Top 10 Low vs High Volatility Slots

Have you been wondering about slot volatility, variance, RTP and how they affect your gambling experience?

Our top 10 low versus high volatility slots guide provides you with an in-depth look into these indicators to make better-informed decisions when choosing a slot game. We provide an easy-to-understand comparison between the two types of slots and why they should or shouldn’t matter to certain players.

Knowing more about low vs. high volatility slots will enable you to maximize your earnings while minimizing costs and help ensure that the slot machine also fits your style of playing!

Check below and start learning more about slot volatility from our experts, or follow our link to learn more about instant withdrawal casino sites with the best slot libraries.

1️⃣ Return to Player – RTP

If you’ve read anything about slots online, you’ve probably heard of the return-to-player rate, often referred to as a slot’s RTP. This number represents the percentage of bets made on the slot that will be returned to players as winnings over the long term. You may have also noticed that most modern online video slots have an RTP rate of about 96% to 97%. So, for example, a slot with a 96% RTP rate would return about £96 to players for every £100 wagered, leaving £4 for the casino.

The critical point is that the RTP rate represents returns over the long term — as in hundreds of thousands or even millions of spins. In the short term, winning or losing much more is possible. For example, you could play 50 spins at £1 each and lose £50 rather than the £48 that a 96% RTP would dictate. Someone else could play another 50 spins and walk away £200 richer, which certainly didn’t give the house their £2 share of the £50 wagered. But, over time, as more spins are made, the total money wagered and won will get closer and closer to that 96% return to player rate.

2️⃣ Slot Volatility

Have you ever wondered why some slots stay more in line with their return rate as you play while others produce wild up-and-down fluctuations in your bankroll even though both have similar RTP rates? This happens because a second factor determines how much and how often slot machines will pay out. It’s called volatility. Volatility describes how a slot machine behaves over the short term. Volatility is often the factor that makes a gambler feel comfortable playing one slot but uneasy playing another. It can also be the factor that determines whether a player thinks of a particular slot as exciting or boring.

Different levels of volatility will make slots more or less suitable for different gambling styles. Slots with low volatility pay out more often but award smaller prizes. They will produce a minimal variance in your bankroll. Slots with high volatility will award larger payouts, but it will take lots of losing spins to hit those high-paying winners. They will produce many ups and downs over the short term as you play.

🏆 10 Of The Best Low Volatility Online Video Slots

⭐ BetSoft – Sugar Pop 2: Double Dipped Slot

In no particular order, here are ten of the best low and medium-low-volatility online video slots available. These slots have proven popular with players worldwide and are known for delivering a comfortably stable playing experience with plenty of fun that keeps fans coming back for more. You can look for them at your favorite online casino or check our lists to find casinos that offer these top games quickly.

The Sugar Pop 2 slot is another slot that uses the cluster-based payout system. The jelly-like symbols fall on a seven-by-seven grid where clusters of just six symbols will generate a winning payout.

Winning symbols explode, allowing other symbols on the board to fall and generate more wins on a single spin. You can also jump to higher game levels to increase payouts. If you like unusual bonus features and candy-matching fun, this one should be right up your alley.

⭐ BetSoft – Reels Of Wealth Slot

BetSoft’s Reels of Wealth is a unique low volatility slot with a great payout system, plenty of bonus features, and not one but four jackpots to win.

Ten fixed pay lines pay out three ways. You can win by making matches from right to left, left to right, or from the center out. On top of that, every winning spin gives you an automatic respin for another chance.

This one should get your juices flowing if you’re looking for a low-volatility game with plenty of exciting action.

⭐ NetEnt – Starburst Slot

Starburst has proven to be one of the most popular online slots ever released. It is elegant and simple, with seven symbols and ten fixed pay lines that pay both ways.

If you’ve never played Starburst, you owe it to yourself to try it. Its bright and beautiful colors have remained in the top ten most-played online slots for years. This slot is especially popular with casino operators for free spins and welcome bonuses. If you’ve never played Starburst, you owe it to yourself to try it.

⭐ Play’n Go – Gemix Slot

Reminiscent of the popular candy matching games, the Gemix slot from Play N Go is a medium-low volatility slot that sports seven reels and seven rows where wins are based on matching at least five symbols in a cluster anywhere on the screen.

Matching 20 symbols at a time will set off one of four different bonus features, and it’s possible to level up and get permanent payout boosts. With a big maximum payout for a reasonably low volatility game, it’s possible to win up to 45,135 coins on a single spin!

⭐ Microgaming – Cash Of Kingdoms Slot

The Cash of Kingdoms slot from Microgaming is still relatively new compared to other slots on our list. Still, nevertheless, it has proven to be a thoroughly enjoyable, low-volatility slot that is quickly building a fanbase.

