How does a Random Number Generator (RNG) work?

random number generator explained

The Random Number Generator is the heart of every slot: every result from every spin is based on its outcome.

All types of slots are powered by the Random Number Generator: land-based slots (such as in Las Vegas) as well as video slots from one of the larger providers such as Netent, Microgaming or Quickspin.

The Random Number Generator is also called a “random generator” and sometimes abbreviated to “RNG.”

In addition to slots, it is the crucial element of electronic versions of table games such as Roulette, Blackjack, Keno and scratch cards.

The Random Number Generator is even used in some live dealer casino games, such as Lightning Roulette and Lightning Baccarat, to determine the number and multiplier size of the  Lightning Strikes.

What does the Random Number Generator do?

The Random Number Generator ensures that each spin on the slot links to a random number. The random number (a unique outcome of an algorithm) then translates into a result of the spin (or the bet). It could be a prize or no prize (a loss of the bet). The outcome of the spin then translates into a visual display on the screen.

Finally, the outcome of the spin (or the bet) settles with your balance on the slot.

This outcome is determined purely randomly by allowing the RNG to choose a number from billions of unique numbers. Each unique number translates into an outcome.

An RNG has no memory and cannot look into the future. Each number is drawn independently.

As a result, there are no “hot” or “cold” slots, and it is impossible to know when a slot is going to pay. It all comes down to playing a slot at the right place and the right time.

How do you visualize the Random Number Generator?

Imagine throwing a 10-sided dice 14 times in a row. The dice have as values a “0” up to “9”. You throw it 14 times, and the 14 numbers you get are the numbers after the digit.

If you have Excel, and you write: RAND() in one of the empty cells of your spreadsheet, you get a random number between 0 and 0.99999999999999.

Mathematicians, most of the time, refer to Monte Carlo simulation. The RNG simulates numbers between 0 and 0.99999999999999. Each number is independent. RNG’s are also used in many other fields (finance, credit, marketing).

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Example of how the Random Number Generator works for slots

Explanation of the case

We have made a simplified example of how a slot makes use of the RNG. The RNG always draws a number between 0 and 0.99999999999999 (14 numbers after the digit). As explained above, this number is purely random.

Imagine a slot where you have the following 10 outcomes: 0 (a loss and no prize) and 9 prizes of either 0.2x, 1x, 2x, 5x, 10x, 20x, 100x, 200x and 500x the bet.

You see the probability of you getting these prizes in the table below.

random number generator explained

For example, the chance of getting a prize of 20x the bet is 0.3% (see the light blue column), which is once every 333 spins (see the grey column).  In this slot, if the RNG draws any number between 0.995000000000001 and 0.9980 (see yellow column), you get a prize of 20x the bet (green column).

The theoretical RTP is 97.8% in this slot (calculated in the orange column).

This is all to it when you play a slot. The RNG has determined your prize as soon as you pushed the spin button.

How do the prizes translate into visuals?

A slot would be dull and boring if there would be no more to it. As you know, slots have their graphics and sounds and features etc.

Let’s follow up with this example further, where we show how the result the RNG generates, is translated to a visual display.

Now, imagine a straightforward slot with three reels with Bars, Sevens, Strawberry’s, Cherries and maybe some other fruit symbols. There is one payline only.

Below, the combinations you get are attached to the prize you win.

what is a random number generator

In the case you have won 20x the bet, the slot then visualizes the result into 2 Sevens on the first two reels. The first two reels, therefore, stop (automatically) at the Sevens. The third reel stops anywhere else (also randomly at anything but a Seven).

Example with 10 spins with this simplified slot

Below, you see the result of 10 spins with this slot.

We have drawn 10 random numbers. In this example, we were lucky: in the 9th spin, the random generator got as a value: 0.998672599665502. This implies a prize of 100x the bet. It translates into 2 bars on the first two reels.

how does an rng work

It is needless to say that in a real slot machine, there are many more possible outcomes (thousands and thousands, dependent on the complexity of the slot). Besides that, you deal with features, free spins, multipliers, wilds and much more.

The principle is the same, though: the Random Number Generator randomly stops at a number, and this translates in a fixed outcome.

This outcome is then again translated into symbols, features, free spins, multipliers, wilds, and so on. What happens after that is purely for show and entertainment. Smoke and mirrors, if you will.

Some slots give you the feeling that you can determine the outcome (with pick and click bonuses, for instance). Time for that myth to sleep with the fishes: your choices have zero impact on the result.

The RNG cannot be influenced and cannot be rigged

It is essential to know that a Random Number Generator is always independent and cannot be changed. Not by the player, but even more important, not by the casino.

The software that uses the RNG runs on external servers of the game providers (such as Netent, Microgaming, Quickspin en Play’n GO).

As a result, the online casino does not have access to the games. Online casino’s only acts as a financial intermediary. They take care of the registrations, the storage of personal data and the financial handling of the transactions.

The importance of a properly functioning Random Number Generator in the gambling world

Without a properly working Random Number Generator, the outcome of the algorithms could be predicted.

In that case, players would be able to predict the outcome of spins and could make the casino bankrupt in no time.

After all, if you know what the outcome of the RNG is going to be, you can adjust stakes accordingly. A well-functioning RNG, therefore, ensures that you can never know in advance what a slot will payout. 

The Random Number Generator is essential for the fairness of any automated casino game.

What role does the RNG play in the house advantage?

