-thunderkick-gokkast-300x240Released in 2014, 1429 Uncharted Seas is one of Thunderkick’s first titles. Especially when it comes to graphics, 1429 Uncharted Seas is a revelation: the stunning style of maps from centuries ago catches the eye.

Furthermore, there is an exciting free spins bonus with expanding wilds (again with beautiful animations of ancient monsters), and the payout rate is absurdly high: 98.6%. Unprecedented!

1429 Uncharted Seas is beautiful, eye-catching and cool.

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10. Frog Grog

frog-grog-best-thunderkick-slot-300x240We conclude this top 10 of best Thunderkick slots with Frog Grog. Now, this choice will probably cause some frowns of disapproval.

Frog Grog is not Thunderkick’s most famous slot. Besides, the opinions on Frog Grog are not entirely positive. Boring, no real bonus game, difficult to grasp and tedious, are just some of other players’ remarks.

Still, we are Frog Grog fans. It has a mysterious atmosphere, and you can pocket some serious cash thanks to disappearing symbols, extra wilds and multipliers up to 7 x.

Graphically, Frog Grog is a success as well, and you’ll recognise Thunderkick’s unique stubbornness.

Frog Grog is a strange video slot, that’s for sure. But a delightful one, at that.

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Try Thunderkick slots yourself

With Frog Grog, we wrap up this selection of 10 incredibly awesome Thunderkick slots.

If the list includes titles you haven’t played yet, then it’s high time for you to discover them.

You can play Thunderkick slots to your heart’s content at any of our recommended online casinos. Either for free or with real money. For players who make their first deposit, there are nice welcome bonuses available which can win you hundreds of dollars.

[bonustable num=5 orderby=’_as_rating’ sort=’desc’ tag=’UK’ ]

Prize distribution of online slots explained

Mystery-Joker-6000-mega-big-win

How high are prizes of low, medium and high variance slots? And just how often are the massive prizes paid out?

Slots have their mysteries….we all know that some slots can pay out enormous amounts of money.

However, nobody ever tells how often these massive prizes are won.

Is it realistic to win such prizes?

Doesn’t it bother you, if some highly reputable gambling websites or forums tell you that you need to find out for yourself? When you are “advised” to make thousands of spins per slot, to get an idea of the size of prizes paid out by the slot.

So, putting it bluntly, you need to do thousands and thousands of spins. At your expense and your valuable time. Preferable for as many slots as possible, to understand better what the slots payout.

We felt we should do what others failed to do and help you.

We did this research and “tested” over 50 of the most popular slots, by performing extensive surveys (5,000 spins per slot with real money).

Additionally, we examined the web to get more information on prizes these slots payout. Our research was indeed costly and exceptionally time-consuming. It took months! Imagine, you having to do all this work like you have nothing better to do…

In this article, we share with you, our findings. We counted how often certain prizes are paid out. We tried to understand the vast differences between the SIZE AND FREQUENCY of prizes paid out by low, medium or high variance slots.

We classify four different types of slots: low, medium, high and extremely high variance slots

We learnt that there are significant differences in the kind of prizes paid out by slots. Looking more closely, we found out that slots belong to one of the four kind of slots:

prize distribution online slots

What prizes do low, medium and high volatile slots payout?

Below we show you what prizes are paid out by all four different groups of slots.

We selected eight slots in total:

  • Two low variance slots (Blood Suckers and Starburst)
  • Two medium variance slots (Gonzo’s Quest and Thunderstruck 2)
  • Two high variance slots (book of Dead and Reactoonz)
  • Two extremely high variance slots (Jammin’Jars and Dead or Alive).

Why did we choose these slots? Simply because these belong to the most popular slots. These are a mix of old classics (slots with a long and excellent track record) and some of the newest slots, that have gained lots of popularity over the most recent years.

With Starburst, you see that prizes of 20x to 50x your total bet is paid out once 180 spins. Starburst stands out for this type of (medium-sized) prizes. Compare this to Book of Dead or Reactoonz. These slots payout this awards of this size, once every 500 and 700 spins respectively.

With Starburst or Bloodsuckers, we did not see prizes exceeding 500x the total bet. If it is paid out, it is a certainly a miracle. These are called low variance slots for a reason: a lack of massive prizes.

On the contrary, with Jammin’ Jars, an extremely volatile slot, massive prizes are much more common. For example, awards in the range of 1,000x to 2,000 the total bet, is paid out once every 20,000 spins.

You see that the prizes paid out of these four slots are the difference between day and night!

We conclude that low variance slots payout the smaller prizes more often than high variance slots.

The high variance slots, on the other hand, pay the real massive rewards more often.

