Volatility vs RTP: How to Choose a Mobile Slot?

Volatility vs RTP: How to Choose a Mobile Slot?

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One doesn’t have to fully understand the inner workings of casino slots to play them, but bringing some knowledge in the game is certainly helpful. At least, when you’re staking real money on those reels. Any useful slot review should contain necessary information about the volatility and the RTP percentage of the game. You are the one who should be able to interpret this information to your advantage. Both volatility and RTP can affect the satisfaction or the lack of it. At the same time, you’re playing slots, so it’s only logical to gain insight into these aspects and have them work in your favour.

Volatility Demystified

The term volatility is often tossed around in slot reviews. If you’ve read a couple, you should already know that slots have various volatility levels. Sometimes referred to as variance, slot volatility is, simply put, a measure of risk. If you want to know how risky is the game you are about to play, go straight to its volatility/variance level. These levels are mostly limited to the three basic ones – medium, high, and low. However, there are software reviewers and analysts that will give a game a “medium to high” variance or “low to medium” in case there are some features in it that makes the risk level oscillate instead of being constant throughout. 

A low variance slot corresponds to a lower risk game, one that you stand low chances of losing your bet. High variance, on the other hand, means the risk is substantial, and most likely, you will not win your bet. 

In terms of payouts, volatility can be seen a bit differently, not so black and white. According to what we’ve learned so far, high-risk slots should be avoided, right? Well, players do not avoid them because that’s where all the big wins are. The truth is, slots with low volatility pay a lot more often, their payoffs come on a more regular basis, but the wins are small. High variance slots pay less often, their payouts are few and far between, but the amounts are considerably larger. With high risk come high rewards! Go figure.

Return to Player – What Is It and Why Is It Important

The return to player is expressed in percentages, and it represents the expected amount for the player to win per bet. In other words, the RTP tells you how much of your bet is expected to be paid back over long term play and on average. This value is calculated based on a huge number of spins, even millions of them. So, during short slot sessions, the RTP may not be as noticeable, which, in a way, makes slots exciting as anything can happen. 

The RTP is established in a complicated process during the slots development and the percentage that is reached over a million spins is called the theoretical RTP. The sum of money a slot machine pays back over time is called actual RTP. We don’t need to get more technical than that. You ought to know that most online slots have an RTP between 94% and 98%. Generally speaking, the higher the RTP, the better the chances of keeping your bankroll at the same, maintainable level.

The Interaction between RTP and Slot Variance

Okay, so both the RTP and variance are important, and these two aspects should not be mistaken for one another. The concepts are closely related, though. In simple terms, the variance is the force that defines how the slot’s RTP is carried through. As previously explained, low-variance slots are programmed to pay smaller amounts more frequently. It allows the player to stay afloat and play many spins without draining your bankroll. In the case of high-volatility slots, the RTP is mainly situated in the bonus features, and the playtime will be marked with significant highs and lows. 

Variance is a manifestation of how much a slot varies from the given theoretical RTP in a single session. In practice, high-variance slots tend to have lower RTPs than low-volatility slots. Many consider games with higher RTPs to be the better choice. Still, if you select a slot machine that is also highly volatile, you may need to go through thousands of spins before coming close to the game’s exact RTP.

Making the Most of Slot Volatility and RTP When Choosing a Mobile Slot

Various factors affect the decision of choosing the slot’s variance, and these factors can be different for every individual player. Before you can tackle this enigma, you need to ask yourself what type of gaming experience you are after. Also, it would help if you were clear on how much money you can afford to lose. Do you believe to be one of those with a conservative bankroll? Do you wish to sustain a healthy bankroll over a longer spinning session? Then, lower variance slots with reasonably high RTPs are for you. Starburst is a good example, even Big Bad Wolf. Or, perhaps, you crave an adrenaline rush of a big payout? In that case, you should look for something along the lines of Book of Ra by Novomatic. It is a game that sports a return rate of merely 92.13 %, which is significantly lower than the industry average, and highly risky. 

With the RTP being statistically proven, and the variance level often generated from the personal experience of players, you can only do so much to make the best selection. If your preferences do not exclusively guide you, you should take your budget to be the determining factor of your selective process. When you want to win big and have the bankroll to back this up, go for the high-risk games. On the contrary, stick to the average or low-risk titles for a prolonged, satisfactory gaming session.

RTP and variance are not laws; they are useful indications of the size and frequency of wins one can expect in online slots. Whenever you are not sure about how to approach a slot, try it out in demo mode. Then, set your budget and choose a reputable, fair casino to fulfil your goals and have the most fun you can have. 

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