A slot is programmed in such a way that there are more losing combinations than winning combinations. The difference that remains at the bottom of the line is the theoretical House Edge. You saw in the example that the theoretical RTP was 97.8% and the House Edge, therefore 2.2%.

This built-in house edge (for online slots this is usually around 3% – 4%) ensures that online casinos will always make money on a slot in the longer run.

The random and independent nature of the RNG makes it possible for players to beat the casino. After all, it’s entirely possible to be on the right side of the RNG in the short term and to play a relatively large number of winning combinations.

In fact, in theory, it is possible to win the highest jackpot twice in a row. After all, the RNG starts a new cycle every turn and has no memory. The RNG does not know if you have just won or lost. It can’t make his choices accordingly.

Stopping on time at winnings is the most crucial success factor. The longer you play, the sooner the law of large numbers will apply. You will inevitably run into the House Edge. Put simply, if you do trillions of spins, you will ALWAYS lose.

random number generator

How do you know if the slot is truly random and not rigged?

To check whether slots and video slots are indeed random, they are supervised by various supervisors (agencies). The Nevada Gaming Commission tests slots in Las Vegas casinos on a random basis. The UK Gambling Commission does so for online casinos who have a license to operate in the UK.

Look for casino’s with a license of the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) or the UK Gambling Commission

In online casinos, you can be confident that you are not rigged IF the casino is supervised by one of the stricter regulators. The more stringent the supervisor, the more demanding the software will be. We, therefore, advise you to play at reliable online casinos that have a Malteser license or a license in the United Kingdom.

Avoid self-produced software of online casino’s and play games from respected gaming providers

Besides, we advise you ALWAYS to avoid those online casinos that use self-produced software. It is safer to play at an online casino that offers games from respected gaming providers such as Netent, Quickspin, or Play’n GO.

What are the most volatile (high variance) Pragmatic Play slots?

pragmatic-play-high variance

In the last couple of years, we see a clear trend where players are seeking slots that massive payout prizes.

They seek prizes that can be as high as a million $€.

Why are players suddenly looking for those kinds of wins? Their hunger for big-paying slots is fueled by social media, where more and more streamers are boasting their enormous wins. Streamers get tens (or even hundreds) of thousands of likes and shares, and before you know it, everybody is talking about getting those incredible mindblowing wins.

Whereas, a few years ago, a player would be happy with a win of say 100x or 200x the bet it is now a consolation prize only. Nowadays, players aim for a win of 1,000x the bet or even 5,000x the bet. Or even a monstrous wins of 20,000x the bet!

Are these massive wins possible and realistic with Pragmatic Play slots?

Of course, chances of landing these extraordinary wins are not so big, but it is possible. The streamers have proven it, and on the internet, such incredible wins are often recorded.

So, this is what real gambling is all about, not about getting small wins but about getting massive wins.

The million-dollar question is, whether these wins are possible with Pragmatic Play slots. We see that Pragmatic Play has released more and higher variance slots.

The picture below confirms this. The red coloured parts of the bars represent the high variance slots and the orange coloured bars the mid-high variance slots.

You can see that the number of volatile slots released by Pragmatic Play, has increased spectacularly, especially since 2018.

evolution pragmatic play slots

The top 10 high variance Pragmatic Play slots

Below we list our top 10 most volatile Pragmatic slots.

In contrary to the famous slots as Book of Dead (Play ‘n GO) or Dead or Alive (Netent), the Pragmatic Play slots do not have such a track record.

For starters, these Pragmatic Play slots are not as popular and, as a result, less played. It is not surprising that not as many massive wins have been recorded.

Book of Dead or Dead or Alive are slots that were already released some five years ago when you could count the number of really high volatile slots on the one hand. These slots, therefore, became well know and were played often. As these were played often, many massive wins were recorded. As this happened, more and more gamblers were even more keen to play these slots. It’s like a rollercoaster. The result is that these slots are seen as very volatile.

It does, of course not mean, that the Pragmatic Play slots are less volatile. It’s just that these slots are not widely known and, therefore, still need to make ground.

Curious to know the most volatile Pragmatic Play slots? Let’s not wait any longer! 

1.   Buffalo King – a bullish top prize of 93,750x the total bet!

buffalo-king-slot-review-pragmatic-play-bonus-big-win

Payout rate: 96.06%

Variance: Extremely High

Maximum win: 93,750x the bet

Minimum bet: $€0.40

Maximum bet: $€60

With Buffalo King, the game is played on a 6 x 4 grid, with 4,096 ways to win. Here you can get up to 100 free spins. Imagine getting such a large number of free spins and (almost) a full screen of high symbols.

If you manage to get buffaloes on all reels in combination with 2 or 3 wilds with multipliers (2x, 3x or 5x), then you can get ready for wins of hundreds or even thousands of times your bet.

Of course, chances of bagging a win of such magnitude are improbable. But maybe not the wins of say 5,000x the bet. Time will tell, but for now, we dare to put this “beast” on our number 1 spot!

The maximum stake is $€ 60 per spin, but many casinos will most likely reduce that. The exposure would otherwise be way too high. If you spot that the casino reduces the maximum bet, you know that the slot is extremely volatile.

2.   Extra Juicy – Pragmatic Play knows how to make slots juicier

high variance slot pragmatic play

Payout rate: 96.52%

Variance: Very High

Maximum win: 60,000x the bet

Minimum bet: $€0.10

Maximum bet: $€50

Extra Juicy was released in 2019 and Pragmatic Play is clearly following the 2019 trend of releasing insanely high volatile slots. This slot has a maximum win of 60,000x the bet.