Prize distribution on low and medium variance slots:

01-prizes-paid-out-by-low-and-medium-variance-slots

Prize distribution on high and extremely high variance slots:

02-prizes-paid-out-by-high-variance-slots

How much of the total wins are paid out in small and large prizes?

Another way to look at the differences between low and high variance slots is by watching how much of the total prize money, is paid in small, medium, large or mega prizes.

The larger the share of smaller prizes (green coloured bars), the lower the variance of the slot. The larger the percentage of more massive prizes (red coloured bars), the higher the variance of the slot.

The graph below shows the differences between the eight slots.

prize distribution of slots

The low variance slots (Starburst and Blood Suckers) mainly payout smaller prizes. Around 90% of the total prize money are prizes up to 50x the total bet (the green coloured bars in the graph).

You see that for Jammin’ Jars, around 20% of the total wins are paid out in prizes of at least 500x the bet (red-coloured bars). Reactoonz and Book of Dead, these shares are around 8% and 4%, less but still substantial.  These slots are high variance for a reason!

Looking further at Jammin’ Jars, you see that “only” about half of the total wins are paid out in prizes up to 50x the bet (see green coloured bars). Compare that to the lower variance slots of Starburst and Blood Suckers.

Dead or Alive differs from the other slots, as the share of the medium-sized prizes from 50x to 500x the total bet (the blue coloured bars) is around 5% only, which is very small. This slot is extreme: it pays out a lot of smaller prizes or a massive prize, once in a while. The name for this slot could not have been chosen better!

The medium variance slots (Gonzo’s Quest and Thunderstruck 2) mainly pay out small or medium prizes (up to 500x the total bet). The share of massive prizes (of 1,000x the bet or more) is (almost) zero.

Conclusion – the mystery of the payout of slots revealed

We hope you have more of an idea about what kind of prizes the different type of slots payout. As expected, lower variance slots payout smaller prizes and high variance slots (once in a while) payout massive prizes.

The tables above hopefully give you a better feel of what you can expect. At least, no need to do thousands of spins per slot, to find out…

The pros and cons of high variance slots

Have you ever dreamt about winning a mega jackpot, when you play slots? Well, of course, you have.

Do you ever wonder when you will hit a prize of 10,000 times or even a blistering 20,000 times your total bet? Imagine: You stake $10 and get an astonishing $100,000 or even $200,000 in return…

You probably saw your favourite streamers, on YouTube or Twitch, collecting huge win after huge win. At the same time, you are wondering: “how do they do it?”

Why do they get those massive wins? And, more importantly, why aren’t you winning them?

The reason is simple. These streamers play high variance slots.

Do you want to know more about high variance slots? What are the advantages and disadvantages of these slots?

First, we describe in a bit more detail, what a high variance slot is and to try to unravel the mystery surrounding these monster payout slots.

The pros and cons of high variance slots

What is a high variance slot?

High variance slots, when it comes down to it, offer you an “all or nothing” scenario. Win massive payouts or lose your shirt in a hurry.

Players that love and play the high variance slots don’t see this as a problem. They know precisely what they are up against and accept the fact that the variance of a slot can work for them, or work against them, depending on how lucky they are that day.

A slot with high variance can payout vastly more money than one with low volatility. When playing low or medium variance slots you can, on rare occasions, maybe win up to 250 x or 1,000 x your stake.

Compare that to some high variance slots where you can receive winnings of up to 3,000 x, 5,000 x or even a mind-blowing 10,000 x your bet. Some high variance slots, such as Dead or Alive 2 and most Megaways slots, can even pay wins of 50,000 – 100,000 times your stake.

This is precisely what the high variance slot players are playing for. No messing around with all these small or medium little prizes that in the end, don’t amount to much. They want the one amazingly large payout, that record-setting prize.

High variance slots have become extremely popular in the last few years, as players seek more excitement and are triggered by the many YouTube and Twitch streamers.

Variance  Types of wins  Win frequency  Risk-factor
Low  Small  High  Low
Medium  Small to medium  Medium  Medium
High  Large  Low  High

 

advantages to playing high variance slots

How often do high variance slots pay out these massive prizes?

The table below shows how often the prizes (from low up to mega prizes) are paid out, by three top-rated and well-known high variance slots.

Jammin’ Jars is the slot with most variance. We classify this slot as an extremely high variance slot. It is because it pays out massive prizes more often. Over the longer run, Jammin’ Jars pays out a prize between 1,000x and 2,000x the total bet, once every 20,000 spins.

Don’t get surprised if, in some of these occasions, the award even tops 5,000x (once every 200,000 spins over the longer run)!

Book of Dead and Reactoonz are two popular high variance slots. Maybe they are not as extreme as Jammin’ Jars, but still highly volatile. Mega prizes (exceeding 1,000 times the total bet) are also paid out, once in a while.

