Looking for high variance slots? You’re in the right place! For the thrill seekers and slot game players chasing down those massive wins and ready to take a gamble with some big money, on this page you will find our top 10 high variance games of all time, including some stone-cold classics. And further down the page, our list of the best high variance slot machines this year!

• Low Variance Slots Games
• Low Variance Slots Game
• Low Variance Slots Definition
• Best Low Variance Slots

Want to know more about how variance affects gameplay? Check our guide to slot variance at the end of the list.

Best High Variance Slots of All Time

Low variance slots are also often called low-risk, or low volatility slots. That’s because in these slot games wins come in fairly regularly. That’s because in these slot games wins come in fairly regularly. With low variance slots wins are quite frequent, however payouts smaller. You can wait a long time to hit a big number, usually with an average multiplier of 500x bet. Compared to high variance slots, where winnings go up to 5000x the bet, it is understandable why not all. Low Variance Slots. The risk level of slot machines is set by their volatility or dispersion. This characteristic is one of the most important for regular and professional gamblers as it determines the frequency with which the winning combinations are formed. In this article, we’ll tell you more about low variance slots, a few popular titles of this type of slot, pros and cons, and more. Now as slots are random there is no definitive answer to that, but there is a way to be a little more aware of what your chances are over the payouts. A little bit of research will tell you if the online slot you want to play is classed as a low, medium or high variance.

So here it is – The Slot Buzz list of the best high variance slots online ever created! This is all subjective of course, and everyone’s experience will be different. It’s a bit like choosing your top 10 albums of all time – everyone has their favourites!! But for now, here are ours.

1. Bonanza by Big Time Gaming

• 6 Reels
• Up to 7 Rows
• 117,649 Ways to Win
• Includes Free Spin, Multipliers and Re-Spins

Big Time Gaming have established themselves as the kings of the high variance slot in recent years. They are not as prolific as Netent, Microgaming or many other suppliers, but boy do they deliver! Their best games are driven by their Megaways™ game engine in which reels change in size with each spin, up to a maximum of 7 rows high to create 117,649 Ways To Win.

Bonanza is one of BTGs stand-out games. It has a notorious bonus round that requires four scatters spelling out G O L D to trigger it. Many frustrated slot fans has hit the forums asking where that missing ‘D’ has got to as they get so close, and yet so far to getting those free spins on so many occasions!

The bonus round comes with a basic 12 free spins for four scatters, and a further five for every extra scatter. There are also opportunities to get further spins when carts of gold bars stop above the reels on each spin in the bonus round.

And then there is the Rolling Reels affect! After each winning spin the winning symbols explode and are replaced by new ones until no winning combinations appear. And during free spins you get a multiplier value that increases by 1 for each consecutive win in the sequence. There is no upper limit to the multipliers – as long as winlines keep appearing, your multiplier keeps increasing. This is where the massive payouts stack up!

2. Immortal Romance by Microgaming

• 5 Reels
• 3 Rows
• 243 Paylines
• Wilds, Free Spins, Multipliers, Wild Reels

This is a stone-cold classic from 2011 and still popular with slots players to this day. Immortal Romance is a vampire-themed slot with 243 paylines and a really slick look and feel to it. The big wins can be found by unlocking the four free spins bonus rounds, one of which (Wild Desire) has particularly big potential. In this feature, at least one of the five reels will turn totally wild. In fact, it is possible to land five wild reels at this point. Elsewhere you will find wild symbols that come with a 2x multiplier and a free spins round with a 5x multiplier.

Fancy a spin on Immortal Romance? We recommend playing at another of our favourite Microgaming casinos, Voodoo Dreams.

3. Book of Dead by Play n Go

• 5 Reels
• 3 Rows
• 20 Paylines
• Free Spin, Wilds and Sticky Wilds

With a top win potential of £500,000 it’s no wonder that Book of Dead ranks as one of the best high variance Play n Go Slots. This little beauty has been on the lists of many UK slot sites since it’s release in 2016.

