High variance slots UK

By Kati Saari. Updated:

Find the best high variance slots online on Bojoko. High variance is usually paired with high maximum wins, so you'll be wanting to know about the level of variance when chasing those big payouts.

On this page, we've collected all the important information about the variance of slots and the significance it has to the odds of winning.

Play high variance slots at great casinos

Below, you'll find our list of online casinos offering a great selection of high variance slots. Mind that casinos generally don't sort the games by variance so you need to know what you're looking for. Or, you can learn about the variance of slots on this page and decide on the right casino afterwards.  

Ad Disclosure
  1. 100%/£50 + 50 bonus spins
    1st deposit bonus
    PlaySunny casino review »
    1st deposit bonus 100%/£50 + 50 bonus spins
    Bonus code -
    Minimum deposit £10
    Number of slots 1500
    Game suppliers 24
    Playsunny is about creating fun, warmth and excitement for the players by delivering a beautifully branded, fantasy experience that allows you to escape. Dazzletag Entertain... PlaySunny casino review »
    Play here »
    visa
    mastercard
    paypal
    apple-pay
    trustly
    skrill
    neteller
    paysafecard
    maestro
    New players only, 18+. £10 minimum deposit. 40x wagering requirement. £5 max bonus bet. £250 maximum cashout for each individual bonus. Bonus will expire in 30 days. Free spins will expire in 48 hours. Full terms and Bonus apply. BeGambleAware.org.
  2. 200 bonus spins
    1st deposit bonus
    Kwiff casino review »
    1st deposit bonus 200 bonus spins
    Bonus code -
    Minimum deposit £10
    Number of slots 1400
    Game suppliers 76
    Get ready for a supercharged gaming experience with Kwiff Casino. This is not your ordinary run-of-the-mill online casino. Kwiff Casino brings you thousands of games from th... Kwiff casino review »
    Play here »
    visa
    mastercard
    paypal
    New players only, 18+. Deposit and wager at least £20 to get daily spins. All spins must be collected within 5 days from first deposit. Spins have no wagering requirements. Maximum withdrawalable winnings are capped at £250. Please gamble responsibly. Full and Bonus apply. BeGambleAware.org.

High variance slots

What does variance mean in slots?

Variance indicates the level of risk on a slot. Having variance means it's possible for you to win more than you bet. Should there be no variance at all, you would just keep losing your stakes with every spin.

But how exactly does variance show in a slot, and why should you care about it? Given that the term ‘variance' is something you don't see nearly as often as ‘volatility', it's no wonder you might not be familiar with it.

Variance is a preference thing. In the long run, slots hand out the same amount in wins regardless of their variance. But in the short run, high-variance games feel more swingy with big highs and deep lows, and low-variance games feel more flat with small wins and small losses.

Variance or volatility?

In practice, volatility and variance mean the same thing. 

‘Variance' tells the statistical difference in outcomes. ‘Volatility' simplifies it by telling the variance rating. This is why it's more usual to see the volatility level than the level of variance in the slot's information.

Most of the game suppliers categorise their games to high, medium and low volatility.

Volatility is part of all casino games, not just slots. However, some games do not have a way of changing it, and the volatility is just baked into the game itself.

How we rate games

We rate games in order to help you compare them

We rate games in a thorough and transparent way. Our experts have years, even decades, of experience in iGaming and know about online gambling.

When we review games, we look at features such as:

On Bojoko, we want our readers to stay informed about the quality of games available and know how the slots work. Things like RTP, volatility, variance and house edge might be hard to grasp. This is even more true with the newest online slots, which can be very different from what you are used to.

With our help, you can learn about games, see which games are good and which are bad, and find casinos where you can play them. Our experts review casinos as well with the same level of care.

High vs. low variance

Are high variance slots better than slot machines with a low variance? It depends on three important things:

For you to play slots with high variance, you should have a high balance, the capability to handle stress and an understanding of the risks involved.