Now that we have given you a sweet flavour of what high variance slots do, let’s list the pros and cons of high variance slots.

pros-and-cons-high-variance-slots

What are the pros of playing high variance slots?

As shown above, high variance slots pay out those awesome massive prizes that can make or break your session. Your odds to win a significant sum of money (for example make a profit of $10,000 or more out of a bankroll of $100) are realistic, as long as you don’t expect to win every time.

These mega prizes are one of the main advantages of playing an (extremely) high variance slot. It can happen in the next spin!

High variance slots are therefore much more exciting than your regular, run-of-the-mill low variance slot. The risks are substantial, but so are the possible wins.

You can compare high variance slots to a lottery. Lotteries are also very popular and can pay out huge prizes (although not very often).

The disadvantage of lotteries is that lotteries are organised at set times. You have to wait for days or even weeks before you know if you have won or not. With a high variance slot, you play whenever you want, and more importantly, you know immediately if you have won or not.

Online high variance slots also have a much better theoretical RTP than lotteries. The theoretical RTP is usually between 95% and 97% (on every $100 wagered, you get paid back between $95 to $97 over the longer run), which is pretty good. The Theoretical RTP of most lotteries does not even exceed 50%!

advantages of high variance slots

What are the cons of playing high variance slots?

The money needs to come from somewhere, to pay the huge prizes.

The result is that the smaller (but still substantial) prizes are paid less regularly. In particular, the awards between 20x to 200x the total bet, are not paid out so often.

It is not rare to lose your entire bankroll on a high volatility slot before you have even won one single bonus round.

High variance slots are therefore less suitable is you aim for a more modest profit. For example, if you are comfortable with a modest gain of say 5 times your initial bankroll (example: profit of $500 out of a bankroll of $100), we recommend you to play a low or medium variance slot instead.

Only if you aim for a massive win of say 50 times (or more) your bankroll, does playing a high variance slot pay off.

Conclusion – high variance slots are exciting if you aim for massive wins. The high potential comes with a risk!

Due to their nature, high risk slots are less suitable for beginning slots players and should be approached with caution.

If you fancy trying out some high variance slots yourself but don’t know where to start, we have compiled a list of our top 10 favourite high variance slots.

You will find plenty of high-risk slots at these reliable online casinos:

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Slot variance explained

slot variance explained

What is slot variance and why is it so important? Slot variance (also called volatility) is an indicator of how often huge (or even mega) prizes are won when playing that slot.

A slot with a high variance has more potential to pay out huge prizes than one with low volatility. When playing low or medium variance slots you can, on rare occasions, maybe win up to 100x to 500x of your bet.

Compare that to some high variance slots where you have winnings up to 3,000x, 5,000x or even a mind-blowing 10,000x your bet. Imagine having staked $10 a spin. In that case, you will win $100,000!

High variance slots, when it comes down to it, offer you an “all or nothing” scenario. Win massive payouts or lose your shirt in a hurry.

Players that love and play the high variance slots don’t see this as a problem. They know exactly what they are up against.

This is precisely what the high variance slot players are playing for. No messing around with all these small or medium little prizes that in the end, don’t amount to much.

High variance slots players are always chasing that one amazingly large payout, that record-setting prize.

High variance of a slot versus high payout rate (RTP)

Don’t make the mistake of confusing the payout rate (Theoretical Return to Player or Theoretical RTP) of a slot with the variance of said slot.

The payout rate says something about how much a slot pays back to the player, on average, over the long term.

Slot variance is an entirely different beast. The variance of a slot is an indicator of how different value payments are spread out and is an excellent indicator of the risk-factor of a slot. High variance equals high risk, and low variance means low risk.

It is easy to see why playing a slot with a high payout rate is always advantageous. If the slot has a payout rate of 97%, then, in the long run, $€ 97 out of every $€ 100 played, is returned to the player.

In summary:

  • The payout rate tells you something about how much a slot pays back to the player
  • The variance gives you information about the spread of the value of the payments
  • Low variance slots: lots of small prizes and, on occasion, a medium one
  • High variance slots: less small or medium prizes and every once in a while, a massive reward
  • Slot variance is an indicator of how risky the slot is

Comparing the variance of low variance slots against high variance slots

We analysed six slots: 3 popular low variance slots and three popular high variance slots.

The three low variance slots, we have picked are:

The three high variance slots we have chosen are:

Slot variance explained jammin jars

How high are the prizes of high and low variance slots?

So often do you hear about “low variance”, “medium variance” or “high variance” slots?

Unfortunately, explanations reach not much further than:

  • This low variance slot pays out tiny prizes only
  • This exhilarating slot rewards huge prizes
  • This slot pays mega prizes….

Are you not curious to know a bit more about the differences?

