Slots Volatility – How Often & How Much You Can Win at Sweepstakes Slots

I want you to understand the importance of volatility, so aside from highlighting sweepstakes casinos that display slots volatility, I’ve also taken the time to create an in-depth guide. Here, I explain how volatility, or variance, works and share examples of popular slots and their volatility ratings.

What is Volatility in Online Slots?

I’ve given you this huge list of slots, but you still need to understand what volatility is. Volatility or variance relates to how often you can expect to win when playing slot games, but also the value of those wins. This is then used to calculate your risk factor.

Volatility is typically described on a scale from low to high, and games can fall anywhere on that scale depending on how often winning combinations land and the average size of your wins. Usually, games are split into 3 volatility categories – high, medium, and low, but a game can be medium-low or medium-high, for example.

Many software developers display the volatility level on the main game page. You can also often find this information under the game rules or info table after you launch the slot. Below, I explain the 3 main types of slot volatility and what they mean.

What is the Ideal Slots Volatility Level?

There’s no such thing as ideal volatility when it comes to slots gameplay. The right volatility depends on playstyle, risk tolerance, and expectations – what you want to get out of the game.

When I want to hit a big win in the bonus round, I opt for high volatility slots as they do this best. And when I want to try and meet SC playthrough requirements, I go for low variance slots that can make my balance last longer with consistent wins. Once you understand what volatility means, you simply have to think about which style you prefer when playing at online casinos.

I will say, though, that high volatility is more suited for a high coin bankroll, while low volatility is more suited for a low coin bankroll. This is because you need a large Gold Coin or Sweeps Coin balance to wait out those long, dry spins on high-volatility slots we all love. Wanted Dead or A Wild, Le King, TNT Bonanza 2, and other trending games.

Special Features That May Vary Volatility Levels in Slots

You may already know of RTP ranges in slots. While not as common, there are also games with volatility ranges. From what I’ve seen, varying volatility levels are usually a result of one or more of these special mechanics:

Bonus Choice – Certain games offer multiple bonus rounds with different volatility levels. In Le Pharaoh, you have the option to choose from two variants when you trigger the bonus game. Wanted Dead or a Wild became one of the most popular slots upon its release because it provided three bonus rounds of differing variance – medium, high, and very high.

Bonus Buy – Lots of slots nowadays have the bonus buy feature, which allows you to purchase a feature spin or bonus game for a set multiplier based on your spin value. When playing Money Train 3 by Relax Gaming, for example, you can buy into the bonus rounds for 100x, or more, your spin value.

Chance Buy – This feature is an ante bet of sorts and allows you to alter the frequency of free spins when you take the option. A perfect illustration is in BGaming‘s Catch the Gold: Hold ‘N’ Win. Here, you can buy a 2.5x higher chance of triggering free spins and the Hold & Win bonus.

These features significantly increase the risk. So before you commit to a game with such options, think about how they will affect the volatility, your bankroll management, or your social gaming strategies. At SweepsKings, we feature free online slots you can trial before utilizing your precious coins.

SweepsKings’ Tips For Managing Slots Volatility

If you spend a little time thinking about volatility, you can actually turn it to your advantage and use it to manage your bankroll, or do things like meet playthrough requirements more effectively.

Adjust your spin values accordingly: Generally speaking, it’s better to set a lower spin value for high volatility games due to the long stretches without any wins. In contrast, because of the greater consistency, it can be better to use a higher spin value for low volatility slots.

Choose volatility based on your bankroll: If you only have 5 Sweeps Coins left, it’s probably not a great idea to play a highly volatile slot, as you could use those 5 SC and not get a single win. High volatility slots are usually better when you have a sufficient coin balance to eat up the barren stretches.

Think about playthrough requirements: Bonus SC at social casinos typically have a 1x playthrough requirement. You want to meet this playthrough requirement as effectively as possible and retain as much of your Sweeps Coins as possible. For this, low volatility slots are better due to their more consistent wins.

Also consider the RTP: Don’t look at volatility in a vacuum. While it is incredibly important, you should also look at the RTP (Return to Player) of a game. For example, which would be better, a low volatility slot with an RTP of 93.78%, or a highly volatile slot with an above average RTP of 96.3%? I would take the latter – looking at you Duel at Dawn – any day of the week.

Think about how bonus buy features affect volatility: As discussed above, bonus buy features and other “feature spins” can impact volatility. For example, while you can buy free spins on a game like Pirate Bonanza, it costs an arm and a leg, so is it worth it, and how does that swing the volatility? Some slot games even provide different base game modes with varying volatility levels (Good Girl, Bad Girl), so you can try those if you prefer playing the same game but aren’t always feeling edgy.