The gameplay is simple – it’s a 5 reel and 20 fixed payline game with a bonus round consisting of 10 free spins with re-triggers. And of course, there is the random expanding symbol, chosen at the start of the round. It can play a bit part in creating massive wins. Worth bearing in mind as well that Book of Dead delivers some serious wins in its top-paying symbols. The start of the show, Rich Wilde, himself gets you a whopping 5,000x for five in a payline.

If you want to take on Book of Dead Slot, try playing at top Play n Go casino, Voodoo Dreams

4. Dead or Alive by NetEnt

• 5 Reels
• 3 Rows
• 9 Paylines
• Free Spins, Re-Triggers, Wilds and Sticky Wilds

A real old classic from one of the biggest in the business. NetEnt’s Dead or Alive only really gets interesting when you hit the bonus round where wilds that land on the reels stick for the duration of your free spins … AND you get an additional FIVE free spins to enjoy too! Think about landing five wilds on a payline here and you’re looking at huge potential – well over 1,000x – and it is of course possible to land more than one wild line at a time.

This is typical high variance fare – very little to speak of until you hit one of those incredible lucky streaks where the wilds fall into place and your free spins keep ticking over!

Just approach with caution because these wins are rare.

5. Jurassic Park by Microgaming

• 5 Reels
• 3 Rows
• 243 Paylines
• Free Spins, Multipliers, Split Wilds, Wild Multipliers, Winning Wilds, Running Wilds

This game is based on the blockbuster Hollywood movie and comes with 243 ways to win across 5 reels. The game can be played from 30p up to £15 per spin, but the real fun comes in the T-Rex Alert mode feature. It comes with six spins during which 35 wild symbols are added to the reels – possible wins of 6000x here!!

In total Jurassic Park Slot comes with five free spins features, and each one is packed with mini-features of its own, including extra wilds, re-spins and multipliers. There is a Brachiosaurus free spins feature with four spins and up to 6x multipliers, and a Triceratops free spins feature which starts with stacked wilds three high with more wilds added to the stack with each spin, and stampedes of dinosaurs marauding across the screen turning entire reels wild and sticky!

This is a real beast of a game with lots of big win potential when you land the any of the free spins features. If you’d like to try it today, you can try at one of the best Microgaming slot sites, Voodoo Dreams.

6. 300 Shields by NextGen

• 5 Reels
• 3 Rows
• 25 Paylines
• Wilds, Free Spins, Multipliers

This is another classic high variance slot game that will be familiar to many players. It’s one of the most notorious games on the market and comes with a possible 300x multiplier in the free spins bonus round that can produce wins way above the 1,000x marker.

The objective of the game is pretty simple – it’s not packed with features like Jurassic Park by Microgaming or Pink Elephants by Thunderkick. No, this one if all about the Free Spins round and once you’re there, how many more spins and multipliers you can unlock.

Initially the game comes with 5 free spins which are given to you when you land three shield scatters on the reels with one spin. During your free spins you must land more shields, each time adding five more free spins to your cache, along with an increasing multiplier from 2x up to 300x.

For the Multipliers in the free spins round to be active, you must have a wild as part of your payline. Once you get into the higher multipliers, pretty much any 5 symbol winning line with a wild in it will be a killer win! Best case though would surely be a 5 wild line at 300x – that’s 12,000x! 1

300 Shields from NextGen is available to play at top NextGen Casino, Voodoo Dreams.

7. Pink Elephants by Thunderkick

• 6 Reels
• 4 Rows
• 4,096 Paylines
• Wilds, Free Spins, Re-Triggers

And now for something totally different! Pink Elephants by Thunderkick is a psychedelic take on WMS’ infamous Raging Rhino slot, and it’s one of our favourite high variance slot games of all time. Thunderkick slots are renowned for their kooky and off-the-wall graphic and animations. With Pink Elephants they’ve taken things even further. This game comes with 6 reels, 4 rows and 4,096 ways to win and is available from 10p up to £100 per spin.

The key to unlocking the secrets of this great game is the green peanut symbol – this is the scatter and three of them unlock 7 free spins. More scatters give you more spins, up to 19 spins from 6 scatters. And you can trigger further free spins in the bonus round with more scatters (6 scatters = 11 spins).

