CasinoPreference is for over 18s only.
Medium variance slots have quickly become player favorites, regardless of layout and theme as they are well balanced in terms of payouts. With a steady, somewhat predictable, win frequency, they suit most players who are not that into the high-risk gameplay of highly volatile slots or the small payouts of low variance games.
In a nutshell, volatility describes the way a slot behaves in terms of payouts. There are three main categories of slots depending on their variance, or volatility – low, medium, and high. You can also come across some slots being described as low / medium or medium / high.
To determine the variance of a slot, it’s necessary to consider the following factors:
Based on these aspects described above, a high variance slot will pay less often but the payouts will be bigger, while a low variance slot will award you frequent low-value wins.
Medium variance slots stand in the middle, with payouts that are bigger than those of the low-variance games and come more often than the ones in highly volatile slots. Medium volatility slots usually feature a number of bonus features and games that bring extra winning possibilities and make the gameplay more engaging.
With medium variance slots, you have a more balanced spread between wins and losses that will allow you to enjoy longer playing sessions with more high-value winning combos.
Slots in the high/medium volatility category can be described more as highly volatile since their prize distribution is big but still, the hit rate is more frequent than what you experience with high variance slots.
With these games, the risk is smaller than with medium volatility and the payouts are more frequent. These games are more predictable and consistent, allowing you to better plan your bankroll.
A good indicator of a slot’s variance is the amount of its payouts. They’re not as high as the ones in highly volatile games that can reach 50,000x bet size or even more, but they’re more than the low volatile games’ fixed jackpots that rarely exceed 10,000x bet size.
Many providers are already adding volatility in their games’ descriptions, so that’s always a reliable indicator with developers like Play’n GO and Pragmatic Play. Alternatively, you can look up slot reviews as most will mention the volatility of the slot. Best of all – try the demo version of the game you’re interested in to see yourself how it behaves in terms of hit rate and prize distribution.