Does Playing the Max Bet Increase Odds for Slots Online?

Does playing the max bet really give you an edge at the slot machine?

Casinos

Online video slots have long been the subject of debate regarding how you can increase your chances of winning. One argument states that increasing your bet size will increase your chances of winning. Of course, playing with a high bet limit should depend entirely on your bankroll, but is this true?

Let’s take a look at what happens when you increase your bet amount and if it increases your odds of winning — or are free spins really the only way to guarantee a win at the casino without risk?

House Edge or Max Bet?

The biggest contributing factor to winning slot games is the house edge. This is the amount of money you can expect to win over the long term when playing slots. The return to player (RTP) percentage matters more than your bet amount. You can give yourself the best chance of hitting wins by picking games with a high RTP, which means a lower house edge.

Most slot games have a return-to-player rate of around 96%, which means the house edge would be 4%. These numbers refer to the amount you would win over millions of game rounds, with every $100 you bet you are expected to win $96 back.

How Can I Increase my Odds to Win on Slots?

The house edge on any slot game cannot change, whether you wager $30 on a spin or $0.30 on a spin. The house edge of the slot will be based on the game mechanics and not the bet size. The paytable is not influenced by your bet amount. You will win more if your bet is larger, but that is because you risked more. Slot games do not allow players to influence the outcome of a bet, by raising the stakes or other means.

When Should you Max Bet on Slots?

row of slot machines in casino

Slot machines.

There is a type of slot where increasing your bet amount will have an impact on your chances to win, the progressive jackpot slot. This is because these games are designed to push the player to bet more, and thus, increase the jackpot prize. Once a slot reaches a particular jackpot level, players will come in droves as they know it should drop soon. In some games, the jackpot is only achievable when you wager with the max bet.

Betting the max doesn’t mean you will increase your chances of winning, but it can increase your chance of triggering the jackpot. For example, the slot game Mega Moolah has had the top jackpot prize triggered by a single $0.20 spin. However, don’t get your hopes up too much with this strategy as it can take months for the top progressive jackpot prize to trigger.

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Bankroll and Max Bet Amount

Increasing your bet amount does not give you a winning edge over other players who bet smaller amounts. Although it may increase pay lines which create more winning combinations, it does not increase your odds. You should only bet what you can afford to lose and this means exercising good bankroll management. If you have a large bankroll, then you can justify increasing your bet amount. But, if you’re a casual player with a casual bankroll, then you should bet smaller amounts. After all, gambling should always be considered a form of entertainment only.

What are Buy-a-Pays?

These are slot games where certain payouts can only be hit when you bet the max coin amount. These slots have a pay table for every coin wagered that features combos of symbols (single, double, or triple bars, for example). Although the game features other symbols on the reels, with a single coin bet, those symbols can’t be landed for a win. The pay table will increase then you bet additional coins, with more symbols added to the winning combo lines. Betting the maximum coins will give you all winning combos.

Balancing the House Edge

It’s important to know the difference between placing a bigger bet and changing your bet size. You can change your bet size by adding or reducing paylines while keeping your bet on the lines the same. If you change the value of the coin you are betting, that increases your bet value for the calculation made when you land a winning line. However, adding to the coin value is riskier than adding to paylines which increases wins, but you need to figure out the right balance for you, your budget, and what type of slot experience you want.

For example, if you have a $100 budget and hope to busy yourself with an hour of slot entertainment and are playing 100-credit bets, you can place 100 bets. That will likely not last for the hour you wanted to spend gambling. But if you bet one credit per spin, then that $100 budget turns into 10,000 bets. Increasing the number of bets will get you closer to the RTP level and reduce the chance of going bust quickly. Playing the max bet on slot games is riskier, but it will give you a higher payout. If you want to try to hit a big payout and are not fixed on playing for a long session, then placing big bets are for you.

Final Thoughts

Now that we have busted the belief that maximum bets increase your chances of winning, placing maximum bets are still a fun way to play if your budget allows for it. Additionally, maximum bets might help trigger a jackpot if the value has grown to the point where the slot typically pays out. If you have ever played a slot on free play sessions, betting on maximum wagers always felt like it won more because of the huge wins. Since you were not risking real money, you will quickly forget the massive losses as they aren’t real but $100,000 and higher wins on a single spin will be etched in your mind forever. Don’t let this belief trick you into thinking bigger or maximum bets are going to help you win! The slots are all governed by RTP and RNG, nothing about your bet size will make a difference to the outcome.

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Cliff Spiller

Cliff Spiller is a veteran casino writer with decades of experience writing online casino reviews and game guides. His betting strategy articles, and gambling news updates have been a fixture in the industry since 2004.

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