9 Tips for Making Your Slots Bankroll Go Further

Slots are definitely the most-popular games in the casino. Their large payouts, simple gameplay, and entertaining graphics/animations make them big hits.

However, slots have a nasty habit of taking your bankroll faster than any other casino game. You may sometimes feel like slot machines are rigged due to how quickly they drain your money.

Luckily, though, you can make your bankroll go further by following some simple advice. Here are 9 tips you can use to stretch your slots funds and get more entertainment in the process.

1 – Choose a Smaller Coin Size

In the early days of slot machines, you had to play a default coin size for each game. For example, a quarter slot forced you to bet $0.25 every time.

Fortunately, the gaming world has evolved to offer multi-denomination games. Both land-based and online casinos feature slots that lets you change the coin size.

The benefit of betting a larger coin is that you have an opportunity to win bigger prizes. However, these larger payouts are almost always proportionate to your bet size.

Here’s an example to illustrate this point:

• A slot offers a top prize worth 15,000x your stake.
• You start out by betting $0.10 per spin.
• 15,000 x 0.1 = $1,500 jackpot
• You increase your wager to $2.
• 15,000 x 2 = $30,000 jackpot

Very few slot machines penalize you for risking a smaller coin. Assuming you’re playing on a budget, you should definitely consider turning down your bet size.

Of course, you don’t have to go overboard and only bet a penny if you want to chase bigger prizes. But you should also avoid wagering a dollar or more per coin.

After all, payline slots typically see you put one coin on each line. A $1 coin on a 50 line slot, for example, would see you risking $50 per spin. Unless you have the bankroll to play such high stakes, I definitely suggest considering a smaller bet size.

2 – Play Fewer Paylines (If Possible)

The majority of slots produced today offer multiple paylines or “ways.” These extra lines/ways ramp up the excitement by giving you many chances to win in each round.

Most games fix the amount of paylines. A 25-lline slot, for example, usually won’t allow you to use fewer paylines.

However, some developers do produce slots that let you change the number of lines in play. Both Realtime Gaming (RTG) and Rival Gaming offer lots of games that provide the option to use a single line.

I don’t recommend playing just one line if you have the option for more. You’ll find it very tedious to lose again and again with only one active payline.

On the other hand, you don’t need to use 25 or 50 lines just because that’s the default setting. If a game gives you the choice, you might consider playing just 10 or 15 paylines.

3 – Check the Volatility Rating

More and more slots offer a volatility rating these days. You can find this rating within the info screen of relevant games.

Volatility refers to what type of short-term results you can expect with a different game. A high volatility slots will see wild results that vary greatly. In contrast, low volatility games offer a more-even payout distribution. Most slots released today lean towards the high volatility side. They offer several features and a large maximum payout.

Assuming your goal is to win big win in slots, then you’ll definitely appreciate volatile games. However, these slots aren’t so friendly on your bankroll.

Developers and their associated casinos need to recoup the value from any huge payouts they may offer. If a slot boasts a maximum prize worth 50,000x your state, you can guarantee that it will mostly offer tiny prizes in between.

As for the volatility rating, developers may give their games a rating ranging from 1 to 5 or 1 to 10. In these cases, 5 and 10 would be the most-volatile ratings, respectively.

By playing a game that’s anywhere near the top volatility rating, you take the chance that you won’t win much money back in the short run. You should think about opting for less-volatile games when you don’t have a large bankroll to withstand long dry spells.

4 – Don’t Play Games With Huge Progressive Jackpots

Some slots machines offer large progressive jackpots that are seeded with six or even seven figures. These games are perfect to play when you dream of getting rich.

However, you also need to worry about how infrequently such slots pay. Some of the games with the biggest jackpots offer low RTP.

The RTP grows along with the jackpot. If you play when the top prizes is first seeded, though, you’ll face much lower payback than with any other internet slot.

Even the jackpot games that do offer decent RTP, such as NetEnt’s Mega Fortune, are extremely volatile. The developer must seed the jackpot at a large amount, so they don’t offer payouts as frequently.

You might still consider taking a few spins on such games every now and then. But you don’t want to dedicate all of your play to these risky slots.