For example:

  • How often are large, huge or mega prizes paid out?
  • How big are the prizes?
  • How realistic is it, to win such an enormous prize?

We performed surveys of hundreds of thousands of real money spins on high and low variance slots, to find out more about this phenomenon.

What did we learn? Well, for starters, we learned that slot variance is not only about the maximum size of the winnings. How often these massive prizes are paid out is equally as important.

slot variance explanation

What size prizes do high variance slots payout? How often are these paid out?

Let’s start with the three high variance slots of choice: Jammin’ Jars, Book of Dead and Reactoonz.

The table below shows how often several types of prizes (from small to mega prizes) were paid out during our test runs.

slot-variance-1-prizes-of-high-variance-slots

What makes Jammin’ Jars an extremely high variance slot, is the fact that mega prizes (1,000x your total bet or more) are paid out much more often than the two other volatile slots: Book of Dead or Reactoonz.

For example, rewards of 1,000x to 2,000x the total bet are paid out once every 20,000 spins with Jammin’ Jars. For Book of Dead, it is once every 100,000 turns, and for Reactoonz it is once every 50,000 spins.

Don’t forget that very large prizes (250x to 500x the total bet) are also paid out often by Jammin’Jars: once every 5,000 spins!

Book of Dead is a high variance slot. The chances of winning mega prizes (1,000x to 10,000x the total bet) are smaller than with Jammin’ Jars, which is the main difference with Jammin’ Jars.

Book of Dead is more a high variance slot, instead of an extremely high variance slot, as these massive prizes are paid out less often.

Reactoonz is a spectacular slot! In more than half of the times (55% of the spins), you get a prize! Reactoonz is a high variance slot: it pays out huge and mega prizes, more often than Book of Dead. We have not observed prizes of 5,000x the total bet.

what is slot variance

What size prizes do low variance slots payout? How often are these paid out?

The table below shows how often several types of prizes (from small to mega prizes) are paid out for three low variance slots: Blood Suckers, Starburst and Jumanji.

slot-variance-2-prizes-of-low-variance-slots

If you play Blood Suckers, don’t expect winning anything higher than 500x your bet. Never say never, but if you do, it will be a lifetime miracle.

Blood Suckers stands out for its high Theoretical RTP, which is 98%. Bloodsuckers pays out lots of medium-sized prizes (20x to 100x the total bet).

The story for Starburst is quite similar: lots of medium-sized prizes and some significant prizes. Not so, when it comes to huge rewards, let alone mega jackpots. When we spun 5,000 times with Starburst, the maximum prize we got, did not even top 70x the total bet. How low is that?!

Jumanji has a bit more variance than the Blood Suckers and Starburst. Huge prizes occasionally hit when you play Jumanji: these are incredibly unusual though. Besides, if you hit, expect something in the range of 500x to 1,000x the total bet. Certainly not a prize of, say, 5,000x the total bet.

Jumanji has more variance than Blood Suckers or Starburst, though. Jumanji is more a medium/low variance slot.

How much of the total wins are paid out in small and large prizes?

Another way to look at the differences between low and high variance slots is by looking at how much of the total prize money, is paid in small, medium, large or mega prizes.

The graph below shows the differences between the six slots.

slot-variance-3-share-of-prizes-payout

You see that for Jammin’ Jars (around 20% of the total wins are paid out in prizes of at least 500x the bet (red-coloured bars).

For Reactoonz and Book of Dead, these shares are around 8% and 4%, less but still substantial.

Looking further at Jammin’ Jars, you see that only about half of the total prize pool is paid out in prizes up to 50x the bet (see green coloured bars). Compare that to the lower variance slots of Starburst and Blood Suckers where almost 90% of the total, is paid out in the smaller prizes (up to 50x the total bet).

When is a slot low variance and when is it considered high variance?

What makes a slot get the label of “high variance” or “low variance”?

High variance slots pay out more massive wins (of at least 1,000x the total bet) as opposed to low variance slots, where the most substantial prizes (seldom) exceed 250x the total stake, let alone higher than that.

Medium variance slots have a maximum prize of 250x to 500x the total bet. Rarely a prize above 500x the total bet.

Every slot has a different payout table. The highest variance slot (Jammin’ Jars) is so exceptional, not only because it pays out the mega prizes, but mainly because it pays these much more often than other high variance slots.

The advantages of low variance slots are that large prizes of 20x to 100x the total bet, are paid out much more often than with high variance slots. The high variance slots like to save the cash for the real massive prizes!

What are the 10 best Yggdrasil slots?

10-best-Yggdrasil-slots-vikings-go-berzerk-featureYggdrasil is a casino game developer who has become one of the leading game providers in the last couple of years.

yggdrasil-logoThis Swedish game provider was founded in 2013 by several former Netent employees who wanted to prove that they could build beautiful slots too.

