What is hold and spin? Coins that stick, counters that reset

How a Hold and Spin round works, step by step

1. The triggerEnough coin symbols land on one base-game spin. Shadow Gods needs 6 or more, according to Springbok's preview; other games set their own number, and some add a separate trigger symbol.
2. The lockThe coins that started the round stay where they landed until it ends. Every other position clears.
3. The re-spinsOnly the empty positions spin. Shadow Gods gives 3 to start with.
4. The resetAny re-spin that lands a new coin locks it and puts the counter back to the start. A round can be over after 3 empty re-spins, or run for many more if coins keep arriving.
5. The finishThe round stops when the counter reaches zero or every position holds a coin. In most versions the prizes on the locked coins are then added up and paid; on Shadow Gods, a full window of 15 coins awards the Grand Bonus.

Hold and Spin is not the same as free games. A free-games round replays the whole reel set without charging a bet, while a coin round only re-spins the empty positions around locked symbols. Some slots, Shadow Gods among them, have both.

Shadow Gods and Crimson Castle: two documented versions

The two newest slots in our spec file both build on the mechanic, but Springbok documents them in very different detail.

Hold and spin slots at Springbok

These are the hold and spin slots at Springbok in our spec file: games whose lobby tile or Springbok review names a Hold & Spin (or Hold and Spin) round. They are examples from 44 spec sheets; the lobby holds 244 slots in all.

A further 5 titles run the same lock-and-re-spin idea under their own names:

The round turns up on three-reel classics such as Liberty Rockets, on ways games such as Coyote Cash 2 and on payline games such as Treasure Sparks, whose tile adds three scatter collectors. For one of them in full, see the Treasure Sparks slot page.

Same round, different names

Game makers brand the feature differently, and the details shift with the name. Here is what Springbok's pages say about each version that comes with specifics, quoted from our register:

Every version with a published trigger asks for 6 or more coins, and every published starting count is 3 re-spins. Diamond Fiesta varies the formula: Springbok's review says its reels can grow during the feature, giving the coins more room to land.

The register also holds one conflict here. Big Cat Links' lobby tile lists a Super Grand above the Grand, and Springbok's review says a full window wins it, while Springbok's press release names only four tiers, Mini to Grand. We show both rather than pick one.

Mini, Minor, Major and Grand: the jackpot tiers

Many coin rounds hang named jackpots on special coins or on a full window. 12 of our spec sheets list tiers such as Mini, Minor, Major and Grand. The names rank the prizes from smallest to largest; they say nothing about how often each one lands.

Whether a tier is a set multiple of the bet or a pool that grows depends on the game. The tiles of Big Cat Links and Fortunate Buddha mention progressive jackpots alongside their Fortune Link rounds. This site never quotes jackpot amounts: on progressive games they change by the minute. How a jackpot shared across a network differs from one held by a single casino is covered in the local random jackpot entry.

What the round does to the maths

The reset rule is what makes Hold and Spin gripping to watch: every new coin buys more time, and a round that looked finished can come back. In the game's maths, though, the round is just one slice of the RTP. Its average value is paid for by the base game, which returns less on ordinary spins to fund the feature.

Two consequences follow. Most rounds end well short of a full window; the Grand is the rare far end of the range, not a typical result. And no spin brings the round closer: the coins needed to trigger it are drawn fresh every time, so a long wait does not make it due. Because so much of the return can sit inside the round, check the game's volatility label before you settle on a stake.