Low Volatility vs High Volatility

Volatility is a word you’ve no doubt come across on your journey through the world of online slot games. Every slot that is released will indicate whether it is high, medium, or low volatility. We are going to look at the two extremes here, since the medium-volatility games sit neatly in the middle of the two. Once you know what the extremes are like, you will understand where the medium ones fall in the equation.

What are low volatility games?

Low volatility games are those with less risk attached to them. They tend to pay out lots of small prizes, while the large ones are far less common. This means you are very unlikely to go through a long stretch of spins with no prizes popping up at all.

What are high volatility games?

These are the opposite to the ones mentioned above. When a game has a high volatility level, it won’t continually pay out prizes. However, when a prize does appear, it is more likely to be much larger in size.

Where do your preferences lie?

Most players find they like one extreme or the other. Players with bigger budgets might prefer to play for the bigger prizes. However, it depends on your personal preferences. If you like the idea of winning as often as possible, even though the prizes will be smaller, the lower volatility games are the ones for you.

Not all games will reveal their volatility level prior to you playing them. However, there are reviews of most slot games online today. These normally mention whether a game appears to be of high, medium, or low volatility.

How long are you going to play a game for?

This may not seem relevant. However, if you’re only looking to pass the time for 10 minutes, you might be better off playing a low volatility game. Since we know this produces smaller prizes more frequently, you are still likely to scoop some prizes during that short time.

If you have more in your bankroll and you are happy to sit and play for a few hours, you may consider switching to a high volatility slot. Again, though, you should be careful to consider your own preferences. There is never any guarantee you will win from a certain number of spins. You cannot guarantee you will win more than you pay out either. All food for thought.