The demand for high variance slots has increased over the past couple of years.
In the last couple of years, we see that more players are looking for slots that payout massive and blistering wins. These slots get increased attention, mainly driven by Youtubers who are boasting their incredible successes.
Players (you and us), are thinking about how they manage to do get these wins. Well, the answer lies in the type of slots they are playing. They play the typically so-called high variance slots: slots that payout wins of 1,000x the bet, 5,000x the bet or even more than that.
The chance to bag a win of hundreds of thousands of $€ appeals to many players. We are talking about life-changing wins.
Netent, who has been the market leader for so many years, has received criticism for not delivering enough of these type of slots: the real high variance slots. Often, Netent is associated with low or medium volatile slots.
Players felt that Netent slots lack the thrilling win potential. Something extraordinary was missing.
At the same time, other providers such as Play ‘n Go or Big Time Gaming have thankfully made use of this shortcoming. How? By releasing high variance slots such as Book of Dead, White Rabbit, Danger High Voltage, and Jammin’ Jars by Push Gaming.
Now Netent has counter-attacked with Dead or Alive 2
While we agree that many of the famous Netent slots have a low or medium variance (Starburst, Gun’s n Roses, Jumanji, Bloodsuckers or Planet of the Apes), many Netent slots have high volatility.
And more important; currently, Netent seems to have gotten the message and is releasing more high variance slots now, than they did in the past.
There are even a couple of slots, with an extremely high variance: Dead or Alive 2 and Dead or Alive. With Dead or Alive 2, it is possible to bag a surreal win of 100,000x the bet. The maximum bet is $€ 9 with this thrilling slot. You do not need to be a high roller, to become a millionaire!
The top 10 high variance Netent slots
Below we list our top 10 Netent High Variance slots. We hope to convince you that Netent slots, as long as you pick the right ones, are also incredibly volatile. Thrilling.
Beware though, that the money required to payout these incredible wins needs to come from somewhere. The result is that these volatile slots typically pay out less small or medium-sized prizes (say wins up to 250x the total bet).
So, if you don’t hit that big one in your session, chances are higher that you end up with a smaller balance. It is inherent with these type of slots: all or nothing. Dead or Alive!
Ready to see the top 10 Netent most volatile slots? Here we GO!
1. Dead or Alive by Netent – extremely high variance slot
Payout rate: 96.82%
Variance: Extremely High
Maximum win: well over 10,000x the bet
Minimum Bet: $€0.01
Maximum Bet: $€18
Netent’s Dead or Alive is one of the most famous high variance slots.
The game has a Wild West theme. The base game has 9 paylines and actually seems a little boring at first. That feeling changes 180 degrees when you get to the bonus free spins.
As soon as the free spins bonus is activated, you get 12 free spins with a multiplier of 2 x. Every wild that appears on the screen becomes sticky and will stay in place for the remainder of the free spins.
Are you able to get at least 1 wild on every reel? Then you are rewarded with another 5 extra free spins. Every line filled with wilds yields a win of 333x your bet per line (and there are 9 lines). As wilds are sticky, you can imagine what it means, if you still have 10 free spins to play for!
Most top wins with the Dead or Alive slot are between 2,500x and 5,000x the bet
It is clear that Dead or Alive is capable of paying out massive wins. The top prizes are between 2,500x and 5,000x the bet. Getting wins exceeding the 10,000x the bet are possible but highly unlikely.
This slot pays out many smaller prizes (prizes up to 50x the bet) or the real massive prizes (exceeding 500x) the bet. The result is that there is no money left (RTP left) for the medium-sized prizes of say 50x to 500x the bet.
The name Dead or Alive could not have been chosen better!
2. Dead or Alive 2 by Netent – you want high variance? Well, here you are!
Payout rate: 96.80%
Variance: Extremely High
Maximum win: over 100,000x the bet
Minimum bet: $€ 0.09
Maximum bet: $€ 9
Dead or Alive 2 is the long-awaited sequel to Netent’s classic Dead or Alive video slot.
