Posted by Casino roulette and slot machines have little in common, but when it comes to luck and money, they share certain similarities. Roulette players bet chips on a 36-digit wheel, whereas a random number generator decides the outcome of slot machines.
Iconic Casino Games
Slot machines are one of the most popular casino games and are the first machines players will encounter upon entering the gaming floor. For this reason, our team has decided to draw a comparison with our favourite table game, the star of our web guide: the roulette wheel! To this day, players consider Roulette a prestigious casino game, while slot machines are viewed more as fun jackpot games.
Roulette players often bet their favourite numbers and sometimes use their own betting techniques. On the other hand, slot machine players tend to gravitate towards the highest jackpot, even though the most profitable slots are those with the best payout odds and potential winnings of +£50k.
Potential payouts for Roulette
Single odds are the most common bet at Roulette, with a general preference for red or black bets. Commonly referred to as outside bets, they’re the least risky and offer a 1-1 payout.
What is the highest paying bet at Roulette? Straight numbers are the highest paying bet with odds placed at 1-37 for the European wheel and 1-38 for the American wheel. In both cases the payout is a whopping 35 times the initial bet.
Potential payouts for Slot machines
There are three main types of slot machines:
- Classic 3 reel slots:
Maximum jackpot prize of up to £50,000. - 5 reel video slots:
These games often have jackpots of up to £250,000. - Progressive jackpot games
Some progressive slot machines feature million-dollar jackpot prizes.
Slot machines explained
Classic, video, or progressive, all slot machines are designed to payout a certain percentage of the money wagered by players’ bets. This percentage is programmed according to the specifics of each slot machine: generally speaking, the higher the payout rate, the lower the potential winnings and vice versa, if the payout rate is low, then jackpot prizes are usually high!
The most popular slot machines have around 96% payout rate. The luckiest players can win great jackpot prizes of over £100,000!
Maximum payouts require maximum bets, so slot machines can be an expensive choice if you’re aiming for the jackpot. However, there are a few exceptions, such as the Mega Moolah slots. Featured at the top of the Mega Moolah guide, these progressive slot machines offer million-dollar jackpots to lucky players, some of which have won by betting only £1 per spin.
Online gambling or land-based casino ?
Is it better to play online or at a local casino? According to our team’s expert opinion, the most reliable online casinos offer higher winning odds. These casinos are listed in our Roulette School guide and feature several cash games that pay more than land-based casinos.
Slot machines can vary as the payout rate (RTP) is different for online casinos and land-based casinos. Generally speaking, the highest-paying online casinos have reliable slot machines with better payout rates. As for Roulette, odds remain the same regardless of whether you’re playing online or at your local casino.
Jackpot limits in the UK
UK-based gaming houses feature slot machines with jackpot prizes of up to £20,000 maximum. However, online casinos do not set jackpot limits, which is why certain online slot machines boast massive jackpot prizes.
Comparing odds and payouts
The gaming house policy decides on the RTP, which stands for « Return to Player », and is fundamental to calculate the house edge.
The RTP for Roulette is the same in all casinos, depending on the wheel. For example, the RTP for European Roulette is 97.3% and remains the same in all land-based and online casinos.
Roulette House edge
American Roulette offers a 5.26% house edge on all bets, unlike European Roulette which is only 2.7%. But the French Roulette version pays the best odds thanks to the single Zero rule that lowers the house advantage to 1.35% for all single odd bets.
RTP and house edge for Roulette:
| Roulette | RTP | House edge |
| American wheel | 94.74% | 5.26% |
| European wheel | 97.30% | 2.70% |
| French wheel | 98.65% | 1.35% |
Slot machine RTP rate
When it comes to slot machines, the house edge is generally higher at land-based casinos than online. In brick-and-mortar casinos, the house can take roughly 8%, which equates to a 92% RTP.
The slot machines that you can find at reliable casinos in the UK offer RTP rates ranging, on average, from 95% to 96%. This significant difference is due to higher operating costs for land-based casinos, which are therefore encouraged to feature slot machines with lower RTP rates.
Comparing slot machine RTP rates
| 3 reel slot machines | 95% to 99% |
| Maximum jackpot | £50,000 |
| Video 5 reel slots | 92% to 96% |
| Maximum jackpot | £250,000 |
| Progressive jackpot slots | 75% to 92% |
| Maximum jackpot | +1 Million |
How to win big with £100?
Whether it’s online or at a local casino, players usually try their luck with a £100 budget.
Which game offers the best chances of winning with only £100?
At casino Roulette, straight numbers are the most profitable bets with an impressive 35-1 payout.
That’s a £350 win for a £10 bet!
When it comes to slots, the key step is choosing the right machine. The most common bet is £1 per spin, but realistically speaking, you would need to bet a minimum of £5 at least to have a chance at winning the jackpot. Remember to choose a slot with an RTP comparable to Roulette.
Thunderstruck 2 at Casino Action
The Thunderstruck 2 slot machine, available at Casino Action, offers a comparable RTP to Roulette (96.65%). Betting £5 per spin on the Thunderstruck 2 slot machine offers a potential payout of 8000 times the stake, a whopping £40,000! With a £100 budget, you have twenty chances of hitting the cash prize.
Casino Roulette payout rates are better than slot machines even though players can certainly win a few thousand pounds with Thunderstruck 2. Overall, with a £100 budget our advice is to take a shot at the Thunderstruck 2 jackpot prize!