If you were to graph out the payouts from a machine which has greater volitility, the wins would be bigger, and the losses would be lower. The multi-line machines are great examples of this ... but many of the new machines are more volitile. Why?

In short, the average time you sit a the machine will, on average, be shorter, the more volitility you add. Think of all the time you spin and win back the same or less than your original bet. If these type of payouts were reduced in favour of paying them out as part of a larger "hit" -- the frequency would be less, but the machine would pay out the same amount.

For the casino owner, it frees up their machines more. Many players tend to remember all of the good wins, and not the bad dry spells ... and this plays right into that.

I have no doubt, the average volitility will increase until slot plays resort back to the machines with more "hits" more often.

/\/\/\/\ the Shamus /\/\/\/\