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?
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.