Do you love spinning your favorite slots without having to risk a large bankroll? Are you okay with earning small but frequent payouts? If your answer to both questions is yes, then you’re at the right place. From the most famous examples and strategies to their relation with RTP and volatility—we’ll tell you everything you need to know about low variance slots.
What Are Low Variance Slots?
First things first, the variance of a slot refers to the size and frequency of its payouts. Now, a low variance slot pays often but with small amounts. You can find these types of slots in USA-friendly slot casinos.
How To Tell That A Slot Has Low Variance
Though game developers hardly disclose a slot’s variance, there are various ways to determine this value yourself. These include:
Playing The Game: Finding a slot’s variance by playing isn’t easy as it involves many spins, ideally 500+, to get an accurate result. That’s why we recommend that players try out a game’s demo version before risking any real money. A slot’s variance stays the same even during free play.
Using The Paytable: Players can determine a slot’s variance by checking the payouts of symbols displayed on the paytable. That goes for four or five similar symbols across a payline. If the difference is between 3 and 5 times, it’s most likely a low variance slot.
Checking The RTP: Developers provide a slot’s RTP to give players an idea of the payouts to expect from their gameplay. The higher the RTP percentage, the bigger the chances of landing a winning combo. So in most cases, low variance slots tend to have high RTPs, some even going up to 98%.
The Best Low Variance Games
We’ve arranged this list of the best low variance slots starting with the ones with the highest RTP for your convenience.
1429 Uncharted Seas
If becoming a famous sailor is on your bucket list, this 5-reel, 20 payline game would be perfect. The graphics are stunning, with an ancient sea map layout and hand-drawn sea monsters as symbols.
Thunderkick developed Uncharted Seas with an attractive 98.60% RTP and low variance. Some of its features include;
- Expanding Wilds
- Scatters
- Free Spins
Blood Suckers
Blood Suckers by NetEnt is among the classic vampire-themed slots still popular in 2021. Its minimum bet limit is $0.25, placing it on the higher range of low volatility slots. With this slot, the payouts are slightly larger, so all you need to do is land a couple of wins, and you’re good.
With an impressive 98% RTP and low variance, Blood Sucker’s main features are:
- Bonus Spins
- Multipliers
- A Wild Joker
Esqueleto Explosivo
Thunderkick’s Esqueleto Explosivo means explosive skeleton in Spanish, and rightly so! Apart from the low variance, this 5-reel 3-row slot’s theme is based on Mexico’s Day Of The Dead celebrations to keep you entertained for hours.
The limits in Esqueleto Explosivo range from as low as $0.10 to up to $100 per spin. The game’s 97.60% RTP is above the standard as well, and here are some features to expect;
- Autoplay
- Cascading Reels
- Exploding Wilds
Mr. Holmes And The Stolen Stones
British detective Sherlock Holmes fans are sure to enjoy Mr. Holmes And The Stolen Stones by Yggdrasil. Its RTP is 96.80%, and of course, you can expect low variance.
When a player lands five similar diamonds on a free spin, they win a $24,000 jackpot! Other potentially high paying features in Mr. Holmes And The Stolen Stones include;
- Free Spins
- Progressive Jackpot
- Wilds
Thunderstruck 2
Thunderstruck 2 is a sequel to the popular Thunderstruck by Microgaming. It has a 96.65% RTP, with players considering it a low variance slot for the frequent small wins and numerous bonus rounds.
Most of Thunderstruck 2’s excitement comes from its five stages, each offering different free spins, and multipliers. You can earn a maximum of up to 8,000x your wager in this game, with its features including;
- Free Spins
- Bonus Game
- Multipliers
Variance Vs. Volatility
Most gamers use the terms volatility and variance to mean the same thing; the frequency with which a slot pays out, its win sizes, and the player’s risk. Though this is true, variance applies for a more extended period than volatility.
So when a slot has low variance, it means it pays out regular small amounts even after playing for an extended period. And if it has low volatility, you’ll also get frequent small wins, but within a short term, say a few hours.
Variance Vs. RTP
The Return To Player (RTP) refers to the stake percentage that a slot pays back over time. For instance, if a game has a 98% RTP, you’ll receive $98 out of every $100 you wager in the form of winnings.
So while variance tells how a slot’s payouts will come around, either in large irregular sums or frequent small wins, the RTP represents the expected profit after several rounds. A high-RTP low-variance game allows players to take low risks while earning considerable amounts.
Winning Tips For Low Variance Slots
- Lower stakes reduce the risk of losing. Those who want to play for longer should minimize their wagers as this reduces the risk involved.
- Planning your bankroll is crucial. Regardless of being low variance slots, players need to have a budget and stick with it.
- Go for low variance slots that offer high payouts. Just because these games have frequent small wins doesn’t mean you can’t find one that pays significantly higher.
- Keep in mind that winning small amounts often can lead to losses disguised as wins. That means that your wins could be too small to make up for the wager amount. So, this gives players a winning impression even when they are losing and is among the top reasons to have a well-structured budget.
Turn Profits With Low Variance Slots
Low variance slots help players gain more with a small budget by offering small but more winning combos. So if you spot a game that’s right up your alley in our list, start spinning and get ready to boost your bankroll!
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Author Bio
Hi! I’m Bryan, and I’m a passionate & expert writer with more than five years of experience. I have written about various topics such as product descriptions, travel, cryptocurrencies, and online gaming in my writing journey. The latter is one of my favorite topics, and you can find some of my premium casino content at OUSC.