But what you’re really looking to do here is fill the meerkat meters (told you it was bonkers!) to the left of the screen. Every time a pink elephant with a glowing orb lands on the reels during free spins this create this adds another point on the next meter. When one is full then one of the lower value meerkat symbols on the reels transforms to a higher value elephant symbol, increasing your chances of bigger wins.

Its crazy and it’s also responsible for some of the best big win videos online.

8. Montezuma by WMS

• 5 Reels
• 3 Rows
• 30 Paylines
• Free Spins, Multipliers, Guaranteed Min. 10x Win in Bonus Round

Montezuma is a land-based casino slot from WMS that has been migrated into the online environment. It’s riches are locked into the bonus round which comes with free spins with unlimited re-triggers and multipliers of up to 10x.

The free spins round is initiated by three scatters, and a wheel spin is used to find out how many free spins you get – anything up to 25. There is also a wheel above the reels that comes into play during each Free Spins. It lands on a number that becomes the mutlipliers for any wins on that spin.

If you land 2 scatters during the free spins round then your multiplier gets fixed and you get an additional spin. The multipliers applies to any wins from any additional free spins from there on.

To get the biggest wins a player needs to land the 10x multiplier and keep getting re-triggers of the free spins all with the 10x. Then if a decent 5 symbols win line comes in, the payout can be massive and well in excess of 1,000x.

9. Casino Zeppelin by Yggdrasil

• 5 Reels
• 3 Rows
• Paylines
• Wilds, Wild Transfers, Free Spins

This game from another top-class provider that is less well known than NetEnt and Microgaming is capable of producing really big wins in excess of 1,000x through a combination of sticky wilds and free spins.

You also get a boost from the Wild Transfer feature in which any wilds that landed on the reels on the spin in which the bonus round was triggered are added to the reels for the whole free spins duration. These are also sticky.

Further, if you get five wilds landing on the reels during the bonus round then you get an extra five free spins. And what you’re really looking for is to land paylines with wilds in them.

This is a great looking slot game from Yggdrasil and highly recommended. You can play it today at Dunder Casino.

10. Pyramid Quest for Immortality Slot by NetEnt

• 5 Reels
• 5 Rows
• 720 Paylines
• Avalanche Reels, Multipliers, Wilds

Finally, let’s take a look at another NetEnt title, Pyramid Quest for Immortality. This game is built on an unusual reel set up, with 5 rows, narrowing to just one symbol width at the top.

Pyramid also uses the Gonzo’s Quest Avalanche feature to create an increasing multiplier value when you get successive wins. Meanwhile ‘Wild Generations’ is a feature where wilds are added to the reels if a win includes any of the symobols in the top rows of the reels.

The trick is to get lots of wilds generated whilst on a successive run of wins that pushes the multiplier up to 10x. A full screen of the highest paying symbol at a 10x could land a whopping 3,600,000 coin win! A decent win would be something like 2,000x on this game – but rememeber, with this high volatility they are rare and hard to come by!

To play Pyramid Quest for immortality, visit a NetEnt casino like Voodoo Dreams.

What Is Slot Variance?

In maths variance is a term that refers to how far from the mean or expected result something will deviate.

In gambling, variance or volatility is an indicator of the frequency and volume in which a slot game is likely to pay out. Low variance games typically generate small, regular payouts, whereas high variance games produce irregular but bigger payouts, with long lean spells of dry spins punctuated by big, blockbuster wins.

When choosing a game to play variance can help a player by showing the likely risk level. High variance games carry more risk because the payouts are less frequent and it is possible to burn through a bankroll before seeing any return.

When deciding on your next slot bear in mind then that the kind of games you want may therefore depend upon your preferred risk level – if you are prepared to spend money chasing down a massive win then high variance games are for you. If, however, you want to enjoy some less stressful gameplay, with smaller, more frequent wins, then low variance games should appeal to you.

In almost all cases, high variance slot machines are built with bonus rounds in which a combination of features like free spins, re-spins and re-triggers, multipliers, sticky and stacked wilds contrive to create moments of sheer adrenaline-pumping excitement as the win balance shoots through the roof. The payoff, of course, is that these moments are rare and generally follow a period where much money is wagered with little in the way of wins.