In the early days, Yggdrasil only partially succeeded in doing so: the slots were very rough in appearance and also very unpredictable. Titles like Fruitoids and Winterberries weren’t the most beautiful slots to look at, but they had charm.

After that, Yggdrasil developed itself in an astronomically fast pace: graphically they made giant steps, and the bonus features became more and more ingenious and surprising too.

With slots like Vikings Go Wild and Golden Fish Tank, the big breakthrough was a fact: online casino players suddenly managed to find their way on their home computers and smartphones to Yggdrasil’s games on a massive scale.

What are the 10 best Yggdrasil slots?

Over the years, Yggdrasil has steadily built up a beautiful portfolio with high-quality slots. Nowadays you can make a selection out of dozens of Yggdrasil slots, and a new title is launched every 1 to 2 months or so.

Yggdrasil has evolved from a charming ugly duckling into a successful creator of the most amazing online slots.

We love a lot of Yggdrasil’s slots, and we play them regularly for real money.

Are you ready?

These are our 10 favourite Yggdrasil slots:

1. Vikings Go Berzerk

vikings-go-berzerk-300x240-10-best-Yggdrasil-slotsVikings Go Berzerk is what they call: a real classic. This follow-up to Vikings Go Wild (see below in this list) has maintained all the fun of the original and added a lot more to it.

You play with the toughest Vikings Yggdrasil could find, and you hunt for that famous free spins bonus. During this bonus, the Vikings go into battle with monsters in an attempt to earn sticky wilds.

Then there’s the Ragnarok feature, where all hell breaks loose. Now you’re guaranteed to earn wilds, when the Viking who got into Berzerk mode, appears on the reels.

Viking’s Go Berzerk is a crazy slot, which is full of beautiful finds and surprises.

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2. Super Heroes

super-heroes-300x240-10-best-Yggdrasil-slotsThe Super Heroes video slot by Yggdrasil lets you experience the wonderful world of superheroes.

Use their powers to make your profits bigger. Or, even better, collaborate with other heroes to get this slot to work for you.

The Super Heroes also has an ingenious free spins bonus, whereby you win more, the stronger your superheroes become. A beautiful find, which can give you a tremendous amount of money.

The animations and development of the superhero theme are great, and we have no problem in giving Super Heroes a second place on this prestigious top 10 list of best Yggdrasil slots.

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3. Cazino Zeppelin

cazino-zeppelin-300x240-10-best-Yggdrasil-slotsCazino Zeppelin is not the best-known slot Yggdrasil has produced, and as far as we are concerned, this will change soon.

This is Yggdrasil’s take version on Netent’s famous slot Dead or Alive. Cazino Zeppelin’s theme, however, is not the Wild West, but Steam Punk.

And that does not merely result in pretty visuals, but also in free spins bonus rounds that can pay off 1000’s x the bet.

Here, too, all the wilds will stick during the free spins, and you can earn extra free spins. An additional advantage is that all wilds that appear on the screen when the bonus is activated, immediately become a sticky wild during the free spins feature.

Cazino Zeppelin is a high variance slot and not only in our Yggdrasil top 10 but also part of our 10 favourite high variance slots.

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4. Vikings Go Wild

vikings-go-wild-300x240-10-best-Yggdrasil-slotsVikings Go Wild was the very first release in the Vikings Go… trilogy by Yggdrasil.

This slot has a high variance, and it became the first slot to introduce the famous sticky wild mechanism, which later has also been used in Vikings Go Berzerk and Vikings Go To Hell.

Although Vikings Go Wild may be graphically a bit less than the two sequels, it’s still an amazing online slot.

It’s a slot that can quickly make your budget disappear (due to the high variance), and that makes the use of the hit-and-run strategy very appealing.

Later on, this extremely successful slot was also released as a football slot, with the name Bicicleta. But with soccer players, it is less entertaining than with sturdy Vikings.

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5. Orient Express

orient-express-300x240-10-best-Yggdrasil-slotsOrient Express is an awesome slot if you like entertainment and lots of bonus features.

You will take a train ride in which you will visit several beautiful cities. Along the way, you will enjoy all the beauty that the countries have to offer. The best part is that every train journey has its own mini-features and bonus features.

This way, there is continuous variation and always something to do. Graphically, Orient Express is also a beauty: in the typical Yggdrasil way, everything is perfectly designed, down to the smallest details, and the characters of the story seem to have walked away from a Hollywood animation film.

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6. Golden Fish Tank

golden-fish-tank-300x240-10-best-Yggdrasil-slotsGolden Fish Tank is Yggdrasil’s answer to Netent’s Secret of the Stones. Don’t let the cute look of the fish in the fish tank fool you: this is a high variance slot that can pay an awful lot of money.