As you can imagine, the expectations were very high, as the original was already amazing. The good news is that these high expectations were not only met but were even surpassed.
The slot is: damn good, even better and more thrilling than you can imagine!
Besides the more than enormous win potential, Dead or Alive 2 has some excellent features, with 3 different free spins bonuses. Not to mention the graphics, that are spot-on.
Don’t be surprised if, with Dead or Alive 2, you get a win topping 25,000 times your stake
It is even possible with this slot to win something extraordinary, something surreal, something you will remember for the rest of your life! A win of 100,000x the bet.
You could argue that more slots advertise with these incredible prizes. But this slot has already shown that prizes exceeding the 25,000x are no exception. Of course, these are not paid out often. Most top awards are between 2,500x to 5,000x the bet. But once in a while, something magical happens with this slot.
It is no surprise that the maximum bet is capped at $€9. Casinos want to limit their exposure with slots like these.
What makes this slot so interesting is that some 15% of the total prize money is made available for the wins of 500x the bet or more.
This is more than (almost) all other high variance slots on this list.
3. Joker Pro by Netent – excellent chances of bagging a massive win
Payout rate: 96.80%
Variance: medium/high
Maximum win: 1,000 x the bet
Minimum bet: $€ 0.10
Maximum bet: $€100
Joker Pro is a netent slot with a classic retro style, with the usual bar symbols, sevens, bells and horseshoes. Apart from that, there is nothing ordinary about this slot.
What distinguishes Joker Pro most from other slots is the so-called Hot Spot Feature. If you manage to spin 3 Wild Symbols in the Hot Spot, you immediately win 1,000 x your bet!
What’s better is that chances of getting such a win are pretty realistic. We expect that it is paid out once every 20,000 spins (over the longer run).
What we like about Joker Pro is that the top prize of 1,000x the bet is paid out pretty often
Unlike the extremely high variance slots as Dead or Alive, your chances of landing this prize are much higher with Joker Pro.
For this reason, we have put Joker pro on the third spot of our list. Variance is not only about the size of the maximum win, but also about how often you can get the higher wins.
4. Jack and the Bean Stalk – potentially very large wins available
Payout rate: 96.28 %
Variance: High
Maximum win: 30,000x the bet
Minimum bet: $€0.20
Maximum bet: $€100
Jack and the Beanstalk is, already for a number of years, one of the most popular Netent slots. It is played with 5 reels of 3 rows and has 20 paylines.
Besides the impressive graphics and sounds, the slot is also well known for its innovative features. Jack and the Beanstalk, for example, has Walking Wilds and Expanding Wilds and of course the Free Spins Feature.
With Jack and the Bean Stalk, wins exceeding 2,000x the bet are realistic
Big wins frequently happen with this slot, thanks to these features. The maximum win is a dazzling 30,000x bet. This is highly exceptional.
Occasionally Jack and the Bean Stalk has its curses when it blasts a win of around 5,000 x the bet. But that is really exceptional. The most top wins are typically around 1,000x to 2,000x the bet.
We have chosen this slot and listed it on the 4th spot, as it is one of Netent’s classics. In terms of variance, it is still pretty good.
5. Jungle Spirit – choose your own variance in the free spins
Payout rate: 96.47%
Variance: Medium/High
Maximum win: 7,680x the total bet
Minimum bet: $€ 0.20
Maximum bet: $€ 100
Jungle spirit is another Netent volatile slot. Not as extreme as the Dead or Alive slots, but still very volatile.
Jungle Spirit has 243 ways to win on a playing field of 5 reels and 3 rows. The many ways to win and expanding symbols can lead to mega payouts.
With Jungle Spirit, you can choose to take more risk in the free spins and increase the variance
What is interesting is that in the free spins bonus, you can choose between 5 options (from 4 free spins to 20 free spins). In essence, the less free spins you select, the more variance you get and the higher the risk. It explains why we haven’t seen too many enormous wins on the internet, from this slot. Most players are reluctant to choose the 4 free spins, as it is too risky.
