High Stakes Slots

Written by Ian Mac
Ian Mac is a dedicated content writer and editor with consistent 5-star feedback when it comes to creating high-quality gambling content. He writes about casino bonuses, casino destinations and casino games including slots, roulette and blackjack.
, | Updated: October 2, 2024

Slots are extremely popular among casino fans, with both recreational players and high-rollers enjoying the thrill of spinning the reels of classic or video slots. While many enjoy slots for their fun themes, crisp graphics, immersive sounds, and bonus features, others prefer playing slots for the possible profit.

Players who wish to have a good chance of sweeping bigger payouts, however, will need to opt for much higher stakes. To cater to the preferences of different players, many software developers have created high-stakes slots that are more suitable for high-rollers.

A great way to satisfy your need as a high-roller is to play progressive slots. Often, these games require you to stake the maximum amount to qualify for the progressive prize. One thing to keep in mind, however, is that such slots can quickly exhaust your bankroll even if you can afford to place higher stakes.

To make your gaming experience more enjoyable, simply finding slots that require higher bets will not be enough. You will need to pay attention to other factors that can make your riskier bets bring you satisfying results in the long run. This way, you will be able to make higher wagers but also be rewarded for them while playing slots.

How are High Risk and High Reward Correlated in Slots?

When we are talking about the risk level of a slot, we are usually referring to its volatility. A simple way to describe volatility is as the frequency of winning rounds in a slot session. You may come across articles using the term variance but, in most cases, volatility and variance are used interchangeably when we are discussing slots. There are slots that are programmed to occasionally award bigger payouts but tend to do that after long losing streaks. Such slots are known as high-volatility slots and can typically be very rewarding for those who can afford to play them longer.

On the other hand, you have low-volatility slots that offer winnings more frequently. Usually, however, the payouts with these slots are smaller and bigger wins are not very common. Such slots are usually preferred by recreational players who just want to enjoy longer gaming sessions.

High-Volatility Slots Can Bring Better Payouts
blank Are You Better Off Playing High-Variance Slots?

High-Volatility Slots Can Bring Better Payouts

If you enjoy and can afford to place higher stakes, high-volatility slots are the way to go. If you opt for a slot with high volatility, that will equal playing with higher risk. The reason for that is the large number of high stakes that players may end up losing before they land a generous win. This is why players are always advised to bet only amounts they feel comfortable losing. Just because you play a high-variance slot, does not mean that you are guaranteed a huge payout during your slot session.

The perfect time to play high-volatility slot variations is when you have enough time and cash to spend. As you will be playing with higher stakes, your bankroll must be hefty enough to keep you in the game until you land a big win. Patience is also an important virtue for those chasing higher payouts while playing high-stake slots. The game can get a bit boring as there is a big possibility to end up hitting the spin button for numerous rounds and see no action happening whatsoever. If you play long enough, however, you might trigger one of the bonus features of the slot and enjoy a very generous spinning round that will make up for the previous boring spins.


Are You Better Off Playing High-Variance Slots?

The type of slot you will enjoy depends on your gaming style. If you are simply playing for the enjoyment of spinning the reels for a few rounds, then you might be a low-volatility type of slot player. However, those who find the thrill in making riskier bets will have much more fun if they play high-volatility slots.

Of course, simply enjoying higher stakes is not enough to play high-variance slots. You will need to be sure that you feel comfortable losing the money you have set aside for your slot adventures. If you cannot afford to play high-stake sessions for a longer period of time, you might want to switch to low-volatility slot variations.

Whichever type of slot is suitable to you, there is one thing you should always keep in mind. Slots are games of chance and there is no way to predict the outcome of your next several spins on the game. If you play high-volatility slots, there is always the possibility to land huge wins even only after a few spins. There is also the chance to play a low-volatility slot and end up with very few wins. The golden rule is always to stick to your budget and bet as much as you feel comfortable losing during your gaming session.


How to Determine a Slot’s Volatility?

1It Takes Time

If you are set on playing high-stake slots, then you might need to know how to recognize when a certain slot has low or high volatility. While a slot’s variance is something that is programmed in the game by its developers, this is information that is rarely easily accessible by players. This is why you might need to play a certain slot for a longer time to determine whether its volatility is low, medium, or high.

2Try the Slot in Fun Mode

Of course, playing a slot simply to determine whether it is a high-risk, high-reward game may quickly exhaust your bankroll and leave you with no certain answer. To spare yourself the headache of spending tons of money to calculate a slot’s variance, you can look for a demo version of the slot. This will allow you to get a general idea of the frequency of high payouts without risking any of your real money.

3Take a Look at the Paytable

Another good indicator of a slot’s volatility is the game’s paytable. You can take a look at the payouts of the slot you are about to play. Take a look at the highest possible win that the slot is offering to players. You should also check the payouts for matching the highest-paying symbol in the game four or five times.

If the difference between the top payouts in the slot and the maximum betting amount ranges between 40 and 50, you have come across a mid- to high-volatility slot. On the other hand, if the difference is below the value of 40, then you are playing a slot with a mid to low variance.

It should be noted, however, that in the case of progressive slots, this calculation does not apply. With this type of slot, you may have a low variance in the base game but also have the volatility to constantly increase as the progressive jackpot also becomes bigger.

4Compare Slot Reviews

Another great way to find out about a slot’s volatility is to check the different reviews available online. Different websites offer detailed information on the most popular online slots and the volatility of a game can often be found by reading reviews of the game. One thing to keep in mind is that depending on the website, the information may not always be very accurate. This is why we suggest you compare several reviews of the same slot and see if they have given the game the same volatility range.

What to Expect When Playing High Stake Slots

Just because you are looking for slots with higher betting limits, that does not mean you should always opt for the maximum bet. This being said, there are high-rollers who are always chasing the thrill of playing big money and test their luck in the hope of landing huge payouts.

True high-rollers are players who often feel comfortable betting tens of thousands of dollars on an average of 100 – 200 slot spins. If you play online, you will notice that there are many slots that have a huge betting range that can fit the preferences of both recreational players and big bettors. If you also enjoy high stakes, you may end up betting anywhere between $100 and $500 per spin.

You may come across slots that allow you to choose the number of paylines to bet on. When setting up your bet per line, it is multiplied by the number of active paylines. This can easily turn a single-line bet of $2 into a total stake of $80 when playing a slot with 40 active paylines. This is why you should be careful when choosing the amount you are betting as it can easily reach very high levels. If the slot has fixed paylines, the bet per line amount will be multiplied by all paying lines of the slot.

So, when you are playing a high-stake slot you can expect:

  • Maximum bets ranging between $100 and $500 per spin
  • Bet per line amount being multiplied by the number of active lines
  • A total bet that may easily reach higher levels by multiplying the single-line bet by the number of active paylines
  • Slots with multiple fixed paylines, ensuring higher stakes per single spin

If you are a high-roller who enjoys riskier bets, then you can test your luck on a few of the slots we have listed below. These titles are courtesy of some of the top iGaming software developers, bringing players a superb experience every time they spin the reels. We have covered only options that are suitable to high-stakes lovers but most of the options also support very low betting limits. Nevertheless, if you are chasing bigger payouts, you might want to opt for higher bets.

blank Jack Hammer
blank Space Wars
blank Twin Spin
blank Bonanza
blank Book of Dead
blank Reactoonz
blank Da Vinci’s Treasure
blank Starburst
blank Aloha! Cluster Pays
blank Irish Riches Megaways
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