by Alex Thomas | The Gamble Times, updated 30th of June, 2025.
TL;DR
We recently reviewed Casinostars.io and were impressed by it, so we decided to test them out a bit more. I took €30 to Casinostars and put it through 8 different slots, spinning at €0.60 a pop, hoping to either bust or hit a sweet 10x. I even risked a €60 bonus buy at the end. Spoiler: variance doesn’t care about your dreams. Watch each slot’s real video and see how far €30 gets you.
When a €30 Deposit Turns Into a Story
The idea we had was fairly straightforward: to see what we could do with an online casino using a small deposit of 30 EUR. By setting a 60-cent bet per spin and a maximum of 50 spins, we put a limit on how much we would dedicate to each slot and try to see how far it would go. If the first slot gave us a good return, we would continue; if not, we would stop. The end goal was either to bust or make it all the way up to 300 EUR.
No fancy strategy. No crazy multipliers. Just:
- €0.60 per spin
- 50 spins per slot
- 8 slots in total / maximum
- One last throw of the dice with a bonus buy
Below you’ll find my honest play-by-play, plus the raw video for each slot. Feel free to skip ahead or watch them all if you want the real ups and downs.
1. Barnyard Megahays Megaways — The Strong Start
Provider: Pragmatic Play
Result: €30 → €80.22 (+€50.22)
Right off the bat, Pragmatic Play’s Barnyard Megahays Megaways gave us a solid start and nearly a 3x on our total balance. 12 spins in, I was lucky enough to get 10 Free Spins, which on its own gave us a double up. Just three spins later, another massive hit with a 31x win.
That was almost it, until about 14 spins left where another decent tumble gave us over 21 EUR, ending the total at just over 80 EUR.
Early profit is always dangerous, though. It makes you think you’re on a heater when you’re really just catching the good side of variance.
2. Wanted Dead or a Wild — The Wild West Boost
Provider: Hacksaw
Result: €80.22 → €125.35 (+€45.13)
Hacksaw is honestly one of my favorite providers. I love playing them, and even though their volatility makes it hard to watch at times, they are still a top-three choice for me. It being on the Top Games over at Casinostars.io didn’t surprise me at all.
As always, Wanted Dead or a Wild was a late bloomer. We went through 25 spins and didn’t hit a single thing. You know the feeling, right? Then, the online casino gods decided to give us The Great Train Robbery, 10 free spins with sticky wilds and I honestly had to keep myself from building my hopes up too much. But, like I said, the online casino gods were on our side and we managed to clear over 67 EUR in profit, doubling our total balance to just over 135 EUR. After that, there wasn’t really much to add but a few ups and downs.
3. Tome of Madness — The Mood Changer
Provider: Play’N GO
Result: €125.35 → €107.34 (–€18.01)
Of course, every upswing has its down. Tome of Madness can go from exciting to soul-crushing in 50 spins. Dead spins and small clusters, the bankroll dipped, and the reminder that you’re never “ahead” until you cash out hit me hard here.
4. Gates of Olympus 1000 — Zeus Smiles
Provider: Pragmatic Play
Result: €107.34 → €225.03 (+€117.69)
If you’ve ever played Gates of Olympus, you know Zeus usually takes more than he gives. But sometimes the old guy throws a lightning bolt your way. A few spins in, the slot went into its giving mode, and after a few tumbles, we ended up with over 90 EUR in profit. Then, it went quiet up until about 29 spins to go when Zeus’ generosity was at it again, ending up the tumble with almost 46 EUR.
Did I cash out? Of course not. That 10x target was still in my head.
5. Le King — Treading Water
Provider: Hacksaw
Result: €225.03 → €237.39 (+€12.36)
Sometimes a slot session feels like you’re just paying rent. Le King gave me tiny wins, nothing to shout about. But I’ll take a profit over a loss any day.
6. Rise of Olympus – Back to Zeus, a different version
Provider: Play’N GO
Result: €237.39 → €248.34 (+€10.95)
I honestly figured online casino gods were in sync today, so why not try another variation of Zeus? This time, with PG Soft’s Rise of Olympus. Well, let’s just say it didn’t go all that well. Small profit, no loss. We can move on.
