Hot and Cold Games: What Will They Tell You?

As long as gambling has existed, players have tried to analyze results, probabilities and different strategies. What games should you play? When should you play them? Two key terms that are often mentioned are hot and cold games. But what are these slots and will they actual help you achieve bigger wins.

The concept of hot and cold games is definitely not a new one. Players have been examining patterns on slots and other games forever - and even online casinos such as Zip Casino and Cashwin will list games that have paid more or less than average. But what do past rounds actually make any difference at all?

What Are Hot and Cold Games?

Before we examine the truth behind hot and cold games, let’s see what the terms actually mean. As most players know, each and every game has a set RTP (return to player) that tells you the theoretical amount a slot pays back over a certain number of spins.

When determine whether a game is hot or cold, you need to check what the RTP has been during a shot period - usually 24 hours. When you compare that statistic to the overall RTP, you can see if the game has been paying more or less than it should theoretically pay back.

Let’s take an example. Book of Dead has an RTP of  96.21%. During the lest 24 hours the slot has been producing more wins than usual with a short RTP of 145% - this means that the difference is a whopping +48,79 which means that the slot is running hot. But if the short RTP would be e.g. 76%, the difference would be -20,21 which would mean the game is a cold one.

So if a game is paying more than average, it is hot. And if it is paying less, it is cold. So the concept is actually very simple. But sadly it does not really tell you anything helpful about a game.

What Can You Determine from Hot/Cold Games?

If you are looking for a short answer: nothing. Hot and cold games are mostly based on superstition. It is easy to dismiss a game that has not given big wins in a while and call if a ”scam” or ”unlucky”. It is the equivalent of changing your golf ball to another identical Pro V1 during a bad round.

We can not emphasis this enough: all online slots have random number generators that ensure that the result of each and every round is completely random. So we can analyze the previous round or 100 rounds but it will not give us any information about the next 10 rounds. In the 70’s slot machines in Vegas might not have the intelligence to not follow certain patterns but the online slots in 2023 definitely have.

It is just as unlikely to win in a cold game than it is in a hot one. You can even change your mindset: if a game has not given a big win in a while, surely that means it is just around the corner. But again, this is not science either. There are always hundreds or thousands of other players spinning the same game so you cannot make any assumptions based on the rounds you play.

So unfortunately, there is no true science behind hot or cold games. But if it makes you feel better, you can definitely try your luck in the games that are listed as hot. You are just as likely to win from those then any other games with the same RTP.

Volatility and RTP Provide Lots of Information

Does this mean you cannot affect your own destiny at all? No. There are some things you can do to improve your odds - just as long as you remember that wins are never certain and you should never start gambling to improve or fix your financial situation.

One thing you can do is to choose a game with the highest possible RTP. Theoretically these games are calculated to pay more than other slots with a lower RTP. It does not make much of a difference if you are playing with a 96,7% or a 96,8% RTP game. But if you have an option to pick NetEnt’s Blood Sucker with an 98% return to player or a Las Vegas slot machine with a 70%, the choice is very clear.

Another term that actually tells you something about the game in question is volatility. It determines the risk level of that particular game. Low volatility games give wins more often but they tend to be smaller - and are perfect for players who do not like to take big risks. High volatility games on the other hand hand out wins rarely but the amounts are much bigger. So if you are willing to take risk and suffer through the occasional dry spell, high volatility games are the way to go.

Also by using casino bonuses, you have way more options when it comes to strategies. You can wait around for wins for a longer period of time and test multiple different slots. But again - nothing will ever guarantee wins but you can definitely lower the risk by not choosing slots with an RTP lower than 94%.