Do you win the bonus? Then you get free spins with all kinds of bonus boosters, such as stacked symbols, extra wilds and extra spins. Did you put in the bonus bet? In that case, you can make additional choices for even more big bonus boosters.

Golden Fish Tank is a beautifully designed slot that can make or break your budget.

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7. Lucha Maniacs

lucha-maniacs-300x240-10-best-Yggdrasil-slotsThe Lucha Maniacs will take you into the arena of a Mexican wrestling match. With this colourful and cheerful slot, not only the sweat of the masked wrestlers flies around, but also the bonus features.

Stack bonus booster on bonus booster and get extra wilds, extra spins and much more during the rewarding free spins bonus.

Fortunately, you don’t need to have a six-pack and tight white pants to join the crazy Lucha Maniacs.

An active casino account with some real money credits may just be enough to beat these professional wrestlers!

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8. Double Dragons

double-dragons-300x240-10-best-Yggdrasil-slotsDouble Dragons is, we keep repeating it, a brilliant slot by this outstanding Swedish game provider.

The game is set in a vast castle on top of the mountain, which is home to two giant dragons.

Apart from warming up the earth with their burning fire, these dragons also love wilds; lots of wilds.

Especially in the bonus round, it seems endless, and this can lead up to very nice profits. You can save this bonus round by collecting the red and blue dragons.

Not only does this Double Dragons look amazing; it can also pay off quite a lot.

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9. Legend of the Golden Monkey

monkey-king-300x240-10-best-Yggdrasil-slotsIt’s a mouthful, but this 9th slot of the 10 best Yggdrasil games is definitely for Legend of the Golden Monkey.

Graphically, this video slot is a small masterpiece, with beautiful graphics and perfect animations of a Kung Fu monkey.

This smart monkey will help you to get several extra prizes by using bonus boosters, which are sometimes used for dozens of spins.

You need some time to get to know this slot, but payouts of thousands of times your total bet are quite possible.

Legend of the Golden Monkey is innovative, beautifully designed and always surprising.

One of the nicest slots of Yggrasil, and that’s exactly why it’s in the top 10.

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10. Pumpkin Smash

pumpkin-smash-300x240-10-best-Yggdrasil-slotsPumpkin Smash is a wonderful, colourful video slot with a very nice free spins bonus.

You can beat up pumpkins that have extra free spins, cash prizes and extra wilds.

The bigger the pumpkin grows before it bursts, the higher the prices. You can wack pumpkins on two scatters during the free spins, so there’s almost guaranteed action out there.

The cheerful Mexican theme immediately puts you in a perfect party mood, and the beauty is: it only becomes better.

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Try Yggdrasil slots yourself

With Pumpkin Smash we end this top 10 list with the 10 very best Yggdrasil slots.

If there are titles on this list that you don’t know yet, it’s about time you discover them.

You can try out Yggdrasil’s video slots at any of the online casinos we recommend on this page. This can be with real money or for free.

For new players who make a first deposit, there are plenty of welcome bonuses available, which can amount to hundreds of $€.

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How do you know when a slot is going to pay out?

when will a slot start paying

One of the big questions that every slot player is hoping to find an answer to is this one: “Is there life after death?”

Oh, wait no, this is the one: “How do you know when a slot is going to pay out?”.

How do you know if a slot machine is hot or cold? And how do you know if you are going to win money or if you are going to lose money?

Before we answer these fundamental questions, it is essential we delve into the mechanics of a slot machine.

How do slots actually work?

What does the return to player of a slot mean?

The slot return to player percentage is an essential part of how slots work. The return to player shows you how much of the money that is put into the machine goes back to the player.

The average online slot has a return to player of around 95-96%. In other words, out of every dollar that is staked, the casino keeps 4-5% – the rest is returned to the player. Keep in mind, these are averages, calculated over long periods.

The higher the return to player percentage, the better it is for the player. Alright. We have established that a slot pays out less than goes in. Not exactly rocket science. But how does the slot determine when it has to pay a winning combination? And how high should this payout exactly be?

To find out how, we come to the second part: the possible combinations.

The possible combinations of a slot machine

The slot machine decides what to pay out and when based on two things: the possible combinations and the Random Number Generator (RNG).

Every slot has thousands, if not millions of possible outcomes. These outcomes represent a certain payout. The payout could be zero (you lose), could be 2x your stake (a small win) or could be 10.000x your stake (a jackpot) and everything in between.

Most of the spins you will not win everything, sometimes you will win a small amount (2-5 times your stake), and once in a while, you will win a big prize. It may take you five years to win the highest jackpot payout.

If we divide all the possible payouts by the number of combinations, we have calculated the Return to Player percentage. Isn’t that cool?

