Coin value x bet level x lines: how a slot's total bet is really built

The bet controls of a classic video slot look simple until you meet three separate dials. One says "coin value", another "level" or "bet level", and sometimes a third says "lines". Change one and the stake moves; change two and it can move in a way that surprises you. The rules below come from the published pages of NetEnt and Playtech games, and every calculation is shown so you can repeat it at your own stake.

The three dials

Coin value is the money value of one coin, such as 0.01 or 0.10. Bet level is how many coins are staked on each line. Lines is the number of paylines that are active. Multiply the three and you get the total bet for one spin:

Total bet = coin value x bet level x lines.

Some games fix the lines, so you only meet two dials. Others fix both the lines and the number of coins per level. The studio rules page for the game is the only place that spells out which design you are looking at.

Starburst: the NetEnt example

NetEnt's Starburst page lists a bet range of €0.10 to €100.00 per spin on a 5 x 3 layout with a maximum of 10 play lines. The review site iGaming NJ describes the controls as 10 bet levels with a coin value from 0.01 to 1. NetEnt does not print the formula on that page, but the numbers fit it exactly, so it is best read as a cross-check of the published range rather than a quoted rule:

• Lowest stake: 0.01 x 1 x 10 lines = 0.10.
• Highest stake: 1.00 x 10 x 10 lines = 100.00.

Both ends match NetEnt's range, which is good evidence that the lines are always on and the formula is the one above. Our Starburst review covers the game itself.

Worked example in rand

Studios publish their limits in pounds or euros, and what you see depends on the casino, but the arithmetic is the same in any currency. Suppose a casino shows rand and offers coin values of R0.01 to R1.00. Follow these steps to find your stake:

1. Note the lines. Starburst uses 10.
2. Set the coin value: R0.05.
3. Set the bet level: 4.
4. Multiply: R0.05 x 4 x 10 = R2.00 per spin.
5. Check the total-bet display on screen. It should say R2.00; if it does not, the casino's version has a different structure.

Now notice that different settings can make the same stake. R1.00 per spin can be built three ways: R0.01 x 10 x 10 = R1.00, R0.10 x 1 x 10 = R1.00 and R0.02 x 5 x 10 = R1.00. The spin costs the same, but the unit of the paytable differs, which matters in the next step.

Turning a paytable figure into rand

Casino Beats prints Starburst's paytable "at bet level one" in coins: five BARs pay 250, four pay 200 and three pay 50. Assuming the figures are coins per line at level one (a common convention, and something to confirm in the in-game help), a win scales with both dials:

Line win = paytable coins x coin value x bet level.

At R0.05 and level 4, five BARs on a line pay 250 x R0.05 x 4 = R50.00. The stake was R2.00 (R0.05 x 4 x 10), so that is 25 times the total bet (R50 / R2 = 25). At level 1 and the same coin value the stake falls to R0.50 (R0.05 x 1 x 10) and the same line pays 250 x R0.05 x 1 = R12.50, which is again 25 times the total bet (R12.50 / R0.50 = 25). The ratio to your total bet does not move, but the rand amount moves with every dial. The next article in this series, how to read a slot paytable, covers the other paytable conventions.

Other games, other structures

The Hotline page gives the same kind of cross-check as Starburst: a minimum of €0.15 equals 15 coins at 0.01 on bet level 1 (15 x 0.01 x 1 = 0.15). It also says re-spins are played with the same bet level, coin value and active Hotlines as the triggering spin, which is the answer to a common question: a bonus spin does not change your stake, it reuses it.

Great Blue is built differently. Racing Post's game page says you can play between 1 and 25 paylines, with a line bet from £0.01 to £50, so the total is the line bet times the lines you choose. At R0.50 a line on 20 lines the stake is 0.50 x 20 = R10.00; at the top setting it is 50 x 25 = 1,250, the figure the page quotes. Lowering the lines lowers the stake, but it also removes lines that could have paid. Our page for Great Blue shows how the base game plays.

Checks before you spin

• Read the total-bet display after every change. It is the only number that tells you the real stake.
• Do not assume a lower coin value is a lower stake: raising the level can cancel it out.
• Check whether lines can be switched off. On a game with fixed lines, such as Starburst, they cannot.
• Look for the minimum stake on the game. Ranges differ widely, as the table shows; for a general guide, see our FAQ on minimum bet slots.
• Look in the help screen for any note that RTP depends on the stake. The Wizard of Odds notes that on some land-based machines each extra coin can carry a slightly higher return, for example 92%, 93% and 94% for the first, second and third coin on one machine. NetEnt's Starburst page lists a single RTP of 96.08%.

One regulator-side note: Germany's gambling authority, the GGL, states in its interpretation notes for virtual slots that the wins in the paytable must match the actual wins at the stake chosen. That is a German requirement; no South African body sets the rule, because interactive casino games are not licensed under the National Gambling Act 7 of 2004. Play only if you are 18 or over, and set the stake you can afford before choosing a coin value. The South African Responsible Gambling Foundation can be reached free on 0800 006 008.