The slot, a simple fruit slot, looks very simple. Many fruit slots players perhaps missed the variance of those kinds of slots. So, here is what they have been looking for!

The slot has progressive multipliers up to 60x, and it is possible to win up to 60 free spins.

3.   Peking Luck – A maximum win of 180,000x the bet is entirely surreal, isn’t it?

peking-luck-slot-review-pragmatic-play

Payout rate: 96.50%

Variance: Very High

Maximum win: 180,000x the bet!!!

Minimum bet: $€0.25

Maximum bet: $€125

A 100% surreal maximum win of 180,000x the bet. That is, in a few words, what this slot is all about.

With Peking Luck, you can get yourself up to 38 free spins, and these can be retriggered. Then you can win multipliers up to 18x. If you have a high multiplier and manage to get a screen of wild symbols? In that case, you got your life-changing win.

Ready to find out?

4.   Triple Dragons – or should we say dragon blasts fire?

high volatile pragmatic play

Payout rate: 96.51%

Variance: High

Maximum win: 1,000x the bet

Minimum bet: $€0.05

Maximum bet: $€50

Triple Dragons was released in 2018 and also relatively new. Here, Pragmatic Play opted for a simple but highly effective slot.

The slot is played on 3 reels with 3 symbols (like the old fashioned slots), and there are 5 paylines. Three wild dragons yield you a win of 200x the bet. A full screen, therefore, yields 1,000x the bet (as there are 5 paylines).

Now you may wonder why we have selected this slot in our top 10 list. For starters, Pragmatic Play has earmarked this slot as a high variance slot (5 out of 5 for volatility).

But more importantly, the variance is not only about the maximum potential win, but also about how often these wins are paid out. We have every reason to believe that the dragons are in a good mood, more often than you can imagine!

It helps that these dragon wilds are stacked, of course.

5.   Triple Jokers – like Triple Dragon, very volatile, as high wins are paid out relatively often

triple-jokers-slot-review-pragmatic-play-play-win

Payout rate: 96.47%

Variance: High

Maximum win: 1,000x the bet

Minimum bet: $€0.05

Maximum bet: $€50

Triple Jokers (released in 2019) has, like Triple Dragons, a classic fruit slot machine setup: 3 reels with 3 rows of symbols and 5 paylines. The symbols are classic as well: BAR symbols, 7’s, clocks.

This slot is mathematically more than similar to Triple Dragons. Also, here the maximum win is 1,000x the bet and also here, we expect that the maximum win is paid out relatively often.

Instead of stacked dragons, you have stacked jokers. Worthwhile having a go?! 

6.   John Hunter and the Secrets of Da Vinci’s Treasure – the maximum win is as impressive as this slot’s name

Da Vinci's Treasure slot high variance

Payout rate: 96.53%

Variance: High

Maximum win: 48,000x the bet

Minimum bet: $€0.25

Maximum bet: $€125

With Da Vinci’s Treasure, you need to be adventurous and patient. But if you are, you can get yourself the progressive Multiplier Free Spins, which is where “where the magic happens”.

Here, you start with 12 free spins, and the starting multiplier is x1. After each free spin, the multiplier is increased by +1, up to a maximum of 60 x. As it is possible to retrigger the free spins, it is possible to get 60 free spins and, therefore the maximum x60 multiplier.

If you are, then, able to get yourself a full screen of John Hunters shows up, you’ll win the maximum prize of 800 x 60 = 48,000 x your bet!

Surprisingly, the maximum stake is still $€125. With the maximum win of 48,000x the bet, you are talking about a potential win of $€6 million! Most casinos have a lower maximum stake though.

7.   Ancient Egypt – one of the first releases in 2018 that set the tone in terms of variance

Ancient-Egypt-slot-review-pragmatic-play-bonus-game-trigger

Payout rate: 96.51%

Variance: High

Maximum win: 5,000x the bet

Minimum bet: $€0.10

Maximum bet: $€50

Ancient Egypt has 5 reels with 3 symbols and 10 fixed paylines. The symbol you are looking for here is the Cleopatra symbol. She is the most popular person in this slot, like she also was in the ancient Egyptian time.

In this slot, the expanding scatter symbols give you a helping hand. If you manage to get 5 scatters on all 5 reels, you have a full screen of scatters. If these scatters change into the lovely Cleopatra’s, you got your maximum win of 5,000x the bet.

8. Panda’s Fortune – when you get yourself a screen of Panda’s you know that something special is going on

high variance Pragmatic Play slots

Payout rate: 96.17%

Variance: High

Maximum win: 20,000x the bet

Minimum bet: $€0.25

Maximum bet: $€125

Panda’s Fortune has massive potential when it comes to winning high prizes. Pragmatic Play qualifies this slot as a high variance slot (5 out of 5) and it helps that the maximum win is a dazzling 20,000x the bet.

With the maximum possible bet of $€125, it is possible to bring home a win of $€2.5 million! If you are talking about life-changing wins…

How do you achieve this? Well, you need to win 25 Jackpots (of 800x the bet) in a row. It is theoretically possible. Chances are, of course, extremely minimal. But maybe you settle for 5 Jackpots in a row? 

9.   The Dog House – every dog has its day, especially in this high variance slot

Payout rate: 96.51%

Variance: High

Maximum win: 6,750x the bet

Minimum bet: $€0.2

Maximum bet: $€100

The maximum win on The Dog House is a more than impressive 6,750x the bet. With a maximum stake of € 100, you can get a win of almost $€675K.