Fifteen fixed pay lines pay both ways, wild symbols, stacked wilds, free spins, and more. This is another low volatility slot with an uncharacteristically high maximum payout of £100,000.

⭐ NetEnt – Aloha! Cluster Pays Slot

With the Aloha slot, NetEnt established the Cluster Pays system. The first of its kind, Aloha uses a six-reel, six-row layout where any cluster of nine or more like symbols awards a win.

A lot has been built on the concepts that first appeared in this game. There are re-spins, free spins, cascading symbols, wilds, and more. Take a few spins and see where it all came from.

⭐ NetEnt – Guns N Roses Slot

Another good medium-low volatility slot is one of NetEnt’s best branded online video slots. The Guns N Roses slot includes music, video footage, album covers, and everything else the fans love about this notorious band.

There are seven different bonus features to help boost wins and keep the excitement going. Whether you’re a band fan or not, you’re sure to enjoy the show.

⭐ Microgaming – Wild Scarabs Slot

The Wild Scarabs slot from Microgaming is an Egyptian themed slot that uses the 243 ways to win payout system.

Wild symbols, free spins, and even a bonus feature allow you to collect and store wilds during free spins to land some massive bonus wins. You will love this one if you’re a fan of Egyptian slots.

⭐ Playtech – Bonus Bears Slot

The Bonus Bears slot is a 25-line traditional slot machine. You can pick how many lines you want to play and how much you want to bet on each line. The cartoonish graphics keep the play fast and fun, and plenty of bonus features keep you guessing what’s coming next.

Bonus Bears offers a great video slot experience similar to what one might expect in a land-based casino.

⭐ Play’n Go – Cats & Cash Slot

The Cats & Cash slot is another medium-low volatility slot from Play N Go. This slot brings the thrill of wild TV game shows to video slots. From big bonuses on the Wheel of Fortune to the interactive pick-a-prize feature, this five-reel, three-row slot will entertain you for hours.

It’s possible to win up to 5000 times your bet on this 15-line slot, and it’s well worth your time to try.

🏆 10 Of The Best High Volatility Online Video Slots

Here are some of the latest and greatest high volatility slots for those who like to feel a little more gamble in your game and need that extra kick to keep the excitement going. You’ll need to make sure you have what it takes to ride out the rollercoaster ups and downs while you play, but if you can hang in there, big prizes will be won.

⭐ Novomatic – Book Of Ra Slots

Book Of Ra is one of the most famous Egyptian/Archeologic-themed slots ever released. Since the release of the Initial video slot over a decade ago, there have been several expansions and sequels released, which have all proven to be just as popular as the original game.

The Book of Ra series are known for its high volatility, but the chances for huge payouts are hard to resist. Look for any Book of Ra slots for extensive bonus features, great graphics and animations, and big payouts.

⭐ Big Time Gaming – Bonanza Slot

Bonanza shows off BTG’s massive Megaways winning payout system perfectly. With six vertical reels and one horizontal reel, every spin creates a different number of ways to win with a maximum possible 117,649 ways to match symbols across the reels.

This slot is highly volatile, but you’ll see sky-high rewards when the right combinations land on those seven reels. The action doesn’t stop when you win, either. On each winning spin, matching symbols will explode, allowing new symbols to fall into the playfield and create more winning combinations.

⭐ Quickspin – Dwarfs Gone Wild Slot

With the Dwarfs Gone Wild Slot, Quickspin brings the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to life on the reels. There are loads of different bonus features that can be triggered and win multipliers up to five times.

Fill the golden mine cart meter on the left side of the reels for chances at some massive payouts from these generous little guys.

⭐ Play’n Go – Queen’s Day Tilt Slot

This slot is not just highly volatile; the Queen’s Day Tilt is listed as very high volatility. It’s a unique video slot played on a three-by-three grid where matches of just two symbols vertically or horizontally will pay off a win.

Each time you win, winning symbols are removed, and remaining symbols fall, but no new symbols are added. The object here is to clear the board of all symbols if you want to get to the big prizes.

⭐ Microgaming – The Great Albini Slot

The Great Albini slot from Microgaming does a great job of creating a magically entertaining atmosphere. The game incorporates excellent bonus features with great graphics and sounds to make it an overall winner.

Bonus features are not as hard to trigger as with most high-volatility slots, but you might have to hit those features a few times before seeing the large payouts they can create.

If you’re looking for something fun and unusual, you’ll want to check this one out.

⭐ Yggdrasil – Wolf Hunters Slot

Yggdrasil is known not only for the incredibly detailed graphics on their slots but also for their unique an innovative ways of putting bonus features together.

