If you’re not ready to jump into high-risk slot games, don’t worry. We’ve compiled a list to get you started and the casinos where you’ll find them.
New to the world of online slots? We all have to start somewhere – and they’re not as complicated as you might think.
A general rule of thumb for new players is to try a few demo versions or free play slots first. These are usually free to play and give you a feel for how the game works, what bonuses are available and how high risky they are.
Of course, being free, it also means there’s no financial gain for you. Once you’ve mastered free play slots, you’ll want to look into slots that pay real money.
Differences of low, medium and high variance slot
Don’t panic – you don’t have to risk everything to enjoy a few online reels. Slots are available in one of three tiers:
- Low variance, also called low volatility
- Medium variance, also called medium volatility
- High variance, also called high volatility
So, what’s the difference in slot volatility? It all comes down to risk and reward. Quite simply, if a slot is low variance, it means it gives you rewards at regular intervals.
However, these are usually considerably smaller than a high variance slot. The trade-off is that you usually have to bet more aggressively with a high variance slot, as this type will give out fewer wins, but larger prizes.
This can affect your strategy. If you’re only in it for the short-term and are looking for a bit of fun rather than serious money, we’d suggest going with low volatility slot machines.
They can kill time while you’re waiting for other activities, and help you build a slot machine strategy for when you want a hardcore gaming session. It’s not that you can’t win big, but if you get anywhere near 100x to 500x your bet, it’s time to walk away, satisfied with these quick win slots.
Not sure where to start? Check out our list of the best low variance slot machines below:
1. Starburst
Created by the team at NetEnt game studios, the Starburst slot is one of the most instantly recognisable low volatility slot games. We’d spot those eye-opening jewels a mile off.
Taking design inspiration from addictive smartphone games like Candy Crush, it’s skyrocketed in popularity to become NetEnt’s most played slot.
If you like a bit of a challenge, the wild symbol will expand to cover the reel, giving you a free re-spin of the reels. So rather than a free spins bonus every 100 spins, you’ll get 1 or 3 respins every 5 spins, with more respins if you get more wilds.
It’s one of the most profitable and fun types of wild slot feature and will award you up to 500 times your stake if you’re lucky.
2. Mega Moolah
Featuring 25 paylines, the Mega Moolah slot comes to you courtesy of the team at Microgaming.
It’s one of the highest paying progressive slots online and offers bonuses represented by animal symbols.
For example, land the monkey scatter symbol and you’ll be awarded free spins or lookout for the lion wild symbols which double your win on a payline.
Perhaps its most memorable feature is its jackpot wheel – which indeed, does award jackpots! You might have to invest a little more time in to hit that big prize, but it is surely worth it.
And whilst it’s true that the more you bet, the greater your chance of winning the jackpot, with a max bet set at only 6.25 a spin and low volatility, this is very affordable and easy progressive jackpot game to play.
3. Agent Jane Blonde Returns
You might have heard a similar sounding name before…but we have to give props to the team at Triple Edge Studios for their originality!
As the name suggests, the main theme in this video slot are secret agents, so expect to see gadgets and gizmos on the reels. She’s back, she’s a platinum blonde and her nemesis are just as easy on the eye.
There are five pay reels with 15 paylines, and a generous Return to Player rating of 96.6%. You could win up to 300 times your stake, which isn’t huge but more than makes up for quick frequent features.
Take advantage of the stacked wild symbols falling onto the reels, or the scatters that give you free re-spins after re-spins. It’s one of the best slots with low volatility that’s still packed with action.
4. Gemix
For a truly entertaining low volatility slot game, look no further than the team at Play’n GO. Play by name, play by nature, they’ve created this attractive and high thrills 7 x 7-reel slot for your entertainment.
It’s centred around the theme of wizards, dwarves and princess, as you traverse fantasy land and come across gems and other characters, all springing to life as you spin those reels.
Starting with bets as low as 0.10, you could win up to 1,000 times your stake. If nothing else, it takes you back to your childhood and gives you lots of originality and feature as each world gives you something new to look forward to.
One for those who love the look of Grid slots but want something easier on the wallet.
5. Golden Goddess
Offering more paylines than some of the above mentioned best low volatility slots, Golden Goddess has 40 with four rows and five reels.
Begin gameplay from just 0.40 a spin and work your way through a huge collection of Greek-inspired symbols. This is ancient times at it’s best, full of soft glows, beautiful woman and high art.
The developers at IGT have given you multiple ways to win, including the rose bonus scatter symbol and the free spins slot bonus.
You will randomly have one symbol chosen as a super-stacked symbol on any spin, and it’s the highest paid symbol of the lot: goddess, man, horse or dove. Keep an eye on those middle reels for the biggest wins.
Alternatively you can always play on the Golden Goddess Megajackpots slot which comes with a progressive jackpot rising from hundreds of thousands to millions.
Mix it up
This list of low volatility slots contains just some of the thousands of games available. Once you’re feeling confident, work your way up to medium or even a high volatility slot.
You can find out more about the game details in our comprehensive list of slot game reviews at SlotSumo where we pick only the games that have the best odds of paying out big.
What is a low variance slot?
Low variance slots are games which are seen to payout often but don’t payout much. Often the wins you get back are less than your staked bet, but you get the thrills of continous small wins. These are the least volatile slot machines you can play online.
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