The game is played on 5 reels with 3 rows of symbols, and there are 20 fixed paylines. It is possible to get up to 27 free spins, and wilds have in-built multipliers. In combination with some premium symbols (the dogs of course), it can go sky-high very very quickly.

Of course, your balance can go down very quickly as well. It is, in the end, a very volatile slot.

Who let the dogs out? Woof, woof, woof, woof, woof!

10. Pirate Gold –  Are you the next King of the seas with a win of over 30,000x the bet?

Payout rate: 96.50%

Variance: Very High

Maximum win: 32,270x the bet

Minimum bet: $€0.4

Maximum bet: $€200

With Pirate Gold, it is about:

  • Getting a jackpot (up to 1,000x the bet)
  • In combination with multipliers (up to 5x)
  • Spinning the multipliers more often

If you manage to do these 3 actions at the same time, you can really get yourself ready for a massive and incredible payout.

The maximum win is 32,270x the bet, and with a maximum stake of $€200 (if any casino is willing to take the risk), it is possible to be the King of the pirates and bring home a treasure of almost € 7 million! 

Conclusions – time will tell if Pragmatic Play has released the most volatile slots

We listed our top 10 high variance Pragmatic Play. The list shows that the maximum wins of most slots are ridiculously high. We say ridiculous as these wins are potentially enormous, massive, sky-high (you name it) but perhaps also surreal.

Time will tell if it is indeed also possible in practice to get these wins. Or is it possible in theory only? No human person is going to do a trillion spins….

Will streamers show some of these incredible wins in the (near) future?  Or will we all wake up and realize that it was all a dream?

We will find out sooner or later! But for now, we should give Pragmatic Play the benefit of the doubt. For sure!

What are the 10 most volatile (high variance) Play ‘n GO slots?

high variance Play ‘n GO slots

Fact: players are more and more eager to play high variance slots.

In the last 2 to 3 years, we see that more players are looking for slots that payout wins that are more than just massive. Players are searching for life-changing wins.

When streamers get such a massive win, it gets lots of attention and likes. Immediately afterwards, larger groups of players want to play the same slots.

Why?

Because everybody wants the same massive wins that these streamers are winning.

Players understand that some slots have more potential for such massive wins than other slots. The slots we are talking about are the so-called high variance slots: slots that payout wins of 1,000x the bet. Or 5,000x the stake. Or even more than that.

The chance to bag a win of hundreds of thousands of $€ appeals to many players. And who can blame them?

Play ‘n GO is one of the leading providers and is one of the first providers to have understood this phenomenon. Consequently, they released quite a few high variance slots.

Look at the figure below. The red coloured parts of the bars represent the high variance slots and the orange coloured tarts the mid-high variance slots. You can see that the number of high variance slots has increased spectacularly, especially after 2019.

What are the top 10 high variance slots of Play ‘n GO?

Below we list our top 10 Play ‘n GO high variance slots.

Take, for example, Book of Dead. It is an iconical slot that is played so often. It is released in 2016 and one of the first slots with the stamp “high variance.” It is no coincidence that this slot is extremely popular. As it is played so often, more and more massive wins are recorded. As the gambling public knows these wins, so more and more players play this slot. It is like a rollercoaster. Once it has established a name, it continues to leverage from it.

But many of the other slots we mention below are at least as volatile as Book of Dead. Some of these slots did not get into such a rollercoaster, though. It is partly because several slots are still new and are just released in 2019. Therefore, these slots still need to make ground.

Our message is to tell you that there are plenty of other high variance Play ‘n GO slots.

Ready to find out which ones? Here we GO! 

1.   Firefly Frenzy – prizes above 5,000x the bet is not unusual

the most volatile (high variance) Play ‘n GO slots

Payout rate: 96.59%

Variance: Very High

Maximum win: 10,000x the bet

Minimum Bet: $€0.3

Maximum Bet: $€90

Firefly Frenzy is not the most famous Play ‘n GO slot, but it is the most volatile one.

We have all the reasons to believe that this is Play ‘n GO’s most volatile slot, as we have seen several massive wins topping 7,000x the bet.

That is even higher than the maximum win of Book of Dead, which is capped at 5,000x the bet.

The colourful slot with flowers and fireflies might give you a different impression, as the theme looks quite soft. But if you think that is the case, you are completely fooled.

Thanks to several multipliers that can increase rapidly with this slot, you can quickly get into wins exceeding 1,000x the bet — even exceeding 7,000x the bet!

The downside? Your balance can evaporate in a whisker!

2.   Book of Dead – Play ‘n GO’s most famous slot has kept its promise when it comes to massive payouts

high variance Play ‘n GO slots

Payout rate: 96.72%

Variance: High

Maximum win: 5,000x the bet

Minimum Bet: $€0.1

Maximum Bet: $€50

Yes, Book of Dead (released in 2016), is the most played Play ‘n GO slot. By far.

It is so popular as it was one of the first slots of which it was known to have such massive volatility. And remember that in 2016, most slots were low or medium variance. There were not so many alternatives available, apart from Netent’s Dead or Alive and Jack and the Beanstalk.

But we have seen many screens full of Rich Wilde symbols, leading to wins of 5,000x the bet. This slot has a proven track record when it comes to staggering wins.

3.   Reactoonz – a top-rated grid slot with high volatility

play n go high variance slots

Payout rate: 96.51%

Variance: High

Maximum win: not specified but 5,000x the bet

Minimum Bet: $€0.2

Maximum Bet: $€100

Reactoonz is a grid slot with the cluster pays mechanism. Several extra boosters give you a helping hand to get higher wins: top prizes are very often in the range of 1,000x to 1,500x the bet.

