Online casinos are well-aware that the most foolproof way of catering to players is by offering lucrative bonuses. The no-deposit bonus casinos are a great blessing, but the legitimate ones can be counted on the fingers of one hand. The no wager casinos are said to be the next big thing in the online gambling industry but traditional online casinos still prevail and their bonuses come with wagering requirements attached.
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To release the bonus money, you have to play through the bonus amount or the bonus + deposit amount a certain number of times. That’s called a wagering requirement and it is usually in the range 30x-45x your bonus amount or deposit + bonus amount. If we assume that your bonus is £10 and you have a 35x wagering requirement to clear, that makes £10 x 35 = £350. But how can you beat the wagering requirement and end up with a decent payout?
Well, if anybody comes up with a clear-cut answer to that question, they will probably occupy the top positions of the “Richest men alive” charts. For now, all we can do to help you clear the wagering with minimal losses is to provide you with some guidelines.
It is just human nature to stick to things you are familiar with and avoid unnecessary risks. Some players claim the casino bonus and go straight to the slots they played before simply because they like the theme, or they landed a good win last week. When it comes to clearing wagering requirements, you’d better take into account the factors below.
It would have been boring if video slots differed from one another by the theme only. Luckily, we can enjoy classic, modern, Megaways slots, slots with fixed or adjustable paylines, high roller slots, slots with cascading reels mechanics, buy feature, expanding wilds, etc. However, when it comes to clearing wagering requirements, none of the above features actually matters. What matters is slot’s volatility and RTP (return to player percentage).
Return to Player (RTP) is a measurement of how much the casino gives back to the player in the long run. The higher the RTP is, the lower the potential losses. Let’s assume you wager £10,000 on a slot with 97% RTP. In the long run, you will get back £9,700 and lose £300. Likewise, if you play £10,000 on a slot with 93% RTP, you will win £9,300 and lose £700. A sizeable difference, isn’t it?
Sometimes, the RTP at a certain casino is lower than the default %, as casinos need to cover their expenses for operating on regulated markets.
Slots can be low, medium and high volatility ones.
Low volatility slots pay frequently, but the payout is quite modest amounting to a few dollars every couple of spins. Low volatility slots usually come with a RTP of 97% and above. In comparison, the industry standard is around 96%. For the time being, NetEnt is the game supplier launching the most low variance slots. If you ever come across a low-volatility Novomatic / GreenTube slot, don’t hesitate to point it out to us.
Oddly, medium variance slots are difficult to come by. As you may have assumed, these slots are the happy medium between low and high variance. They do not pay as often as the low volatility ones, but the payout is more generous. It is a pity that Playtech’s Marvel slots are no longer available. The Avengers, the Incredible Hulk, and Thor were fantastic medium volatility slots.
High variance slots are not everyone’s cup of tea. We advise you to stay away from them unless you have a sufficient bankroll. High volatility slots are packed with bonus rounds and features and they pay really well. However, these features are not easy to trigger. So, if you arm yourself with patience the Lady Luck will eventually smile on you.
Are low volatility slots best for clearing a deposit bonus wagering?
Now, when you read all this, the most reasonable question you may ask is: Is it better to play high, medium or low volatility slots to clear wagering?
Well, the truth is somewhere in the middle. After lurking around for years, testing slots and talking to casino players, we have come to the following conclusion.
If you want to clear a wagering requirement, the best strategy you can adopt is to start with a high variance slot and keep playing until you hit a sizeable win. Then, you can switch to a low variance one that will not wipe out your bankroll. With a little bit of luck, you will clear the wagering requirement and cash out a substantial amount.
Before you start playing, pay attention to the Bonus terms and conditions. The majority table games, as well as some low variance slots usually have a 0% contribution to meeting the wagering requirement.
Over the past year or so, NetEnt has been churning out mainly low variance slots. That approach has led to a flurry of disapproving comments from high rollers, but these slots do a brilliant job when it comes to clearing deposit bonus wagering. Check out the best low variance NetEnt slots, as well as a few titles from other providers you should try:
All these slots are playable across the NetEnt online casinos.
Other low-med variance titles to consider:
If you decide to try the above strategy and opt for a high variance slot before switching to low variance ones, you’d better be prepared to lose a few (hundred) spins before you hit a sizeable win. Many players who have a sufficient bankroll admit that they go straight to the high variance titles below when they have to release bonus funds.
Big Time Gaming Slots
Big Time Gaming has made a giant step forward with the release of the Megaways slot mechanics but apart from Megaways slots, it also has some pretty good titles for clearing bonus wagering. If you are a seasoned player, you might laugh at the Bonanza suggestion, as this is an insanely high variance slot. Still, if you have a huge balance, this is the best slot for wagering ever.
Blueprint Megaways Slots
Megaways slots are notorious for being high volatility ones. Still, they are an accelerating trend in the online gambling industry and Blueprint was quick to acquire a BTG license. Get to know some of its most successful releases:
Other high variance titles to consider
Releasing a huge bonus is a well-deserved reward for your efforts, but we always recommend our readers to play at safe, regulated online casinos and check the CorrectCasinos reviews before making a deposit.
Here’s our selection of latest & upcoming slot titles of all providers:
