How to Understand RTP and Volatility in Bitcoin Slots

29/09/2021 | Categories: Gambling Guides | Published by: Joe | Last updated: 05/01/2024

How to Pick Bitcoin Slots Based on Volatility and RTP

It is often tempting to play any bitcoin slot that has a theme that appeals to you. Perhaps you are impressed with the array of bonus rounds and features a slot has to offer? Perchance, you are more interested in the wagering range and prizes a BTC slot carries. After all, who doesn’t want to win a progressive prize? These are all ways in which we choose to play one crypto slot over another.

While there is nothing wrong with picking top bitcoin slots using the criteria above, doing so may not be the optimal way to find the best bitcoin games at crypto casinos. What you may wish to consider are RTP and volatility. If that sounds confusing and you don’t know where to begin, you needn’t panic. As ever, we’re here to help with our guide to bitcoin slot volatility and RTP rates.

What Is Volatility?

Volatility has become a lot more important to bitcoin slot players over the last few years than it ever was. As regulation plays an increasingly important role in the internet betting world, slot players are more conscious of a crypto slot’s bells and whistles. One of the more important aspects to consider is volatility. Volatility is something that cryptocurrency users should be familiar with. After all, bitcoin (in particular) is deemed one of the most volatile digital currencies you can get involved with.

For those crypto casino players not in the know, volatility tells you two critical things. It tells you how often a slot pays out and roughly what kind of winnings you can expect to receive. You may have seen the terms “volatility level” or “slot volatility” mentioned in our reviews or elsewhere online and not have an inkling as to its meaning. Don’t worry, we’ll explain it below.

Low, Medium and Highly Volatile BTC Slots Explained

Not everybody uses the term “volatility”. While this is the correct term when referring to bitcoin slots, some sites and authorities prefer the term “variance”. Another word you can use to describe slot volatility is “risk”. There are three main types of volatility commonly found in bitcoin slot machines.

Low variance crypto casino games are those that pay out regularly. However, this good fortune comes with a downside – the prizes tend to be petite, with big wins few and far between. Highly volatile slots essentially offer the opposite of low variance games. They pay out infrequently. However, most of the wins (when they do occur) tend to be considerably valuable. Of course, you also have medium volatile games, and they can provide you with the best of both worlds.

In most cases, a slot developer determines the volatility of its games, which is something that cryptocurrency casinos can’t tinker with. However, there are a growing number of bitcoin-friendly slots that allow players to alter their playing style, selecting their own volatility level for gameplay.

Why does this matter, though?

If you are the type of player who has a limited budget, then low variance bitcoin slots are most likely going to be ideal for you. They will keep you in the game longer by providing you with a regular, steady stream of small wins. However, you will have to play for an extended period to land a big cash prize.

If you are a slot player with plenty of bitcoin to burn through to help you sustain lengthy losing streaks, then highly volatile slots could be the way to go. You’ll have the cash flow to keep playing until the next big win comes along. When it does, you will often win back all you’ve lost, and then some.

What Is RTP?

Most bitcoin slot players will be familiar with RTP by now. It has been a much-discussed topic over the last few years. However, if you aren’t in the know, we’re here once more to explain it to you. Firstly, you should know that a bitcoin slot’s RTP stands for Return to Player. It is the theoretical rate or amount of each bet that a casino keeps and the amount it puts back into the pot for all bitcoin slot players to win over all time. Think of RTP as the opposite side of a coin that also contains the house edge.

For instance, if a bitcoin slot has an RTP rate of 95% and you were to bet the extravagant sum of 1 BTC on a spin, the house would keep 50 mBTC, leaving the other 9,500 mBTC available to be won by players. That doesn’t mean that you’d win that figure on a single spin, only that the cryptocurrency casino will keep 5% of each bet for itself.

Ideal RTP Rates in Top Bitcoin Slots

If you’ve followed what was discussed above, then you’ll know full well that the higher the RTP rate (and thus, the lower the house edge), the better a bitcoin slot will be for you. You want to play BTC slots that make as much of each bet available to be won as possible. In 2021, we typically consider bitcoin slots to be fair if they meet the industry standard RTP rate of 95%. However, many newer crypto casino games have RTP rates of 96%. Some NetEnt games go even further. Blood Suckers, for instance, has an RTP of 98%.

What Is the Perfect Mix?

In a perfect world, a top cryptocurrency casino will be packing a wealth of slots that have RTP rates of 95% or higher, and many of our recommended casinos do just that. However, it is worth noting that the preferred volatility level of bitcoin slots is entirely down to you. As mentioned above, if you’re on a budget, you may find low variance games more appealing than highly volatile ones and vice-versa. However, since you now know which types of bitcoin slot volatility levels are suited for particular players, you can make an informed choice about which way you want to go.

How Do I Find the Volatility and RTP Of Bitcoin Top Slots?

Some slot games have low RTP rates (fruit machines) and highly volatile gameplay (MegaWays slots) from the start. However, with most games, you aren’t going to be able to tell what the RTP rate or volatility level is just by playing the game. Fortunately, there are resources out there that can provide you with this information. The website of the developers behind the games is one resource. Another source may be your chosen bitcoin casino. After all, many crypto casinos are in the business of being as transparent as possible in 2021, and that means publishing the RTP rates of their games.

The other, far easier way of uncovering the RTP and volatility levels in games is to read our slot reviews. Our team knows exactly what they are looking for, and when they can’t find it, we know the formula for meticulously calculating RTP and volatility. If you want to save yourself the trouble and rest assured that you’re playing the ideal bitcoin slots for your budget and gaming style, you can’t go far wrong with our bitcoin slot reviews.