You may ask yourself why we have put Reactoonz on the third spot.

We have done so, as Reactoonz pays out massive wins relatively often. Variance is not only about the size of the maximum potential wins. It is at least as important how often these wins are paid out.

If you want a pretty good chance of getting such a massive win (and are happy to settle for a lower win in exchange for increasing your chances), Reactoonz might not be a bad idea at all!

4.   Ankh of Anubis – the Play ‘n GO slot with the highest maximum win (15,000x the bet)

ankh-of-anubis-high variance

Payout rate: 96.20%

Variance: High

Maximum win: 15,000x the bet

Minimum Bet: $€0.1

Maximum Bet: $€100

This slot was released at the end of 2019 and is, therefore, relatively new. It shall not be a surprise that we have not yet seen so many massive wins.

What is striking, though, is that this slot is the first Play ‘n GO slot to have a maximum win exceeding 10,000x the bet. This slot has a maximum win of 15,000x the stake.

Time will tell if this slot pays out massive wins often or not. For now, Ankh of Anubis deserves the benefit of the doubt, and therefore we include it in our top 10 list.

5.   Pimped – released in 2015 and still popular because of its high variance

Payout rate: 96.51%

Variance: High

Maximum win: 10,000x the bet

Minimum Bet: $€0.1

Maximum Bet: $€100

Pimped is all about the extravagant rap scene where gold, diamonds, diamond watches and rings, dollar bills and beautiful divas set the stage. There is nothing subtle about it: Pimped is as in your face as an online slot can be. It makes a lot of sense that such a theme is associated with a high variance.

And indeed, according to Play ‘n GO, Pimped has a very high variance.

We must acknowledge that the top wins are, in most cases, below 1,000x the bet. Only very occasionally have we seen wins of 5,000x the bet.

6.   Holiday season – a massive win helps you to book yourself a big vacation for Xmas

Payout rate: 96.51%

Variance: High

Maximum win: 10,000x the bet

Minimum Bet: $€0.1

Maximum Bet: $€100

Have you ever dreamed of booking an extraordinary Christmas vacation? Go to Canada and watch the ice bears, or go to Norway and get yourself on a sled with husky dogs?

Maybe you will if you play this exciting Christmas themed slot.

According to Play ‘n GO, the variance is very high. We have seen wins in the range of 500x to 1000x the bet pretty often. Wins over 1,000x the bet are also possible here, and the maximum win is an astonishing 10,000x the bet!

7.   The sword and the grail – released in 2019 but already popular thanks to high variance

Payout rate: 96.53%

Variance: High

Maximum win: 10,000x the bet

Minimum Bet: $€0.1

Maximum Bet: $€100

In this beautiful high variance Play ‘n GO slot, the golden grail is the wild symbol and contains multipliers up to 100x and King’s  Arthurs Sword is the scatter symbol. These symbols can help you to get a day you will not forget quickly. Wins exceeding 1,000x the bet are not exceptional, and we expect that wins of 5,000x the bet or even more are also possible with this slot.

It is one of the few Play ‘n GO slots with a maximum win of 10,000x the bet.

8.   Doom of Egypt – very similar to Book of Dead

Payout rate: 96.21%

Variance: High

Maximum win: 5,000x the bet

Minimum Bet: $€0.1

Maximum Bet: $€50

Doom of Egypt is technically a clone of Book of Dead, and the features are the same. The main difference is the (slightly) lower RTP, but not a reason to ignore this beast.

According to Play ‘n GO, a “very high” variance slot. Why not have a go at it and see if you get the ultimate reward? It is possible with Doom of Egypt!

9.   Honey Rush – a thoroughly entertaining cluster pays slot but don’t let the bees sting you

Payout rate: 96.5%

Variance: High

Maximum win: 9,000x the bet

Minimum Bet: $€0.2

Maximum Bet: $€100

You might get the impression that Honey Rush, released in 2019, is a bit of a softy. The bees theme might give you that impression. But believe us, your balance can move very rapidly (downwards or upwards) and Play ‘n GO rates this as a very high variance slot.

The idea is to make clusters, and of course, the bigger the group of identical symbols, the bigger the prize. This slot has the avalanche mechanism, so winning combinations disappear and make way for new symbols. That way, you can get multiple consecutive wins with one spin.

It also leads to you winning sticky wilds, and if you are lucky, the mega big Queen colony.  This is what you need to do to get the massive wins of at least 1,000x the bet.

Worthwhile to mention is the maximum win of 9,000x the bet, which is almost twice as high as the maximum win of Book or Dead!

10.         Cash Pump – when you cruise along Route 66, you are in relax mode. Not with this slot!

Payout rate: 96.86%

Variance: High

Maximum win: 10,000x the bet

Minimum Bet: $€0.2

Maximum Bet: $€100

Cash Pump is a stunning slot that gives you the Route 66 feeling — cruising along the beautiful South West of the US with t’s unique landscapes.

What makes this slot original are the four sets of reels. What makes the slot have the potential for some incredible payouts are the wilds and the multipliers.

Cash Pump is a new slot, as it is released at the end of 2019. We hope, though, that this slot gets the attention it deserves. Not only because of the original theme and gameplay, but also because it’s highly volatile.

The maximum win is 10,000x the bet.