To answer the question straight, the high variance slots are only better for certain types of players. For occasional players, low variance slot games might be a better option. Slots with lower variance have payouts that are laid more even, though the maximum wins are also significantly smaller.

Slot games - Pick your favourite

Slots can be anything. They can have very high volatility where you don't win anything at all on two dozen spins but then win your bet back fifty-fold. Or they are the other extreme with their low volatility. A game with small wins every other spin, but the biggest win you can get is only a few times your bet size.

When you identify what kind of games you like, you can pick the slots with that volatility. A good slot site has all kinds of slots available, and the best ones have filters that let you adjust the list of games. Check out our top UK slot sites page for more casino options.

Crash games - best of both worlds

Crash games offer the best of both worlds when it comes to high- and low-variance games. Will you play it safe, or will you go for the high-risk, high-reward strategy? The choice is yours. You can read all about these games on our crash betting page.

In crash games, the multiplier starts to rise from 1x and can climb infinitely until it comes crashing down. As a player, you hold the power to decide when to cash out your winnings. Opt for a low-variance approach by securing small but frequent wins, or take the high-variance route, waiting for that multiplier to reach new heights and claim bigger victories.

Recognise high variance slots

Recognising a high variance slot from thousands of slot machines can be tricky, especially for a new player. Some casinos do add some sort of marking or a tag to a high variance slot's information, e.g. a symbol on the thumbnail. But, what if such an indicator isn't there?

If the slot has a significantly high maximum win and/or more reels, rows and paylines than a standard 5x3 slot, it's very likely to be a high variance game. This is, however, to put it very roughly and doesn't always hold true.

When you open a game, there's usually a button with a question mark or a link titled ‘help', etc. Sometimes, the supplier lists the details like RTP and variance there.

Some game suppliers have collected all the important information about their slots on their sites. For example, Play'n GO has marked every game product page with a level of volatility. 

On Bojoko, we've gathered all the important features of the games to the slots review pages. In addition to the level of volatility, you can now instantly check out the RTP, the maximum win, the release date and much more. 

How to find high variance slots

Find a casino with high variance slots from our list

1. Find a casino with high variance slots from our list

On Bojoko, we have a long list of excellent casinos that offer high variance slots. You're free to use our ready-made filters, or sort the results with your own custom selections.

Read the reviews of our experts and users

2. Read the reviews of our experts and users

Most of our casinos have been reviewed by our experts and some have comments from other users. By reading the reviews, you'll get a better picture of what the casino has to offer.

Go to the casino

3. Go to the casino

Each of our review pages has a big green ‘PLAY HERE' button which takes you to the casino itself. Also, if a special bonus is available on Bojoko, the button's the way to get it.

Register and play

4. Register and play

Having found the right casino for you, it's time to register an account and make your first deposit. After that, you can use your casino balance to play the high variance slots on offer!

Find casinos with high variance slots

Pros and cons of high variance slots

Playing high variance, or high volatility slots, has its ups and downs.

Here are the pros and cons of high variance slots:

✅ PROS ❌ CONS
Potential for large wins More rounds with no wins
Games are more exciting Low-end wins are tiny
Often have more features Odds of winning big are poor

The best high variance slots are often the most popular games on online casinos. However, it's not only the high variance feature that makes a slot favoured by the players. If a slot has high variance but lacks other features, it's very likely for it to come and go unnoticed. 

Let's look at a few examples of the most popular and best high variance slots:

This vampire-themed slot boasts a progressive bonus feature as well as a random bonus. By triggering free spins over and over again, the player unlocks new levels of free spin stages with different perks. 

The random bonus turning reels into stacked wilds, however, can be triggered at any time in the base game. Together with the potential max. win of 12,000x your bet and a nice RTP of 96.86%, Immortal Romance continues to be a popular slot.

Highly popular, this Egypt-themed slot has high volatility, the maximum win of 5,000x your bet and the possibility to get free spins with a special stacked symbol. On top of that, the free spins can be re-triggered again and again. The RTP of 96.21% is also pretty decent. 