Here is a simplified represention of how a Return to Player percentage is calculated:

 Number of credits won  Number of  combinations 
 0  300.000
 1-5  400.000
 6-10  100.000
 11-50  50.000
 51-100  20.000
 101-500  5.000
 501-1.000  2.000
 1.001 – 5.000  1.000
 5.001 – 10.000  500
 10.001 – 50.000  5
 100.000  1
 Total   878.526 combinations 


In this example, there are 878,526 possible outcomes (or spins). In 34.1% of the spins, there will be no winning combination (300,000/878,526).

In 45.5% of the spins, there will be a payout between 1 to 5 credits (400,000/878,526) etcetera. The jackpot of 100,000 credits will only occur once in every 878,525 spins (on average).

Based on the outcome, the slot shows a visual representation on the screen. For instance, one spin could win you 5x your stake with five lemons on a pay line. The outcome of that particular spin is a win of 5x your stake; the visual representation is the five lemons on a pay line. So, the outcome determines what is shown on the screen, not the other way around!

And now we get to the really good part. How does the slot determine which outcome will be won by the player? That is when the Random Number Generator (RNG) comes into place. The RNG is the heart of every slot.

The Random Number Generator (RNG): the heart of a slot machine

when will a pokie pay outThe Random Number Generator determines which combination is picked. The RNG is continuously spinning all the possible outcomes around, kind of like a giant tombola.

The moment you push the spin button, the RNG stops at a random number. This number is paired to the outcome of the spin.

So, effectively, you are stopping the RNG yourself, without knowing on which number it will stop. This guarantees randomness and fairness – you cannot affect the outcome of the RNG.

So, how do you know when a slot is going to pay out?

Sadly, you can’t. The RNG is random, has no memory and cannot be influenced.

The RNG has no idea whether you are winning or losing or rich or poor. It does not know what your current casino balance is and it does not know if a big payment is “due”.

But, wait a minute!

If the RNG is random, how come some days we can’t seem to lose, and other days we can’t seem to win anything?

Because the RNG is random and cannot base future outcomes on past results, sometimes you will have a lot of winning spins (this is what we call being lucky, or a “hot” slot). Other times, you might have a larger amount of losing spins (the slot is “cold”).

Over the long term, it all evens out.

So, by all means, enjoy your wins. Know that every spin is new and random. Do not go chasing losses en never think a slot machine is due for a big jackpot. It just doesn’t work that way.

If you want to increase your odds of winning, play slots with the highest possible RTP.

In our experience, online slots from Netent often have RTP’s of around 97% or higher. Your chances of winning at a Netent slot are significantly higher than at a brick and mortar casino, where RTP’s are often lower than 92%!

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What does the Hit Frequency of a slot mean?

hit frequency of slots

The Hit Frequency is a term that is related to slots and is used to describe how often the slot gives a winning combination.

The Hit Frequency should not be confused with Return to Player (RTP), which describes how much money is given back to the player, calculated over millions of spins.

If a slot machine has a Hit Frequency of 8%, it means that 8 out of every 100 spins there is a winning combination.

As a rule, a slot with a low Hit Frequency will pay out fewer winning combinations but more significant prizes. If for example, a slot has a high Hit Frequency of over 25%, it will pay out more winning combinations, but they will be a lot smaller.

The Hit Frequency can also be calculated on bonus features. As most slots players will know, it is usually the bonus feature where players get the big wins — the icing on the cake, the cherry on the whipped cream.

Some slots may have a bonus hit frequency of one in every 200 spins. That would be considered a high bonus hit rate.

Other slots can have a main bonus feature that only hits once every 2,000 spins. In that case, it would be considered to be a slot with a (very) low bonus hit frequency.

Hit frequency pokie

What is better, a slot with a low or high Hit Frequency?

Although a first reaction might be to think that a slot with a high Hit Frequency is better, this is not always the case.

It all depends on what you are looking for in a slot.

If you want to play a slot that has a big top jackpot or tremendous potential in the bonus rounds, you are looking for a slot with high variance. Examples of slots with high variance are Raging Rhino, most Megaways slots and Dead or Alive 2.

These high-risk slots can have long dry spells in between the big wins, but when they pay, they can pay very well. A high variance slot typically has a low Hit Frequency, but when it pays, it pays very well.

If you are looking for slot primarily for entertainment value and decent playing time, you might feel more comfortable with a low to medium variance slot. These slots might not pay out huge prizes regularly, but they will give you lots of smaller wins and longer playing time. Examples of popular low variance slots are Wolf Gold, Starburst and Blood Suckers.

A low to medium variance slot typically has a high Hit Frequency with lots of smaller sized wins.