Conclusions – especially the last two years have been exciting in terms of high variance slots

We listed our top 10 high variance Play ‘n GO. The list shows that there are plenty of options if you happen to like to play volatile Play ‘n GO slots.

Especially in the last couple of years, Play ‘n GO has released many great high variance slots. We expect that 2020 will not disappoint the large group of players, seeking those high variance slots.

There is much more to play and to try than just Book of Dead if you love to play high variance slots.

And maybe you will be the next player, landing a sky-high win of 5,000x the bet. Or even more than that.

The evolution of maximum wins on Netent slots throughout the years

max wins on netent slots

Netent has released over 100 slots over the past decade. We thought it was about time to have a closer look at the maximum win of all these slots.

Especially after the release of Dead or Alive 2, where the maximum win tops a surreal 100,000x (100 thousand times!)  the bet.

One question that comes into our mind is whether Netent has decided to make the slots more volatile or not. Has Netent tried to keep up with the competition, which has also released more volatile slots since 2018?

We will go into this in a minute.

First, let’s briefly explain the phenomena of maximum wins.

What does the maximum win of a slot tell you exactly?

The maximum win (its all in the name) tells you what you can win if you get all the luck in the world. If the maximum win, for example, equals 1000x the bet, and you do a spin of $€10, the maximum amount you can win is a high $€10 thousand.

Yes, you are (almost entirely) right if you say that if the maximum win is higher than the slot variance (volatility) is higher. It is right in most of the cases, but not all cases.

Netent’s slot Pyramid, for example, has a maximum win of a staggering 36,000x the bet. But Netent qualifies this as a “medium to low variance” slot. It must imply that chances of getting such a maximum win are incredibly small (maybe once in very billion spins). Most top prizes of Pyramid will, therefore, not even top 500x the bet.

Another Netent slot, Joker Pro, has a maximum win of 1,000x the bet. It is much smaller, but the key difference is that this maximum prize is won much more often (around once every 50 thousand spins). It makes Joker Pro, according to Netent, a “high variance” slot.

So, yes, the maximum win is an excellent indicator of the slot variance, but there are exceptions. But in the case of, for example, Starburst, the maximum win is “only” 500x the bet. And this slot has, indeed, a low variance.

The maximum win can be, in some cases, a bit misleading. Many slots provide an enormous high maximum win (and also has the function of a cap), but at the same time, chances of actually getting this win are so incredibly small, that it does not say much.

max wins on netent slots

The maximum win of Netent slots

Now let’s go to the real deal.

Below is an overview of the maximum win of Netent slots by year of release.

max win of netent slots

For presentation reasons, we have capped the maximum win at 20,000x the bet.
For about 60% of all Netent slots, were we able to find out what the maximum win is. Usually, it is expressed in Coins. In 40% of the cases, unfortunately, Netent has not revealed what the maximum win is.

Netent is very open when it comes to the variance of slots, but not always so when it comes to the maximum win. Nevertheless, we managed to find out the maximum win of 80 Netent slots. For the slots Dead or Alive and Who’s the Bride?, it is not revealed by Netent what the maximum win is. We have estimated it to be over 10,000x the bet. For all other slots on this graph, it is disclosed by Netent.

It is interesting to see that Netent has decided to increase the maximum win of slots in 2018/2019. If you look closely, you see that slots released in the years 2012-2016 pretty much all had a maximum win below 2,000x the bet.

Exceptions were Dead or Alive, Mega Fortune Dreams (21000x the bet) and Pyramid (36,000x the bet).

But in 2019 alone, there were quite a few slots with a much higher maximum win, than what we have witnessed before: Ozzy Osbourne (maximum win of 10,000x the bet), Santa vs Rudolf (10,000x the bet), Who’s the Bride? (10,000x the bet) and of course Dead or Alive 2, with a maximum bet topping a surreal 100,000x the bet.

Also, you can see that more and more slots have a maximum win of 5,000x the bet. This was, except for Dead or Alive, not seen before.

Below is the average maximum win of Netent slots by release year.

 

max win netent slots by release year

Which Netent slots have the highest maximum win?

In the list below, you see the Netent slots with the highest maximum wins. We considered all slots up to and including 2019 (of which Netent provides the maximum win).

As you can see, most of the slots with a high maximum win, are relatively new. Of the top 10 slots (when it comes to the highest maximum win), half of them were released in 2019.

Could 2020 be an even better year for high maximum win Netent slots?

Rank  Name  Year  Max Win
1  Dead or Alive 2  2019  100,000 x
2  Pyramid  2015  36,000 x
3  Mega Fortune Dreams  2014  21,000 x
4  Dead or Alive  2013  10,000 x
5  Vikings  2018  10,000 x
6  Ozzy Osbourne  2019  10,000 x
7  Who’s the Bride  2019  10,000 x
8  Santa vs Rudolf  2019  10,000 x
9  Swipe and Roll  2018  8,100 x
10  Victorious MAX  2019  7,000 x
11  Warlords  2016  6,667 x
12  Berry Burst MAX  2018  6,000 x
13  Drive  2016  5,000 x
14  Emoji Planet  2017  5,000 x
15  Scudamore Super Stakes  2019  5,000 x
16  Spinsane  2019  5,000 x
17  The Wish Master  2014  4,500 x
18  The Reel Steal  2011  4,167 x
19  Wild Turkey  2013  4,000 x
20  Jack Hammer  2010  3,000 x
21  Jack and the Beanstalk  2011  3,000 x
22  King of Slots  2015  3,000 x
23  Berry Burst  2018  3,000 x
24  Halloween Jack  2018  3,000 x

Why has Netent decided to increase the maximum win of slots in 2019?