Set in Wild West, Dead or Alive has a long history of being one of the most popular high variance slots there is. The maximum win can be a massive 12,000x your bet and the free spins come with an x2 multiplier on top of the sticky Wilds. The RTP of the slot is 96.82%. 

What do popular high volatility slots have in common?

From the examples above, we can gather that the high variance slots have the following things in common:

RTP stands for ‘Return To Player', and it tells us how much the players can statistically get back for their bets as wins in the long run. So, the higher the RTP, the smaller the house edge is, and you have a better chance of winning. You can check out our best RTP slots page for more information.

Nobody would be interested in playing a high variance slot with a small maximum win. This is why, in general, highly volatile slots usually have the max. win at least 2,000x your bet.

However, most progressive jackpot games are medium to low variance slots. They have large wins just like high volatility slots, but the base game win structure is more balanced.

Special features, like free spins, bonus games and sticky re-spins add both more entertainment and real value to the slot. Not only can they enhance the experience, but also open up new possibilities to hit big wins.

Slot alternatives

Even though high volatility slots are fun and unique, there are other options when it comes to slots and casino games.

Here are some alternatives you can try:

Play high variance slots responsibly

Playing high variance slots can offer thrills and fun times, but as mentioned above, they are also high-risk games. It's mandatory to understand and keep in mind that casinos are businesses and not charities. The house always wins in the long run, meaning the more you play, the likelier it is for you to lose your bets.

Fast-paced slot games with high volatility can easily drain your pockets, as the potential big wins can distract you from how much you've spent. Because of this, we on Bojoko want to stress the importance of gambling responsibly.

Play only with the money you can afford to lose. Don't treat slots or other casino games as a way to earn cash. To keep better control, use the tools for responsible gambling the casinos are offering you. 

High variance slots FAQ

A high variance or high volatility slot is a game that's riskier to play than average but which, in return, offers a possibility of bigger wins. A good example of a high variance slot would be Book of Dead.

When playing a high variance slot, you may notice that you get fewer overall wins, but when you do win, you win more in one round.

High volatility in slots means that the game's win structure leans more on the extreme ends of the scale. You get more rounds when you don't win anything at all, but to balance this, the wins you do get are bigger.

In comparison, low volatility slots have more wins in general, but the maximum wins are noticeably smaller.

High variance slots can be better, but not always. It depends greatly on what you're looking for and what kind of player you are. High variance slots are more suitable for players capable of taking risks and handling the stress of sometimes rapid swings of their balance.

No, all jackpot games are not high variance slots. As a matter of fact, most of the jackpot slots have low or medium variance. This is because the base game does not require a high variance, as long as the jackpot feature itself has low odds.

For example, NetEnt's Mega Fortune and Hall of Gods both are low variance slots, despite each of them holding multiple progressive jackpots.

It's possible, but not probable to win more by playing high variance slots. High variance slots often have big maximum wins, but they also have less high-paying symbols. This makes it harder to hit good symbol combinations. This means that there is a potential to hit better wins, but the odds of doing so are small.

In some slots, getting to these big wins requires you to activate a bonus feature, like free spins, which is not easy to do.

Here are the best high variance slots with high RTP according to popularity among UK players:

  • Book of Dead
  • Dead or Alive
  • Cash Pump
  • 9K Yeti

Although it can be a tad controversial to determine the ‘best', as a lot of it comes to personal preferences. We can still point you towards some of the comparatively better high variance and high RTP slots.

 

Find casinos with high variance slots

 

About the author

Kati Saari

Article by:

Kati Saari

Kati Saari has worked in the gambling industry since 2014. She has tested hundreds of casinos and written thousands of articles while evolving into an iron-clad expert in her field. Having a true passion for her work she’s adamant about not rushing into anything without thorough research.

Say "OK" to the cookies. Learn more in our privacy policy.

Get the latest bonuses, free spins and updates on new sites💰


Subscribe to our newsletter. No spam. Opt out anytime.