There couldn’t be a more harmless term in the gaming world than penny slots. Just bet a penny on each spin, and maybe you’ll win big! At least, this is the prevailing idea behind how these slots games work in the minds of some players. But before you go popping your pennies on these games, you might want to read the pros and cons of penny slots first.
The Pros
Depending upon what game you’re playing, you only need to risk one cent on each spin. You can’t really buy anything else in this world for $0.01 these days, so that makes penny slots games special in this regard.
Another thing worth adding here is that these machines make the gaming world less intimidating to beginners. After all, what’s going to sound more appealing during your first time out to the casinos: $10 blackjack or penny slots? The latter is perfect for beginners who are at a land-based casino for the first time.
The Cons
For starters, the term penny slots is misleading in many cases. Some games may require a penny bet, but they force you to play 25-50 paylines just to spin the reels. Other games will let you wager any amount from $0.01 to $5, but you’re only qualified for the jackpot on max bets.
One other huge downside to penny slots games is that their payback is often lower. This is especially true in brick-and-mortar casinos, where you might be facing anywhere from a 10-12% house edge on these machines. Online slots are normally better in this regard, but even they don’t pay back as much when you wager just a single penny.
But from an overall perspective, some players aren’t bothered by the low payback, as long as they only have to risk a penny per spin. So if you’re in this category, just look for the games that let you wager the lowest amount possible.