For this reason, high variance games are preferred by big gamblers and the slot streaming community where players are looking for the high levels of excitement that are produced when a lucrative bonus round is in play.

These games are not for the feint-hearted! But if you’re up for the challenge, they offer some of the most exciting online gambling anywhere!

How To Find High Variance Slot Machines At A Casino

Now you know what high variance means, how do you find these games at an online casino? Well, you already have our list of the latest titles this year, and in our opinion, the best games of all time, on this page. But did you know that you can also easily track down high variance games by using the menu filters at your favourite slot sites. Most casinos have now developed handy menu systems to help you search though their vast catalogues. Just choose ‘high variance’ from the option list in the drop down, then hit SEARCH to bring up a list of every high variance slot available.

High Variance Slots – The Final Word

This selection of high variance slot machine games is only a drop in the ocean of what is available for casino players right now. There are lots of slots to choose from, and more new slot games on release every month that have high volatility – check out our new slot games page for regular updates.

The important thing to remember when playing these games is to adjust your mentality and stake to suit them. You will most likely need to play with smaller stakes than you normally would if you want to make your bankroll last. Games like Dead or Alive and 300 Shields can eat through a £50 budget at 50p a spin in no time, so choose to play at the lower end of the scale if that’s what you’re playing with.

But above all, game responsibly, and have fun! Good luck!

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You’ve probably noticed that slots results aren’t very consistent. You might win hundreds of dollars in one session, then lose the same amount in less than an hour the next.

Slot machines offer wild results in comparison to, say, blackjack or baccarat. These games see you win almost half the time on a fairly consistent basis.

Slots have both high volatility and high variance when compared to other casino games. But what exactly do these terms mean, and how do they apply to slot machines?

Keep reading as I cover more on volatility and variance, along with how they impact your chances of winning.

What Is Variance?

Variance is a measure of the distribution of long-term results. Simply put, it measures how far results can vary from the statistical average.

Variance shouldn’t be confused with standard deviation, a square root of variance that more closely measures the average distance of results. It instead measures how likely results are to change, rather than offering a hardline number like standard variation.

The weather is more likely to change in Michigan versus Hawaii. Therefore, Michigan’s weather has higher variance.

One more characteristic of this term is that it doesn’t get bound by any particular time, such as a week or a month. It considers the long-term likelihood of change.

What Is Volatility?

Volatility is very similar to variance in that it measures the distribution of results. However, the key difference is that it’s bound by a specific time.

Measuring the difference in weekly car sales within a single month refers to volatility. Variance, on the other hand, doesn’t require that results be limited to one month.

Volatility is a good way to measure short-term changes in a set of statistics. It helps you figure out what kind of risk you’re taking in the short run.

How Do Variance and Volatility Factor Into Slots Results?

Slot machines have both high variance and volatility when compared to other casino games. They have a wide variation between prizes, which means that they don’t pay out as consistently as most games.

Here’s a simple pay table to explain:

• 3 Lamborghinis = 10,000 coins
• 3 Ferraris = 2,500 coins
• 3 Audis = 500 coins
• 3 Mercedes = 250 coins
• 3 Hyundais = 50 coins
• 3 minivans = 25 coins
• 3 rusty pick-up trucks = 5 coins

You can see that this pay table has big and small payouts. Given the fact that the game offers prizes worth 10,000 coins, it must make up for these wins by paying less frequently.

Compare this to an even-money roulette bet, such as red/black. You get paid 1:1 on red/black and have a 48.65% chance of winning (on European wheel).

Volatility comes into play when considering that you never know how an individual slots session will go. You could win a massive six-figure prize, depending upon the game. You could also lose $1,000 in a couple of hours.

This unpredictability excites some gamblers. It’s a big reason why they continue spinning the reels and hoping to win big.

Variance factors in when considering that slot machines are also risky from a long-term perspective. While they’re programmed to offer a certain return to player (RTP), they still deliver widely varying results from player to player.

Some slot machines may not reach their given RTP until millions of spins. They can be quite unpredictable, even over a long period of time.