It is clear that Netent has changed the mathematics of the slots and decided to increase the variance of slots.

Many players nowadays, fed by the slot streamers, are more and more interested in high variance slots. The idea of bagging a life-changing win is very appealing and is a guarantee for likes, shares and views on youtube, twitch and other streaming media.

Put in simple words: those players prefer slot with a maximum win of 10,000x the bet over slots with “just” a maximum win of 500x the bet.

Which Netent Slots have the highest and worst Return to Player?

Netent Slots with highest theoretical RTP and worst theoretical RTP

Netent has always had a reputation for creating online slots with a high Return to Player.

Netent, one of the top online slot providers, is well known for delivering slots with a better theoretical Return to Player (RTP) than most of the other providers.

Yes, you can say that Netent slots are lacking innovation lately. You can argue that their slots are lacking volatility, but you cannot disagree with the fact that most of their slots have a pretty good RTP.

Especially compared to other providers.

Why a higher Return to Player matters

The higher the RTP, the better it is for you as a player. If, for example, the RTP is 96%, it implies that (in the long run), you will lose $€4 after every $€100 you have wagered. But is the RTP would be 97%, you would “only” lose $€3 for every $€100 you have wagered.

You can argue that the 1% difference is not so significant. But it does matter — more than you think. You could, for example, have a balance of €100, but wager in total €500 (you play with your winnings as well).

  • If the RTP is 96%, you would expect to lose: $€500 x 4% = € 20
  • If the RTP is 97%, you would expect to lose: $€500 x 3% = € 15

You can see that the difference is already more substantial. And it becomes larger and larger, once you start to wager higher amounts.

The RTP has nothing to do with the volatility (or variance) of the slot. Variance says something about the variation of the sizes of wins.

High volatility slots pay out more top prizes (but less often).

Low variance slots pay out smaller prizes but do so more often.

best and worst paying netent slots

The top 30 Netent slots with highest RTP

Below the top 30 list with slots with an excellent (or high) RTP. We have looked at all Netent slots up to (and including) 2019.

At the end of 2020, we will revise the list, if of course, Netent has managed to release new slots with such an excellent RTP.

Rank Name Year  RTP
1 Mega Joker 2011  99.00% (up to)
2 Blood Suckers 2013  98%
3 Secrets of Atlantis 2016  97.07%
4 Jack Hammer 2 2012  97.07%
5 Steam Tower 2015  97.04%
6 Scudamore Super Stakes 2019  96.99%
7 Motorhead 2016  96.98%
8 Guns N’ Roses 2016  96.98%
9 Coins of Egypt 2018  96.97%
10 King of Slots 2015  96.96%
11 Reel Rush 2013  96.96%
12 Jack Hammer 2010  96.96%
13 Blood Suckers 2 2017  96.94%
14 Go Bananas 2014  96.91%
15 Jimi Hendrix 2016  96.90%
16 Neon Staxx 2015  96.90%
17 Dazzle Me 2015  96.90%
18 Cosmic Fortune 2014  96.90%
19 Warlords 2016  96.89%
20 Victorious Max 2019  96.88%
21 Imperial Riches 2019  96.88%
22 Victorious 2012  96.88%
23 Fruit Spin 2018  96.84%
24 Spinata Grande 2015  96.84%
25 Dead or Alive 2 2019  96.82%
26 Dead or Alive 2013  96.82%
27 Football 2016  96.82%
28 Hooks Heroes 2015  96.82%
29 Who’s The Bride 2019  96.82%
30 Arcane Reel Chaos 2019  96.81%

 

The best-paying Netent slot is Mega Joker, with a theoretical RTP of 99%!

That is, of course, exceptional, and the RTP can only reach 99% if you play according to a certain way. It is a pretty old slot and not up to the 2019/2020 standards we expect from slots nowadays.

Other slots that are worthwhile mentioning are Blood Suckers (RTP of 98.00%), Guns N’ Roses (RTP of 96.98%), Reel Rush (RTP of 96.96%), Jack Hammer (96.96%), Dead Or Alive 2 96.82%) and Dead Or Alive (96.82%).

You can see that even immense popular slots are on the list, as well as slots with extreme volatility such as the Dead or Alive slots.

worst paying netent slots

The 20 Netent slots with the lowest RTP

Even though Netent slots generally have a pretty good Return to Player, it is not the case for all Netent slots.

Below is a list of Netent slots with a poor RTP, and there are some real stinkers on there, with theoretical payout rates that are not up to par.

We have looked at all Netent slots up to (and including) 2019.

And yes, it is also good to know which slots you can better avoid.

Rank Name Year  RTP
1 Super Lucky Frog 2011  92.90%
2 Jackpot 6000 2011  95.00%
3 Excalibur 2011  95.08%
4 Ghost Pirates 2013  95.28%
5 Hall of Gods 2010  95.30%
6 Arabian Nights 2009  95.62%
7 The Reel Steal 2011  95.90%
8 Mega Fortune Dreams 2014  95.90%
9 Strolling Staxx 2019  95.95%
10 Gonzo’s Quest 2011  95.97%
11 Spellcast 2011  95.98%
12 Koi Princess 2015  96.00%
13 Mega Fortune 2009  96.00%
14 Wild-O-Tron 3000 2018  96.01%
15 Elements 2012  96.02%
16 Temple of Nudges 2019  96.03%
17 Vikings 2018  96.05
18 Archangels: Salvation 2018  96.08%
19 Starburst 2012  96.09%
20 Finn’s Golden Tavern 2019  96.10%

You can see that most (but not all) of the slots on this list are either “very old” and released in the earlier years OR are pretty unknown. And several slots did not become well known, simply because of the low RTP.

