Best High-Volatility Slots to Play Online

Author ImageAuthor: | Last Updated: January 2025
high volatility slots

Players enjoy playing the best high-volatility online slots for several reasons. For starters, they typically have higher RTP (return to player) percentages than their low-volatility counterparts. Plus, they’re usually packed with a wider variety of in-play features and offer a more rewarding feel because the wins are quite frequent.

On this page, we’ll explain the concepts of slot volatility, discuss the key features to look for, and assess both benefits and drawbacks of high-volatility online slots. We’ll finish things off with short overviews of top-paying online slots and casinos where you can play them.

What are High-Volatility Slots?

To explain what high-volatility slots are, we first have to explain the concept behind volatility.

Volatility represents oscillations, movements, and general unpredictability. For example, volatile prices represent prices that move up and down quickly over a specified time duration.

In online slots, volatility dictates the size of wins and winning frequency. It usually comes in three variants – low, medium, and high. The higher the volatility, the fewer (but bigger) the wins are… and vice versa.

  • Low-volatility online slots offer frequent but lower-paying wins.
  • Medium-volatility online slots offer a fine balance of winning frequency and size.
  • High-volatility online slots offer less frequent but higher-paying wins.

Features to Look for in High-Volatility Slots

Don’t settle for the first high-volatility slot you come across. Instead, choose a few that look nice then compare them in the following areas until you’re left with just one game:

  • RTP
    • RTP (return to player) represents the average payout for every $100 wagered. When choosing your next game, we recommend you aim for the top-paying online slots with the highest RTP, ideally over 96%.
  • Bonus Features
    • In our experience, slots with big payouts typically come packed with bonus features. By that, we’re referring to stuff like cluster pay, pay anywhere, tumbling reels, multipliers, free spins, and other unique gameplay mechanics.
  • Specific Design/Gameplay elements
    • Finally, don’t forget to look for slots that have specific design and/or gameplay elements you enjoy in other slots. We’re referring to various themes, mechanics like Megaways, specific grid sizes, and similar gameplay elements.

Benefits and Drawbacks of High-Volatility Slots

Obviously, not everything about high-volatility online slots is rainbows and butterflies. There are two sides to each story, so let’s have a closer look at the key pros and cons of said slots:

Pros

  • Bigger potential payouts
    • As mentioned earlier, high-volatility slots typically come with high RTP percentages too. This means we’re potentially talking about slots with big payouts and that’s what many players are after nowadays.
  • More exciting gameplay
    • If there’s one thing high-volatility slots bring to the game in terms of user experience, it’s exciting gameplay. You could get dry runs for 10-20 spins, only to get a wicked win on the 21st, especially in games packed with features like random multipliers, scatters triggering free spins, and tumbling reels.

Cons

  • Higher risk gameplay
    • High volatility offers slightly higher risk too. If you stop at the wrong moment, you’re likely to be in the red. However, if you come across a huge win, knowing when to stop might help you pull away while still ahead.
  • Longer periods without wins
    • High-volatility slots offer less frequent but bigger wins. In other words, longer periods (20+ rounds) without wins are to be expected when playing these slots.

Tips for Playing High-Volatility Slots

In this section of our guide for finding the best high-volatility slots, we’ll share a few tips that ought to come in handy. They revolve around the basics of online gambling and include details on bankroll management, correct slot selection, and knowing when to call it a day.

  • Bankroll management
    • Effective bankroll management is the very basis of responsible gambling. It’s a must-have for everyone looking for a safe online gambling experience without jeopardizing their finances.
  • Always choose slots with more favorable RTP values
    • If you’re set to gamble online, we recommend you don’t settle with slots featuring poor RTP. Games below 95% aren’t worth your time and money.
  • Know when to stop or switch to a different game
    • Knowing when to stop your gambling session and avoid chasing losses are vital traits that make successful gambling enthusiasts. They’ll help you manage your losses and tackle online gambling addiction effectively.

Here are 4 top-paying slots with high-volatility you should check out at US online casinos:

Coins of Ra

Betsoft is most known for games like Sugar Pop 2, Chilli Pop, and The Slotfather series. However, their Coins of Ra fantasy-themed slot offers just the right balance of solid base mechanics, exciting bonus gameplay features, and high volatility.

coins of ra

Coins of Ra

The RTP is not to be taken for granted either. At 96.18%, Coins of Ra is the second highest-average-payout slot on our list. It provides 5 betways, has features like Lock It Link, Respins, Hold & Spin, and several others.

  • Developer: Betsoft
  • RTP: 96.18%
  • Theme: Ancient Mythology

Most importantly, Coins of Ra players well across all devices, which is a big plus for US enthusiasts who love playing slots during their daily commute.

Big Bass Fishin’ Fever

Dragon Gaming’s Big Bass Fishin’ Fever is a hot topic among US gambling enthusiasts. Why? Because players from the US love fishing and gambling and this game provides a perfect balance between the two.

big bass fishin fever

Big Bass Fishin' Fever

The game has 10 paylines and the classic 5×3 grid. The RTP isn’t ideal, though. At 95%, it’s on the lower end of the spectrum.

  • Developer: Dragon Gaming
  • RTP: 95%
  • Theme: Fishing

However, due to game’s high volatility, it can still create whopping returns. So, if you’d like to give Big Bass Fishin’ Fever a go, we recommend you test it at slots.lv. 

Alien Fruits

Alien Fruits is a popular high-volatility slot available at several US casinos including BetOnline and Las Atlantis. As the name suggests, we’re talking about an Alien-themed slot developed by BGaming.

alien fruits slot

Alien Fruits

Some of its key features are scatters triggering up to 30 free spins, random multipliers during bonus gameplay, and 96% RTP.

  • Developer: BGaming
  • RTP: 96%
  • Theme: Aliens

The maximum win amount in BGaming’s Alien Fruits is $180,000, which is one of its key selling points.

Super Sugar Pop Hold & Win

Last but not least, we have another high-volatility online slot developed by Betsoft. This time around, we’re moving away from ancient mythology and visiting a marvelous sugar-infused candy wonderland.

super sugar pop

Super Sugar Pop Hold & Win

Super Sugar Pop Hold & Win offers a super RTP of 96.50% and plays in a 6×5 grid. The hit rate is 24.44% which is perfect for an AAA high-volatility slot.

  • Developer: Betsoft
  • RTP: 96.5%
  • Theme: Candy

Furthermore, this slot offers a wide selection of gameplay-twisting features too, including Hold & Win mechanics, free spins, multiplier bombs, and more.

Summary

That’s all we had to say on the topic of high-volatility online slots. Long story short, they provide a riskier but far more exciting gameplay with a typically higher win potential. We also featured 5 impressive high-volatility slots and casinos you can play them at.

Feel free to share your experiences with some of these slots or list your favorite high-volatility titles in the comments section below.

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About the Author

Pavo is an experienced esports, sports betting and gambling journalist. He’s been a member of GamblingSites.org team for more than 6 years now. Nothing surprising considering our favorite Croat has a whole decade of experience in the industry. He’s written for several notable portals such as EsportsTalk, GamblingSites.org, and TheSportsGeek.com.