With this Jungle slot, you can indeed get some massive wins, if you are prepared to take the risk.
In that case, wins exceeding 5,000x the bet are possible, although these are not paid out so frequent as with the Dead or Alive slots. Nevertheless, we expect that you can get a win exceeding 500x the bet, once every 20,000 spins.
6. Ozzy Osbourne – a rocking high variance slot and a great RTP
Payout rate: 96.67 %
Variance: high
Maximum win: 10,000x the bet
Minimum bet: $€0.20
Maximum bet: $€ 100
Ozzy Osbourne: if you are are a rocker and are looking for a thrilling high variance slot, then this slot may suit you.
This slot was released in November 2019. Another sign that Netent is shifting more towards the high variance slots.
In the Ozzy Osbourne slot, you can choose to play with or without the Bonus Bet. When you choose to activate the Bonus Bet, the RTP is 96.67%, which is pretty substantial.
There are plenty of features at the Ozzy Osbourne slot, including some special boosters (extra wilds, additional multipliers, mystery cash prizes and symbol upgrades).
Once you get to the free spins stage, these boosters help you to get some massive wins.
With the Ozzy Osbourne slot, wins exceeding 2,000x the bet are realistic
The maximum win is 10,000 x the total bet on this slot, but bagging such a win is probably a one in a billion shot.
Nevertheless, we expect that wins of say 1,000x to 2,000x the bet are possible. The Ozzy Osbourne slot is, according to Netent, a high variance slot.
Quite often do you get low wins with the free spins, which implies that the slot saves cash for the massive wins.
7. The Wish Master by Netent
Payout rate: 96.%
Variance: high
Maximum win: up to 900000 coins (9,000x the bet)
Minimum bet: $€0.20
Maximum bet: $€100
The Wish Master is a very high variance slot by Netent with a couple of unique features.
One of them is the possibility to win an infinite number of free spins with extra features, a kind of bonus boosters. This means you can get random wilds, extra wilds, expanding wilds, multipliers and more.
And the beauty is that you can retrigger the bonus with 6 free spins, whereby the features are getting stacked up as it were. When this happens, you are in a position to get your hands on huge payouts with the Wish Master.
This slot by Netent revolves around the “Genie in the Bottle” theme and has 20 paylines, over 5 reels and 3 rows.
The Wish Master can make you (almost) a millionaire with 1 click
The minimum bet is $€ 0.20 per spin, but to get to the big bucks, you can wager up to $€100 per spin. The maximum payout is 9,000x the bet. So if you stake the maximum amount of $€100, you can land $€0.9 million!
Wins of this magnitude are extremely rare of course but wins of 2,000x the bet is not.
The Wish Master slot can give you extremely generous payouts when you win the right stacked features, but it can also gobble up your balance in a hurry.
8. Vikings – Netents 2018 blockbuster with matching variance
Payout rate: 96.05%
Variance: High
Maximum win: 10,000x the bet
Minimum bet: $€ 0.20
Maximum bet: $€ 100
The Vikings slot was Netent’s 2018 blockbuster, released on 22 November 2018.
Vikings looks impressive, and the graphics and sounds are top class. The slot offers many entertaining features, such as an increased playing field in the free spins in combination with the “win all ways”, a hot spot feature and scatter pays. The slot does not lack any substance and is thrilling till the end.
The Vikings slot has an enormous prize potential
What makes the Vikings slot so interesting is that there is enormous potential in terms of winning. If you manage to get a scatter of 27 symbols in the enlarged playing field, you bring home the maximum win of 10,000x the bet. If you do with the maximum bet, you are suddenly a millionaire!
9. Victorious MAX – more slots with the MAX booster to follow
Payout rate: 96.95%
Variance: High
Maximum win:7,000x the bet
Minimum bet: $€ 0.25
Maximum bet: $€ 125
Victorious MAX is the “max version” of the classic slot Victorious.