5 – Avoid Games That Are Filled With Features

The big trend with slots these days is features and more features. Developers have found that their games get far more play when they include plenty of bonuses.

Here’s an example of what the average slot might include:

• Free spins
• Expanding wilds
• Win multiplier
• Cascading reels
• Scatter payouts

The great thing about plentiful features is that they give you many opportunities to pick up large wins. Playing free spins with a win multiplier boosts your chances of collecting huge payouts.

But what goes around comes around. You can’t expect to have so many shots at big wins without losing payback in other areas.

The main game in feature-filled slots can often feel boring compared to the bonuses. Furthermore, you might find yourself losing a disproportionate amount of times before finally triggering a feature.

6 – Pick Slots With Higher RTP

Return to player (RTP) is somewhat of an overrated statistic. It refers to your long-term chances of winning money with a slot.

Volatility is more important with regard to determining how long your bankroll will last. Nevertheless, you should still take RTP into account when picking games. The higher the payback, the better your chances of winning on average. The typical online slots feature 96% RTP.

If you can find a game that offers higher payback than this, though, you have a better chance of netting long-term winnings. Furthermore, you might even pick up more payouts in the immediate future.

The majority of slots feature RTP in the info screen. If you don’t see the payback listed there, you can always try googling the information as well.

7 – Take Frequent Breaks

By nature, slot machines encourage a fast play rate. When playing straight through, you’ll probably spin the reels 500 or more times per hour.

Most rounds conclude rather quickly. Given that you don’t need to think much before spinning the reels, you can continue at a rapid pace.

This quick pace is the biggest reason why you probably lose more money with slots than any other game. When compared to land-based table games, slot machines play approximately 4x-6x times faster.

They only play around 2x-3x as fast as the average online table game. However, slots still encourage you to place more bets per hour than anything else.

You can combat this fast speed by taking breaks more often to slow your play rate. Rather than waiting 1-2 hours to get away from a slot, you might consider taking a break every 15 minutes.

Assuming you have trouble pulling yourself away from the game, you should consider setting alarms on your phone for every 15-20 minutes. This way, you’ll have a sharp reminder that you need to step away from the game for a few minutes.

8 – Don’t Fall for LDWs

A loss disguised as a win (LDW) is an unofficial term used to describe payouts that are worth less than the spin cost. You’re still collecting a win, but you’re also losing money on the overall bet.

Here’s an example of an LDW:

• You bet $0.50 on a 25-line slot.
• You win $0.05 on one payline.
• 5 – 0.05 = $0.45 loss

An LDW isn’t inherently evil by nature. It mainly indicates that you’ve earned a relatively small payout.

However, it does highlight the problem that many slots players unknowingly face. They spin the reels at such a quick rate that they don’t even realize when their wins aren’t really wins.

Developers design games to behave like this. They include triumphant sound effects to mark each win–no matter how big or small.

When you combine exciting sounds with a quick play rate, you get the perfect environment for overextending your bankroll.

That said, you should take a brief moment after each spin to figure out if you’re truly winning or not. By making this distinction, you prevent yourself from playing too long under the false pretense that you’re winning.

9 – Take Advantage of Online Slots Bonuses

Online casinos offer more bonuses to slots players than any other group of gamblers. They realize where the majority of the revenue comes from.

If you don’t take advantage of these deals, then it’s your own fault. Assuming your casino is like any other, you’ll have many chances to benefit from these offers.

Gaming sites typically feature a generous slots welcome bonus that pays out on your first deposit, or series of deposits. You can earn up to $1,000 or more with some of these deals.

You just need to meet the terms and conditions before cashing the money out. You’ll also have to use the proper bonus code (if applicable) to qualify.

I suggest reading the terms and conditions and anything else regarding a bonus before depositing. This way, you’ll be sure to do whatever is necessary to collect free cash.

Conclusion

Slots certainly aren’t easy on your bankroll. They’re volatile games that encourage you to play at a fast pace.

Luckily, though, you can take steps to slow your losses and enjoy slots longer. Using smaller coin sizes, recognizing LDWs, cashing in on bonuses, and checking volatility rates are just some of the tips you can use.

Even when following this advice, though, you may still struggle to avoid losing serious money sometimes. But you’ll at least have a better chance at staying in the game longer.