Wolf Hunters doesn’t just depend on you hitting the correct symbols to win and trigger bonuses; the symbols will battle with each other to determine feature triggers.

This game has enormous possibilities, but you’ll have to collect many wins by racking up the points you need to get to the big bonuses. Do you have the patience and cunning needed to take down the werewolf?

⭐ Play’n Go – Battle Royal Slot

Battle Royal is, believe it or not, based on King Henry VIII and his gruesome habit of sending his ex-wives to the guillotine. Henry’s wives will do their best to get revenge throughout the game.

There are interactive bonus features, and you’ll see the lovely ladies pass from the land of the living into their ghostly forms during free spins. The longer you can keep Henry from their ghastly grip, the more you can win. There’s a massive maximum payout of £500,000 waiting for you.

⭐ NetEnt – Dead Or Alive Slot

The Dead or Alive slot has almost become a symbol of the NetEnt company. It’s almost a decade old, but it’s still one of the most popular slots they’ve ever released. With an ever-popular western theme, this slot offers sticky wilds and free spins that can be re-triggered.

All wins during free spins also payout with a two-time multiplier. It’s a straight-to-the-point game that plays fast and offers big payouts.

⭐ Yggdrasil – Champions Of Rome Slot

Champions of Rome is themed around the almost mythical gladiators of ancient Rome. As you play this five-reel, three-row, 20-pay line slot, the mighty gladiators will battle in the arena, helping you boost your bottom line.

The graphics on this slot, as with all Yggdrasil games, are excellent. With innovative bonus triggers, two different types of free spin modes, and four different types of wilds, the action on this slot just never stops.

⭐ NetEnt – BerryBurst Max Slot

BerryBurst Max is a five-reel, three-row slot that uses NetEnt’s Cluster Pays system. Big, bold, and colorful symbols roll past as you play. Matching six of any like symbol horizontally or vertically anywhere on the screen will generate a win.

There are bonus features like expanding wilds, respins, and more. The top regular-symbol payout on this one is a mouth-watering 10,000 coins, but you can win much more on a single spin when bonuses kick in.

Conservative Gamblers – Low Volatility

More conservative gamblers, or those with smaller bankrolls, will generally prefer slots with lower volatility. There is a smaller chance of going broke quickly, and playtime can be extended to the maximum. The more or less constant stream of small payouts keeps anxiety at bay. The tradeoff is that the game might produce little excitement, and even the maximum payout will be small compared to many other slots.

High Rollers – High Volatility

High-volatility slots will be more attractive to those with the opposite gambling style. Players with larger bankrolls or those looking for more excitement, especially casino high-rollers, often prefer slots with high volatility. However, the possibility of higher payouts and more excitement comes with a higher risk of breaking before those big wins materialize.

Then, of course, plenty of slots fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. You might see slots labeled as medium volatility, medium-low or medium-high. The thing about volatility, though, is that, unlike RTP rates, the volatility level of most slots is not published. So, it’s up to the player to make a few spins and determine if any particular video slot fits their gambling style and comfort level.

No matter which type of slots you prefer, we have some brilliant suggestions that will add a few more titles to your list of favorites. Even though many online video slot machine designers don’t publish the volatility of their games, we’ve been through hundreds of them and compiled lists of some of the best high and low-volatility slots.

Slot Volatility & RTP FAQ

• What does slot volatility refer to?

  Volatility is a statistical measure that reflects how often you can expect a slot game to pay out over a specific period and how big the prize will be. a) High volatility slots: pay fewer times but offer higher returns. b) Low volatility slots: pay more often, lower return. Software providers sometimes display this information on their site, accompanied by RTP and variance.

• What does slot variance refer to?

  Slot variance reflects the dispersion of the returns of a specific slot machine in the long run and how much it deviates from the statistical average.

• So what’s the difference between slot volatility and slot variance?

  They mean the same, but the difference consists of the analyzed period. While volatility refers to the short term, variance analyzes the long term and the dispersion from an average. The slot volatility is a good measure of how much risk is involved in the short term.

• Are high / low volatility slots good or bad?

  There are no good or bad slots. They may be suitable – or not – to your game style. For example, low volatility slots are great for players with a tight budget but may be boring for high rollers. If you are a risk taker (and have a budget to back you up), you will enjoy playing high-volatility slots much more.

• Is there a suggested strategy for high volatility slots?

  Strategies will depend on your game style and budget, but if you are going for high-volatility slots, I would suggest: 1. Set a budget and stick to it. 2. High RTP and high variance are what you should look for. 3. Do your research and bet wisely. 4. Expect few to no payouts. 5. Take breaks and be conscious about budget management.