But you can also see that 2 of the most popular slots (certainly top 5 Netent slots of all time) are on this list as well: Starburst and Gonzo’s Quest.

RTP Netent slots

Why are there so many differences in the RTP of slots?

Netent tends to have a pretty considerable variation in the RTP. Why do these vary so much? It is not crystal clear why there are differences, but the main reasons we can think of are:

  • Generally, Netent needs to make a margin on slots. If they would “only” provide slots with a high RTP, the margin would not be high enough on a total level
  • Sometimes, players are not aware that there are so many differences and play a slot, as long as the RTP is at least 96%.
  • Providers try and see how far they can go with lowering RTP’s. If players accept slots with a lower RTP, why not trying?
  • Netent sometimes needs to make a considerable investment, in particular, for very attractive slots (think of slots as Vikings or Planet of the Apes). These are slots with enormous investments, that need to be earned back
  • Pressures from competitors differ over time. If there is more competition, it could imply that the RTP os slots improve. We do, however, see that the RTP of several providers has worsened throughout 2019. So if more providers lower the RTP’s, Netent has more “room” to do the same. And for several slots they have.

The picture below shows the development of the RTP of all netent slots from 2012 till the end of 2019.

You can see that almost all slots have an RTP between 96% and 97%. But also that more slots released in 2018 and 2019 are closer to the “lower” 96% than was the case for slot released in the years from 2015 to 2017.

And indeed, more providers are releasing slots with a lower RTP. 

Conclusions – Most Netent slots have a pretty good RTP, but not all of them

We conclude that Netent slots generally have a better RTP than most other providers. But there are substantial differences, and you should always check the RTP of a slot before you start playing.

There is no need to play slots with a poor RTP (96%) if there are plenty of slots with high RTP (or close to 97%).

You don’t have to throw away money out of the window if there is no need to do so!

Play Netent slots at these online casinos

If you are looking for Netent slots with a high Return to Player or if you are just looking for Netent slots, you can check out the online casinos in our list below.

All of these online casinos offer you the chance to play real money casino games or to play with practice money.

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

What are Roulette’s luckiest numbers?

roulette numbers that hit the most

Roulette is a casino table game that has fascinated millions of players for centuries.

Of all table games, roulette is by far the most popular, followed by blackjack and baccarat.

In its current form, the game was first played in Paris in 1796. Nowadays, we really can’t imagine any casino without roulette. You can play roulette in land-based casinos, but of course also in online casinos, either as an automated game or as a live dealer game.

There are many variations of roulette, such as European Roulette (with one zero), American Roulette (with two zeros), Lightning Roulette (with extra high payouts on single numbers), Double Ball Roulette (with two balls) and even Triple Zero Roulette (with three zeros).

Roulette players are always looking for trends and patterns

Many players are convinced that specific patterns can be observed in roulette. Perhaps the ball hits a particular sector of the wheel more often than average, some sets of numbers show specific patterns or some numbers hit more often than others.

On roulette, you can always see the results of the last 20 or more spins. These numbers are analyzed by players meticulously, hoping that they will discover a trend in the results that they can capitalize on. However, does this make sense?

Looking at results from the past, players decide what the best roulette strategy is. Follow the trend? Or go against the trend? And how much risk can be taken?

roulette numbers that hit often

 

Which roulette numbers hit most often?

Although many roulette players firmly believe that the roulette wheel and the results of the spins show fixed patterns, according to specific mathematical laws and equilibrium theories, unfortunately, this is not true.

There is only one pattern in roulette, and that is the pattern of randomness. In other words: the roulette ball cannot be steered, and each new spin is independent of the previous one. The ball has no preference and no memory.

If the ball has fallen on number ‘12’ four times in a row, what does this mean for the next spin?

Some players will say that you should bet on ‘12’ again because this number is scorchingly hot.

Other players will be convinced that you shouldn’t bet on ‘12’ in this case because the chance that the ball will fall on ‘12’ for the fifth time in a row is minimal.

And then there’s the stubborn player, who will bet on the zero, because ‘as you know, every long series ends with a zero.’

Results from the past, do not affect future outcomes

The truth is that all three players are wrong. The probability of the number ‘12’ falling again is just 1 out of 37, as it was every spin.

Of course, it hardly ever happens that a certain number falls four times in a row, but that doesn’t say anything about the future.

There is also no way to determine whether you are entering before, during, or after a trend.

In the long run, all roulette numbers fall equally often. There may be negligible differences, but these are caused by statistical variance, and these differences won’t help you as a player at all.

Do you remember? A roulette ball has no memory and cannot learn from the past, nor can it predict the future!

Roulette outcomes are random and in no way guided by a roulette ball that has mysterious powers.

Popular roulette numbers

When we look at which roulette numbers are played most frequently, we can see individual preferences.

Many players appear do have favourite numbers, which they bet on more often than other numbers.

The following roulette numbers are played more often than average:

  • The zero (the stubborn player!)
  • The seven (for many people a lucky number)
  • Birthdays and anniversaries (between 1 and 31)

The numbers 32 to 36 are less popular: no birthdays or anniversaries on those numbers.

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.

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:

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

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!