This high variance and volatility makes it difficult to manage your bankroll with slot machines. While you should still come up with a strategy, your bankroll management plan can still go off-track rather quickly.

You have to be prepared to deal with this unpredictability in order to embrace slot machines. As long as you’re fine with this, though, then you should have lots of fun playing these games.

High vs Low Slots Variance and Volatility

I just discussed how slot machines feature much more variance and volatility than the average casino game. But there’s also a division among each slot machine in these categories.

Some slots are designed with less variance, while others are extremely unpredictable. It pays to know how to spot high and low variance so that you can choose the type of slot that’s right for you.

Some games feature of a volatility rating within their pay table. Pragmatic Play slots, for example, show a rating ranging from 1 to 5 lightning bolts, with 5 volts indicating the highest volatility.

I’ve never actually seen a slot machine with a variance rating. However, the volatility rating can give you an indication of the variance.

Unfortunately, not all slot machines offer these helpful tools. You instead must look at various factors to predict what the variance and volatility will be.

Here are the key aspects that you want to focus on:

• Jackpot size – A larger jackpot indicates high volatility/variance
• Number of bonus features – More bonuses allude to higher volatility/variance
• Number of small payouts – More small prizes indicate lower volatility/variance

You’re not guaranteed to figure out volatility and variance simply by judging these factors. However, they at least give you some method of determining which slots are more unpredictable than others.

Again, variance and volatility aren’t necessarily interchangeable terms. The former indicates a distribution of long-term results, while the latter measures results within a specific time span.

But considering that slot machines aren’t precise in their ratings, you’re not going to get a clean measure of these factors within each game. Assuming a slot even offers a volatility rating, then you basically have to use this for an indication of the variance too.

Will Understanding These Terms Help You Win in Slots?

Understanding slots volatility and variance helps you choose games that best fit your bankroll management plan. If you have a small bankroll and want it to last, then you should pick games with low volatility and variance.

The chances are that you don’t want to play a game with high variance and volatility. Extreme unpredictability increases the chances that you could quickly lose your bankroll.

However, certain aspects of high-volatility slots are attractive. You may love games that offer big jackpots and lots of bonus features. In this case, you also have to weigh how a game’s unpredictability will affect your bankroll.

You can get lucky with erratic games and win a big jackpot. However, it’s important to realize the increased risk you’re taking as well.

Knowing variance and volatility doesn’t, by any means, increase the chances that you’ll be a long-term slots winner. RTP, which I’m going to discuss shortly, is a better measure of this aspect.

That said, knowledge of these terms doesn’t necessarily improve your odds of winning. However, they’re good concepts to understand with regard to weighing bankroll management versus your desire to play for jackpots and bonuses.

Other Slots Tips

It’s wise to mix your knowledge of variance and volatility with basic slots tips. Common strategy improves your chances of being profitable with slot machines.

At the very least, you can minimize the amount of money you lose with proper strategy. Keep the following tips in mind to give yourself a fighting chance with slots.

Find Slot Machines With High RTP

Return to player determines how much money a slot machine will pay over the long run.

A slot with 96% RTP will theoretically pay back $0.96 for every dollar wagered.

I emphasize the word “theoretically” here because slots don’t offer such clean payout distributions. Much of this has to do with volatility and variance, which are both quite high in slots.

Nevertheless, you should always consider RTP when this information is available. Most online slots have publicly-listed payout percentages, allowing you actually to see your chances of winning.

Unfortunately, land-based slot machines don’t offer the same luxury. You instead have to go off of vague RTP based on coin denominations.

Here’s a loose guide on how much each coin denomination pays:

• Penny slots = 88% to 91% RTP
• Nickel slots = 92% to 94%
• Quarter slots = 94% to 95%
• Dollar slots = 95% to 96%
• $5 slots = 96% to 98%

Long story short, higher RTP means that you have a better chance of winning money. And while volatility might affect how much you truly earn, it’s always worth using payout percentages as a strategy tool.

Understand the Game Rules

I’ve talked to many new slots players over the years who are confused by how the betting process works. They’ll insert $20 into a penny slot machine and be amazed when the money is gone in five minutes.