Netent is expected to give many of their existing slots an additional MAX booster. It implies that the slot (in terms of gameplay, animations and theme) is kept identical but where the random generator (mathematical model) behind the slot has changed.
In summary: The Max version is the more volatile version of Victorious with bigger hits and higher potential.
The maximum win is capped at 7,000x the bet. Assuming that you place the maximum bet of $€125, your maximum payout amounts to almost a million ($€ 875 thousand). In terms of the highest win potential (in plain cash), Victorious Max stands out compared to the other Netent slots.
The MAX booster is an effective way of Netent to increase the slot variance. We expect that more slots will follow
We hope that more Netent slots will get this MAX booster. Netent does it for a reason: the demand for high variance slots is increasing. It’s like pimping up an old car and make it rising and shining again.
10. Who’s the Bride? – an exact copy of Dead or Alive
Payout rate: 96.82%
Variance: Extremely High
Maximum win: well over 10,000x the bet
Minimum Bet: $€0.01
Maximum Bet: $€18
Who’s the bride? is a mathematical clone of Dead or Alive.
However, the theme has changed to an Oriental theme (and is catered for Chinese gamblers).
Nevertheless, the mathematical model is the same as that of Dead or Alive. To be more specific: the RTP, the variance, the win potential and chances of getting the massive wins are identical.
Could there be a mathematical clone for Dead or Alive 2?
We mention the Who’s The Bride? slot here, as we expect this is another strategy that Netent will adopt. That is: cloning their most popular high variance slots. We can’t wait to see the Asian makeover of Dead or Alive 2!
Further quantitative analysis of the high variance Netetent slots
The graph below shows the most massive 20 wins we have seen on the internet after our extensive research. We have capped the wins to a maximum of 10,000x the bet, for presentation.
Just a note of caution: this list only represents what we have seen (and of course we have not seen all the spins that the whole world has carried out). Nevertheless, it indicates what size the real top wins per slot are.
You can see clearly that Dead or Alive 2, Dead or Alive and Jack and the Beanstalk have the highest wins. If you are looking for wins of say 5,000x the bet or more, those are the 3 slots you are looking for.
Joker Pro is listed here, as the frequency of the wins of 1,000x is pretty high.
The typical top wins of Netent slots:
How much of the RTP is allocated to the top prizes?
The graph below shows the prize distribution of the top 5 Netent high variance slots compared to Netent 3 low variance slots (Starburst, Blood Suckers and Jumanji).
You can see (the red coloured bars) that at Dead or Alive 2, almost 15% of the total prize money is paid out for wins exceeding 500x the bet. Of that, nearly one third (5%) is put aside for the wins exceeding 5,000x the bet or more (dark red bars).
Dead or Alive is also interesting as only 5% is made available for the wins between 50x and 500x the bet (blue coloured bars). This slot mainly pays out the smaller prizes and occasionally a massive one.
You also see that the low variance slots Blood Suckers and Starburst almost have 90% of the total prize money for the lower prizes up to 50x the bet (the green bars).
Conclusions – Netent has plenty to offer when it comes to high variance slots
We listed our top 10 high variance Netent slots. The list shows that, if you are a Netent fan, that there is still plenty of room for the volatile slots.
2 of the world’s most volatile slots are Netent slots: Dead or Alive and Dead or Alive 2. Dead or Alive 2 is extraordinarily volatile and a slot more thrilling than this slot still needs to be found!
Don’t forget that Netent is are also releasing MAX slots, where existing slots are made more volatile.
But turning back to the high variance slots. If you haven’t tried one of these slots, we invite you to have a go and experience for yourself. And yes, it could well be that you are bringing home something extraordinary.
[bonustable num=5 orderby=’_as_rating’ sort=’desc’ tag=’Canada’ ]
Maximum bet: $€ 20
Maximum bet: $€ 50
Maximum bet: $€ 18
Maximum bet: $€60
