Overview
When we started playing slots, one of the most confusing aspects was deciding on our bet.
Here are the basics of slot betting based on what we’ve learned.
Choosing a Denomination
The video above shows different bets on Phoenix Link, our favorite slot. In the description are links to several different bet amounts from $0.50 to $10 per spin.
Choosing a denomination is the first step when playing a slot machine.
As with all gambling, wins are linked to the size of your bet. In turn, your bet should be linked to your gambling budget (often called a “bankroll”).
While many YouTube slot personalities bet extremely high ($50 or more per spin), the average gambler will bet a fraction of that. The good news is that it is entirely possible to get a handpay jackpot ($1,200 or more) for a $5 bet. We’ve done it twice this year.
Single-Denomination Slots
Single-denomination slots can range from 1¢ to $1,000 or even higher, but they’re not created equal.
1¢ single-denomination slots in Las Vegas have the lowest rate of return of any slot according to the June 2025 Nevada Gaming Control Board report. In Las Vegas the payback percentage by denomination looks like this.
(Higher numbers are better for you, the gambler.)
- 1¢: 80.69% (worst odds)
- 5¢: 94.12% (best odds)
- 25¢: 91.80%
- $1: 92.93%
- $5: 93.97%
- $25: 93.01%
- $100: 92.94%
Playing for Time vs. Playing to Win
While betting the minimum on a slot will increase the amount of time you spend on that machine, in the long run it can hurt your wallet. Moving away from betting the minimum is what put us in profit.
CAVEAT: When choosing a denomination always stick to your budget. In 2024 the average Las Vegas visitor brought $820 to gamble with, so if your daily budget is $275, don’t go above that.
Multi-Denomination Slots
Multi-denomination slots are becoming the norm. Of all the slot machines in Las Vegas (as of June 2025), 85,397 are multi-denomination or about 67%.
The payback percentage on multi-denomination slots is 92.89% (June 2025).
As the name implies, you can select from a range of denominations (1¢, 2¢, 5¢, 10¢, etc.) on the same machine.
Confusing By Design
When faced with 25 or more possible bets, many new gamblers get confused.
If you’ve never played a particular slot before, the safest and cheapest bet is the minimum for that game. However (big HOWEVER), if you don’t get a win within a 9-10 spins, consider changing your bet, the machine, or the game.
Adapt or Die
One tactic is to play until you’ve reached an arbitrary limit, e.g., once you’ve lost $10, you’ll making a change. That’s as good a method as any on a game of chance, which is why we devised the SlotBears M.A.D. Method based on this.
On a multi-denomination slot we’ve never played, we usually start with the second lowest denomination. This limits our losses and gets us a slightly higher payout if we get a bonus.
On slots we’ve played before, we default to a $1 denomination, but that’s only because we’re already familiar with how the slot will pay.
Avoid the "Gambler's Fallacy"
Where most inexperience gamblers falter is that they will continue with the same bet even if they’re losing.
This is a mistake based on something called the “Gambler’s Fallacy“. The Gambler’s Fallacy is when someone believes a slot will pay because it hasn’t paid recently. That is not how slot machines work.
Choose Your Bet Multiple
The bet multiple is the amount you can bet above the minimum for a denomination. For example, if you choose a 5¢ denomination, the bet multipliers may be 1x, 1.5x, 2.5x, and 5x the minimum bet for that denomination. The multiple differs from game to game.
Here’s a different way of looking at it…
1x = $1 per spin
1.5x = $1.50 per spin
2.5X = $2.50 per spin
5X = $5 per spin
This again should be determined by your budget. We’ve hit plenty of bonuses on the minimum bet for a particular denomination, so that’s as good a place to start as any.
If you find yourself losing after several spins, we recommend trying a different denomination, a different multiplier, or both.
Part of the fun of playing a slot is figuring out which bet is paying back the most. I can’t think of anyone who enjoys feeding money into a machine that doesn’t give anything back in return.
There's No "Magic Formula"
DO NOT listen to someone that says something like “use this bet to win every time”. If this were true, they would be billionaires.
Because slot machines are random, every spin has the potential to result in a win or a loss. While it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement, every slot player should remind themselves that slot machines are designed to make the casino money.