Here’s where understanding the rules behind a slot come into play. You want to know the betting options and other rules thoroughly.

Many land-based and online slots these days require you to play all of the available lines. If you’re on a 30-line slot, for example, then the minimum bet will likely be $0.30.

You should also look through the help/info screen to figure out how bonus features work. Doing so is particularly helpful when you need to know specific instructions for playing a bonus round.

Looking at info screens isn’t anybody’s idea of a good time, but a few minutes spent here will help you make the right bet sizes and have a better overall time with slot machines.

Develop a Bankroll Management Plan

Most slots players go into a session with no plan for managing their money. The same gamblers risk losing their bankroll quicker and possibly dipping into funds that they need for bills.

Taking just a little time to develop a bankroll management plan helps prevent these problems. This process isn’t as intimidating as it sounds, either.

You can get started by considering how much money you can comfortably lose with slots. Obviously, the goal is to win, but you also have to be realistic about the possibility of losing your funds.

The next step is to figure out your hourly losses. Most slot machines cost between 200 and 300 bets per hour — at least until you get a big win, anyway.

Here’s a sample bankroll management plan:

• You have a $1,000 bankroll
• You’re making $0.25 bets
• 1,000 / 0.25 = 4,000 betting units
• You’re playing a volatile slot
• You expect to lose 300 units per hour
• 4,000 / 3000 = 13.33 hours
• Your bankroll will theoretically last for 13.33 hours

Have a Stop-Loss Limit

You likely want to get as much play as possible from your bankroll, but this is difficult to do when you don’t have a stop-loss limit in place.

A stop-loss limit refers to a specific amount of losses that will convince you to stop playing. If your limit is $150, for example, then you’d quit your session immediately after dropping this amount.

The point of a stop loss is to preserve your gambling funds for several sessions or more. Here’s an example:

• You have a $400 bankroll
• You want it to last for at least four sessions
• 400 / 4 = $100
• Your stop loss should be $100 or less

Setting a stop-loss limit is a personal matter that depends upon your specific goals. Consider how many sessions you want your bankroll to last for and use this to determine your stop-loss point.

Join the Slots Club

The good thing about playing online slots is that you don’t have to do anything special to join the rewards program. Most casinos automatically enroll you in their VIP program as soon as you begin placing real-money bets.

Land-based casinos are different, however, because they require you to join the slots club physically. If you’re not a member of the club, then the only comps you can look forward to are free drinks.

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Therefore, you should seek out the help desk upon visiting a brick-and-mortar casino.

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You can also go to their website and see if there’s a way to sign up online. Whatever the case may be, you want to be sure and join the program so that you get a slots club card. Your bets and rewards will get tracked once you insert one of these cards into a slot machine.

You can look forward to plenty of great deals based on your play, including free meals, hotel stays, free play, and/or cash back.

Conclusion

Variance and volatility are often used interchangeably in the gambling world and beyond. However, they differ somewhat in terms of how they get used.

Variance measures the distance in long-term results, without any set time parameters. Basically, it’s a way to measure the change in the long run.

Volatility also measures the distance in results. But its measurement comes with a time limit, such as one week or month.

Low Variance Slots Definition

Both concepts are useful in the slots world.

• Variance can show how unpredictable long-term wins and losses can be.
• Volatility can reveal the unpredictability of short-term results.

Some slots actually offer a volatility rating, which gives you a simple way to judge how erratic they are. Most don’t, though, which means you need to look at the jackpot size, bonus features, and the number of small payouts to make a judgment.

I’m not aware of any slot machines that feature a variance rating. You’re therefore left using the same volatility factors to predict variance.

These concepts are worth knowing because they can help you pick slots that fit your bankroll. For example, a low-volatility slot gives you a better chance of surviving with a small bankroll.

Of course, you also want to remember basic slots tips, too. Looking for games with high RTP, joining the slots club, and coming up with a bankroll management plan can all pay dividends.

Combining a strong knowledge of variance and volatility, along with these tips, will boost your chances of winning money and picking games that are right for you.

Best Low Variance Slots