Slot games seem pretty random at first – and, yeah, their outcome is random – but, that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything to help increase your odds of winning. Sure, these slot games might seem pretty tricky to tackle at first – like everything, the first time is the hardest. If you’re looking to improve your slots game then take a look at this handy guide luckynuggetcasino.com has produced. In just four simple steps you’ll be increasing your chances of winning exponentially (well, near enough).
So, yeah, take a look at these simple steps and improve your slots experience now!
Find A Game With A High RTP!
If you’re wondering what RTP stands for, then let us explain. It means ‘return to player’ and is a key feature of all slot machines.
The way it works is that slot machines have to, over a certain period of time, give a certain amount of money back to the player. This is known as the RTP and can change based on individual slots. The average for Vegas-style video slots is around 95%, but can increase and decrease depending on another of factors – some we’ll cover in another section.
You can usually find the RTP of any slot in the information section, but if you can’t find it, you can google the slot name + RTP. So, for example, if you’re a fan of Thunderstruck II you would google ‘Thunderstruck II RTP.’ One search later and you’ll quickly find out that the RTP for Thunderstruck II is 96.6%, which is relatively decent in the world of slots.
Another popular slot, Immortal Romance, which we’ve reviewed in previous articles, has a slightly higher RTP of 96.8%. This means that for every $100 staked, you’ll more likely receive 2 cents more back playing Immortal Romance than you would playing Thunderstruck II. Breaching the 97% mark is Batman: Dark Knight, and this is potentially the highest RTP you will get from a Microgaming slot.
RTP for progressive slot machines
The RTP rate for progressive slot machines suffers somewhat when compared to the rate of regular slot machines. This is because a portion of every bet is retained for the jackpot. Think of it this way, if the RTP for Mega Moolah, for example was 96%, but 6% of every stake is collected and kept in a jackpot pool, the RTP would essentially be 90% for you, even though that money will eventually end up in somebody’s hands. So, whilst a low RTP for progressives might put you off – especially if you’re after a quick win – over time that money will be won, just in one great big lump!
Some games, although not Microgaming games, such as Monopoly: Big Event, will allow you to increase your RTP as per the amount you stake. We’ll go into more detail about this in another section so hold your horses!
That’s pretty much everything you need to know about RTP. It’s not that difficult to get your head around and once you’ve managed to work it out you can use it to your advantage. Just look for a slot with a high RTP, such as the aforementioned Batman: Dark Knight, and you’ll be laughing all the way to the jackpot!
High Denominations vs Low Denominations
RTP can be affected by the amount you bet, which might seem surprising to you, but it’s true. Casinos will usually offer players increased payback percentages on games with higher coin amounts. In the USA, where many state gambling boards announce statistics, average RTPs can look something like this.
| Coin Denomination | Payback Percentage |
| 1 cent | 84% – 87% |
| 5 cents | 88% – 90% |
| 25 cents | 90% – 93% |
| 50 cents | 91% – 94% |
| 1 dollar | 93% – 95% |
| 5 dollar | 94% – 97% |
Since the above are only national averages they can vary widely from state to state and even from casino to casino. A much more realistic real-world example we can take a look at is by the state of Mississippi and the October 2015 payback percentages statistics, published by the Mississippi Gaming Commission:
| Coin Denomination | Payback Percentage |
| 1 cent | 92.16% |
| 5 cents | 95.26% |
| 25 cents | 93.39% |
| 50 cents | 93.29% |
| 1 dollar | 94.23% |
| 5 dollar | 96.07% |
See the pattern? Yeah, so do we. It appears that, on average, playing the highest denomination reaps the highest RTP percentage. The majority of these games are, as you can probably guess, are video slots. Video slots usually pay out more than generic penny slots which have only been maintained due to their novelty value. Career gamblers choose video slots over their older counterparts every day of the week.
Betting The Maximum
Generally speaking, the more coins you bet the higher each individual prize will be. This is typical for some slots, but not all. Sometimes it doesn’t matter how much you stake as each win is essentially a multiplier. Match 3 lemons and receive 10x your stake. It wouldn’t matter how much you stake as your prize is relative. Other slot games are dependent on how much you stake, though, and we’ll take a look at these.
The More You Bet… The More You Win
Let’s take a look a pay-table that you would find on a quintessential mechanical slot machine:
The above image is a very basic video slot machine from some time ago now, but the general principal still stands. If you would like to win the bigger prizes you have to bet more. The jackpot in this game can only accessed by playing 5 coins, otherwise you are left with much smaller prizes. Whilst not the case in the above game, in some games it is possible to win enhanced prizes by playing 5 coins. Win increments might start at 2 for a 1 coin bet, increasing to 4 for a 2 coin bet, 10 for a 2 coin bet, 25 for a 4 coin bet and 40 for a 5 coin bet. The initial prize is double your stake for the lowest win in our imaginary slot, but equates to 40 coins for the lowest win when playing 5 coins.
It really does pay to play slot machines the bigger coin denominations! If you get the opportunity to increase your slot returns by playing more coins, we highly recommend that you do so!
Playing Progressive Slot Machines
Progressive slot machines are another great potential way to maximise your slots winnings. These machines generally have an average drop rate, which occurs in a set range of figures – of course, the drop is random, but by the laws of averages there’s a good chance it will happen after a certain amount of spins. Some players will only play when a jackpot reaches a certain amount – say, $3 million. This means that if they were to risk staking a large amount of money on a slot machine, they would rather the risk be worth while. Essentially, slots players plough through large amounts of money in the attempt to trigger the jackpot as quickly as they can.
Progressive jackpots may have lower RTP rates, but the potential to drop large amounts of cash in one go means that they’re somewhat more valuable. So, it all comes down to luck, and if you’re the lucky one you’re gonna bag some real cash.
So, there you have it, make sure you find a slot with a higher RTP, a bonus for playing bigger stakes and, well, a slot that’s worth you time. Good luck at the tables and enjoy!