Another thing to take into consideration is your budget. If you have a smaller budget, playing a high variance slot will probably diminish your funds before you hit a decent win. You might want to consider playing a slot with medium variance and a pretty high hit frequency.

hit frequency explained

Always check the RTP of a slot

We strongly suggest that whatever kind of slot you choose to play to always check the return to player percentage in the game rules. If you want to have a better chance of winning on slots, you should only play slots with a Return to Player (RTP) of at least 96%, higher if possible.

Netent slots and Thunderkick slots are some of the best paying online slots, with most RTP’s around the 96.5% to 97.0% mark and some even higher.

Please be advised that every slot machine will lose you money in the long run. Slots are designed to make money for the online casino. Never play with money that you cannot afford to lose.

What is a casino license and why is it so important?

casino license important

The license under which an online casino operates is often an overlooked aspect of online casino gaming.

For some players, it is an afterthought, even.

It only becomes an issue when something went terribly wrong. Like when a player tries to withdraw winnings and is denied payment by the online casino. Or when a player has a major complaint and has nowhere to turn to.

We must confess it can be very confusing for residents of a specific county, mainly if they are from a country where online gambling is not regulated.

For example, online gaming laws in Australia are a bit strange, to say the least. It is legal for Australians to play at an online casino, as long as the casino is NOT licensed in Australia.

Now, there are online casinos that are licensed in Australia. However, as illogical as it may seem, Australian players are NOT allowed to play at any online casino that is licensed IN Australia. Are you still following us?

Luckily, in practice, it is not as difficult as it seems: hundreds of licensed Australian-friendly online casinos operate outside of Australia, accept Australian players and also carry the AUD as a currency.

A license ensures the casino has met preset guidelines, offers casino games that are completely random and has the right policies in place to verify their player’s identity and keep their data safe and secure.

Furthermore, they have to show that your payments are processed well and that their overall product is fair and balanced. Should you have any problems or questions, the casino has to be able to help you correctly.

What is a casino license?

curacao casino licenseA casino license is like a seal of approval from the country it has been issued in. The license confirms that the online casino has met its minimum standards and specific requirements.

These requirements can generally include things like a positive cash flow position, checks on ownership and proof that the used systems, personal data and games are safe and secure.

Anti-money laundering measures, protection of vulnerable players and customer verification are also critical requirements of any casino license.

Before a license is approved, the casino has to undergo a long and extensive process which include background checks and thorough screening of the owners, an audit of all procedures and methods and extensive proof that all casino games are random and fair. Failure to comply with these audits will always result in a license application being denied or a current license being revoked.

Why is a casino license necessary?

Casino licenses are there to protect both the players and the countries where the operator is based. If there was no licensing process, anybody could open a casino, and there would be no control over the way the casino would handle vital issues such as player and payment information, customer satisfaction, withdrawals and money laundering. The license, in essence, ensures the online casino and the people in charge have been checked out and can be trusted with your money and personal data.

As a player, do you need to be interested in the casino license?

gibraltar casino licenseIn short: yes, you should. Whenever you sign up to an online casino, you are giving them your personal details. You do not want wrong parties to gain access to your name, date of birth and address.

You also want to be 100% sure that your payment information is handled safe and secure to prevent abuse. Not only do you want to be sure that deposits are processed correctly, but the same also goes for withdrawals.

Furthermore, you need to be assured that whenever you have a complaint or issue with the casino, your complaint will be handled correctly.  

You should ALWAYS check if the casino that you are signing up to has a license from a trusted country (United Kingdom, Malta, Gibraltar). All casinos should display clearly on their site under which license they are operating. If you can’t find it on their website, contact the helpdesk and ask. If they can not or will not provide you with the desired information, it is time to look for another casino.

A casino without a proper license is breaking the law and can not be trusted with your data and money.

What are the best casino licenses?

There are a lot of different licenses, and there are a few important things you should know:

Licenses in regulated markets such as the United Kingdom, Belgium, Italy and Spain demand casinos have a base in their country. These licenses are generally stricter than licenses in non regulated markets.

Licenses from Malta, Gibraltar also have a good reputation and are generally considered safe.

When you reside in a country where gambling is allowed, but not regulated, and still want to play real money casino games, choose an online casino with a reputable license. There are plenty of reliable Canadian online casinos and New Zealand online casinos.

How do I find out which casino has which license?

An easy way is to read our online casino reviews where we include all information the license(s) the reviewed casino operates under. All casinos we recommend are licensed in trustworthy countries. You can be sure your money and personal details are safe. 

Another way to check where a casino is licensed is on the website of the online casino. Usually, the casino will show where it is licensed and under which license number, right at the bottom of the casino lobby.

When in doubt or if you feel the casino is not being forward about their license, it might be a good idea to look for a different online casino.