According to statistics, playing with small bets at NetEnt casinos is more profitable, meaning that big winnings (relative to bets) are more likely. Professional online casino players and bonus hunters (at least many of them) will tell you the same thing, but there are a number of nuances that are very important to understand. First, we need to understand the classification of prize funds. Let’s take NetEnt as an example.
Prize funds in NetEnt slots
Indirect signs indicate a clear division of all bets made at all NetEnt online casinos into several large groups.
The largest category is for the smallest bets – up to $10. This is where the vast majority of players place their bets, so this prize pool has the most money. Some of it is reserved for big winnings at higher stakes, but the bulk of the fund is still huge. The fund itself is the amount of money involved in the drawing at all the active slot machines in all the casinos. So, if you win $100 on a $1 bet, you will be credited with a tiny fraction of the total pool of money generated in real-time from all bets.
The more money in circulation, the more likely you are to win, and the majority of bets are placed on low limits. Of course, big bets allow you to potentially win a lot more, but high rollers are far fewer in number.
Ratio of amount in the account to bets
Moving on to another important parameter – the amount of money in the account. You’ve probably noticed that if you play with big bets and a small bankroll (say $10 on a $100 bankroll), you rarely win big. Most of the time, the rest of the money just pissed away. Why? Because the software sees everything perfectly: it knows that you are, in principle, ready to lose everything (and most likely did in the past), and there is nothing much to lose (the remaining amount in the account is small).
The exception may be a situation of strong “skewness” in the direction of the negative mathematical expectation for the player. If he loses a lot at a distance, the slot can give a good gift, even when playing without bankroll. Hence, another conclusion: the higher the bankroll-ratio, the higher the probability of getting a big win.
Example
You have $10,000 in your account and are playing at $10 per spin. The ratio is 1,000:1, which is a lot. More often than not, 200 average bets are enough (but more is better). In this case, the software reasoning goes something like this: “Aha, he has a lot of money, but the bets are small – let me give him a little money so he falls into a gamble, raises the stakes, and eventually loses everything.” That’s roughly how it works – the calculation is based on psychology.
When a player wins a lot at once, they may hope to continue the winning streak in the near future. Therefore, in these situations, it is worth listening to the rational side. If the bankroll has doubled, it is quite enough, and the player can withdraw their winnings.
Can large bets increase the chances of winning?
Yes, it is possible. Best italian casinos do increase players’ chances of winning if they place more expensive bets. However, it is important to understand the risks as well. The higher the bet, the higher the risks. For example, if you play a slot with a spin cost of $0.40 at a 90% payback, you could lose about $0.04 per spin. If you bet $4 at a payback of 95%, the risk is $0.20 per spin.
How do casinos increase the payout percentage?
Some virtual casinos have progressive systems that allow you to set a winning percentage depending on the denomination the player is using. So games with a $1 spin value allow you to win much more than games with a $0.25 denomination.
Virtual casinos set bets using a special payout table in the machines. There are two mechanisms for how this can be done, both involving a random number generator (RNG):
- The RNG is set up so that the higher denomination bets will be paid out with combinations of higher paying symbols.
- The RNG is adjusted so that winning combinations for high stakes players occur more frequently. In some cases, players may even find slot machines with disproportionately large winnings.
Is it possible to get a higher reward by raising the stakes but playing the same slot?
Yes, it is possible, but only if the casino has adjusted the random number generator accordingly. For example, the RNG can give out higher paying symbols for higher bets. However, such situations in virtual slots are quite rare. If the winnings are proportional to the size of the bet, the payout percentage will almost always be the same.
However, there are exceptions. For example, in some slot games, players can unlock more expensive paytable symbols by increasing their bets. The same combination can be a losing one at a low bet but a winning one at a high bet.
Is it possible to program the RNG for a smaller hit at the maximum bets?
No, the betting patterns in the slots do not matter. The random number generator does not produce any combinations on demand, and the size of the bet does not change the random numbers. However, the size of the bet can unlock some combinations that can increase your profit margin.
There are both successful and unsuccessful stretches during the game, and if a player is faced with prolonged failures, they may have the illusion that the RNG is working against them so that the casino gets more money. In fact, such a situation is only possible in illegal casinos. If you play slots on a proven platform with a license, such problems will not arise.