7. Sugar Rush 1000 – It always pays, right?
Provider: Pragmatic Play
Result: €248.34 → €215.25 (–€33.09)
I figured Pragmatic Play was good to us today, why not try the classics, Sugar Rush 1000. This one hurt. With a few tumbles trying to show strength, nothing really ended up happening, and we made a loss of 30 EUR. Really glad I did not take this for the online slot to start our casino journey with on Casinostars.
8. Big Bass Bonanza – Catching the big fish
9. Zeus, still with us? Gates of Olympus second attempt
Provider: Pragmatic Play
Result: €226.38 → €521.31 ( + €491.31 for the day)
At this point, we decided it was time for a little strategy change. Our initial limits were still in place, don’t get me wrong. We just decided to add a little variety and see if we were rewarded for it. And you know what, we were. We were indeed.
We decided it was time to buy a feature. So, four scatters later and 15 free spins, we saw our balance not only reach our goal of 300 EUR, but significantly surpass it! It was just one of those days when you felt it was good to be alive. For a second, we thought about going on, changing our goal. A short monologue later, I realized what was happening and took the advice I keep giving all of you: Stick to your limits.
What This Really Teaches You
I know people love the idea of flipping €30 into €300 overnight. Sometimes it happens. Most times it doesn’t.
Here’s what I’d tell anyone thinking about doing the same:
- Know your limits. Mine was “stop at €300 or bust.” No chasing with more deposits.
- Stakes matter. €0.60 a spin on €30 is aggressive. Lower bets stretch your play.
- Bonus buys are not your friend. Treat them like buying a scratch card, fun, but usually worthless.
- Variance is not predictable. Good streaks will tempt you to push. Be realistic about when to walk away.
- Track your sessions. Recording my spins forced me to be honest about the wins and losses.
Final Thoughts: Stay Smart, Stay Calm
Next time you load up an online casino like Casinostars, do what I do: set a win goal, set a loss limit, and stick to it. If you can’t, walk away before your emotions take over.
If you’re curious to see every spin, every dead drop, every small win, the videos are here for you. No filters, no edits, just honest slot play.
If you’re into this stuff, check out my other experiments on bankroll management and staking plans. You’ll find a few gems in my guides on how to check casino RTP and best slots for no wager play. If you’re looking for your next casino to play on, read our latest reviews.
Until next time, may your spins stay lucky, your mind stay sharp, and your sessions end before your balance does. And always, and I mean always, gamble responsibly.
Alex Thomas, The Gamble Times
FAQ
Is a €30 deposit a realistic amount to hit a big win (like 10x) at online slots?
While it’s possible, as shown by some early ups in this experiment, a €30 deposit with €0.60 spins is considered aggressive. Variance means big wins are rare, and a smaller bankroll at higher stakes can disappear quickly. It’s more about stretching playtime or having fun than guaranteed big returns.
Why did the balance go up and down so much even with a small starting amount?
This is due to slot variance (or volatility). Slots are designed with unpredictable swings. You can have winning streaks, followed by long dry spells, even within a short session. The experiment perfectly illustrates how your balance can fluctuate dramatically due to this inherent randomness.
Was the €60 bonus buy at the end a good strategy, or just a waste?
The bonus buy was a change in strategy as we felt there was no real progress on the slots. We could afford to lose it, but it ended up paying out.
What’s the single most important lesson for responsible gambling from this experiment?
The most crucial lesson is to set and stick to your limits – both a loss limit and a win goal. Alex’s experiment showed how tempting it is to chase a target, but knowing when to walk away (even when up) or when to stop (when down) is vital to preventing emotions from leading to overspending.
Where can I find the real video recordings of each slot session mentioned?
Each section for the individual slot in the article includes a “Watch the recording” link or prompt. These provide the raw, unfiltered video evidence of every spin, win, and loss during the experiment, allowing you to see the real ups and downs for yourself.
