lab studies / mental
lab study, simulation-based

160 million spins on mental: 83.9% of $0.50/$100 sessions busted before the cap

exp · 013 · 2026-06-15 · simulation-based

provider Nolimit CityRTP 96.08% (versions: 96.08*;94.20)volatility extreme
at 50c a spin
€33,333
biggest win
66,666x top win
~336
spins to the bonus
about 67 min at 5/min
€100
average bonus
when it hits (200x)
€0.48
avg back per spin
of your 50c
win hit frequency 20.0% (~1 in 5.0 spins)max win 66,666x = €33,333 (a feature event)
We simulated Mental across nine stake/bankroll combinations at the 96.08% provider default, 10,000 sessions each, then re-ran the full grid at the 94.20% floor version (160,137,209 simulated spins in total). At $0.50 a spin against a $100 bankroll, 83.9% ±0.7 of sessions busted before the 2,000-spin cap and the median session ended with $0.31. The published RTP ladder for this game spans 1.88pp, and the floor version raised the bust rate in every cell we measured. The published buy RTP of 96.68% sits above the 96.08% base, one of the few cases where buying is, on paper, a slightly better rate than base play. Bonus value is otherwise a modelled estimate.

Run it yourself in the live simulator. All figures are simulation-based observations, not predictions. See our methodology.

what we measured

parametervalue
providerNolimit City
rtp default96.08% (simulated)
rtp versions96.08 (default) / 94.20 (floor).
volatilityextreme (10/10 on the provider scale)
hit frequencyestimated (Nolimit City does not publish a hit frequency for the base game; low-confidence)
max win66,666x
mechanicsxWays, fire frames, three free-spin modes and a bonus buy. The buy RTP (96.68%) is published higher than the base (96.08%), a rare measurable gap.
simulated160,137,209 spins, 9 stake/bankroll cells per version, 2,000-spin cap

These results are simulation-based observations from a model calibrated to the published RTP. Hit frequency and, where applicable, bonus frequency and value are estimates and are flagged above; absolute bust levels carry that uncertainty, while the default-versus-floor comparison holds those inputs constant and so is robust.

how long bankrolls survived

survival curves, share of sessions still alive vs spins played

At a $100 bankroll, the median session lasted 1665 spins at $0.20 a spin, 397 spins at $0.50, and 151 spins at $1.00. Stake-to-bankroll cover, not the game, decided how long the money lasted: every step up in stake at a fixed bankroll shortened the session and raised the chance of busting.

bust rates

bust-rate grid, share of sessions that busted before the spin cap

Share of sessions that busted before the 2,000-spin cap (default 96.08% version, 95% CI):

$50 bankroll$100 bankroll$200 bankroll
$0.20/spin79.7% ±0.855.5% ±1.013.8% ±0.7
$0.50/spin92.4% ±0.583.9% ±0.766.0% ±0.9
$1.00/spin96.5% ±0.492.2% ±0.584.2% ±0.7

what a finished session looks like

final bankroll by percentile

At $0.50 on a $100 bankroll the median session ended with $0.31 of the original $100. The 90th percentile kept $296.44. In our model a bonus arrived about once every 332 spins on average (a modelled trigger rate, flagged). This is the shape of a negative-expectation game: most sessions drain toward zero, a few tails run long, and the average is propped up by outcomes most players never see.

the rtp version lottery

The same game ships at different RTP versions and the casino chooses which to run. We re-ran the full grid at the 94.20% floor. Holding every other input constant, only the RTP changed:

cell96.08% default94.20% floordelta
$0.20 / $10055.5%58.1%+2.7pp
$0.50 / $10083.9%85.6%+1.7pp
$0.50 / $20066.0%68.0%+1.9pp
$1.00 / $20084.2%84.7%+0.5pp

Same game, same animations, same bonus wait. The difference is which version the operator licensed, the one variable a player never sees on the reels. This is why we promote the casino running the highest published version: see the casinos ranked by verified RTP.

methodology note

We simulate models calibrated to published math (RTP, hit frequency, volatility class, bonus behaviour), not the provider's game engine. Results are sample-based observations from 160,137,209 simulated spins across two RTP calibrations, with 95% confidence intervals. Estimated (nolimit city does not publish a hit frequency for the base game; low-confidence). The published buy RTP of 96.68% sits above the 96.08% base, one of the few cases where buying is, on paper, a slightly better rate than base play. Bonus value is otherwise a modelled estimate. Slots are negative-expectation games; nothing here predicts outcomes or improves odds. Corrections policy: methodology.html.

Where the max win actually comes from

base 36%
feature 60%

62% of this game's RTP is locked inside the bonus you rarely trigger; the base game on its own returns just 36%.

A normal spin in our simulation never returned more than ~9,037x (€4,519). The 66,666x top win is a feature event, it only came out of the bonus. (base-game ceiling: paytable-sourced)

Play the Mental demo, or stress-test it

Looking for the Mental demo or free play? A demo shows you a handful of spins. Our free simulator runs Mental across thousands of sessions and shows what actually happens to a bankroll over time: the bust rate, how long the money lasts, and the wait for the bonus. It is the demo with the math switched on.

stress-test Mental free

FAQ

Is there a Mental demo or free play?

Yes. You can play Mental in demo mode at most casinos, and you can stress-test it free in our simulator, which runs thousands of sessions and reports the bust rate and session length, the demo with the math switched on.

Is Mental worth playing?

It is negative-expectation like every slot. In our simulation, 83.9% of $0.50/$100 sessions busted before the 2,000-spin cap. We report the cost; we never tell you to play.

Related studies