Many games nowadays have the ability to play on different denominations. In some cases, you can wager the same total dollar amount on multiple denominations. That leads us to today’s question:
I am very confused about betting levels. What is the difference between a $25.00 bet @ 10 cents denomination vs a $25.00 bet @ $1.00 denomination?
Karen M.
There are a few factors that go into a bet. Let’s talk about each of them in turn, and then get into a bit more specifics about your answer.
Denomination
That denomination itself is the first component. The denomination indicates how much each credit is worth. So when you see a 10 cent denomination, each credit is worth 10 cents. If you have 100 credits at 10 cent denomination, that’s $10.
Some machines are single denomination, but a growing number are multi-denomination, so it sometimes helps to check each denomination to see what the bet amounts are.
Number of Lines
Many games have a set amount of pay lines, and those pay lines determine in part how much a bet will be.
For instance, on penny denomination on Lightning Link, there is 50 lines, so 50 credits is the minimum wager. On nickel denomination, it drops to 25 pay lines, so you have a 25 credit starting wager.
That means minimum bet on pennies is 50 cents, but the reduced lines on nickels yields a $1.25 minimum bet on nickels.
Bet Multiplier
Then, after those two factors are listed, you tend to have bet multiplier options. Using that same 25 credit example on nickels for lightning link, you may have a 1x line bet, a 2x line bet, a 3x line bet, and so on.
That means bets of 25 credits ($1.25), 50 credits ($2.50), 75 credits ($3.75) and so on.
Denomination Differences
So, now to your question about $25 on a 10 cent denomination vs. a $25 bet on $1 denomination. One thing to look at is the number of lines you get. On many games, a higher denomination can mean a reduction in lines. So you may have 5 lines on that $1 denomination, vs. 25 lines on that dime denomination.
On the 25 line game, you have more ways you can win, but each of those ways won’t pay as much, because the money is spread across more lines. That is a lower volatility scenario than the 5 lines on a $1 denomination game – you have less ways to win, but when you do, it will be bigger. So it’s harder to win, but when you do, you get paid more – the definition of higher volatility.
Other Considerations
There’s a couple of other things to keep in mind. First, some of the jackpot prizes may shift. Using Lightning Link as an example again, the minis and minors will be higher on a higher denomination. But they will also be harder to win, as compared to your bet size they will be bigger numbers.
Most importantly, higher denomination games tend to pay back better over time. This is because casinos will tend to set higher denomination options at a higher payback percentage over time than a lower denomination option.
So if you do have the option to play a higher denomination option on your budget, it’s worth a look, and a play at least part of the time, as you may anticipate your money lasting longer over time, compared to the lower payback options. But if the line count goes down, it may be a bit more volatile, as you have less ways to win on that lower line count (but will win more when you do).
We hope this helps you (and other players) better navigate the various options, and we thank you for your question!
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