Hold and win slots: how respin and cash collect features work

Hold and win slots are built around one feature: a respin round where special symbols lock in place and the count of remaining respins resets every time another one lands. Studios use different names for it, such as Hold & Win, Hold & Spin, Cash Collect and Link features, but the core loop is the same. This page explains how that loop works and what it means for your bankroll.

Where the mechanic comes from

The format started on casino floors. CDC Gaming Reports calls Aristocrat's Lightning Link "the granddaddy" of the mechanic, designed by Scott Olive, and notes that Aristocrat trademarked it as Hold & Spin. Online studios have since built their own versions, for example Playson's Hold and Win titles.

How the feature works, step by step

1. Base game. You spin normally. Special symbols (coins, cash bags, fireballs, pearls) carry a value, shown as a cash amount or a multiple of your stake.
2. Trigger. Land enough of them at once, such as six in the land-based example CDC Gaming describes or three in Playson's Hot Coins, and the respin round starts.
3. Lock. The trigger symbols stay where they are. All other positions clear.
4. Respins. You get a set number of respins, typically three. Only the empty positions spin.
5. Reset. Each time at least one new special symbol lands, it locks too and the respin count goes back to three.
6. End. When you have three respins in a row with nothing new, the round ends and you are paid the total of all locked values.
7. Fill the screen. Many games award their top jackpot if every position fills. CDC Gaming notes that on land-based machines this "blackout" usually pays a progressive jackpot.

In Playson's Hot Coins: Hold and Win, for instance, three or more Golden Coins trigger the bonus with three respins that reset each time another Golden Coin lands, and iGB lists Mini, Major and Grand jackpots worth 25, 150 and 1,000 times.

Cash collect variants

A close cousin uses a "collector" symbol instead of respins. Cash symbols land with values, and when a collector lands on the same spin (often on the last reel) it gathers all of them. Some games combine both: cash symbols in the base game, collectors during bonus spins, and a respin round on top.

Common modifiers

• Multiplier symbols that multiply all locked values, or a neighbour's value.
• Upgrade symbols that raise a coin's value or turn it into a jackpot coin.
• Extra rows that open up as the screen fills, adding positions.
• Persistent coins that stay through a set of bonus spins.

Each one adds to the top end of the payout range, which pushes volatility up.

Why volatility is high

A slot's RTP has to come from somewhere. In a hold and win game, a large share of it is in the respin round and its jackpots. That has three consequences:

• The base game pays thinly. Between features, many spins return nothing or less than the stake.
• Feature results vary widely. A round can end after three dead respins with a few small coins, or keep resetting until the screen is nearly full.
• The top prizes are rare. A full screen depends on the counter resetting many times in a row.

An illustrative example (not any specific game) shows how wide the range is. Say a feature locks six coins worth 1x to 5x each at a £1 stake. If nothing else lands, those six pay between £6 and £30. If it keeps resetting and fills most of the grid, with a few higher-value or multiplied coins, it can pay many times that, plus any jackpot. Most rounds end nearer the small end, because long runs of resets are uncommon.

The result is a game where you can go a long time between meaningful wins. If you play these slots, set a budget that assumes the feature may not land at all in a session. Our RTP and volatility guide explains how to compare games.

Myths

• "The coins are building up and the feature is close." In most games, coins in the base game do not carry over. Each spin is independent unless the rules describe a meter that persists.
• "Bigger bets trigger the feature more often." Usually the trigger rate is the same at any stake; only the coin values scale.
• "The jackpot is due." Fixed jackpots are not due. A full screen has the same small chance on every feature.

Playing hold and win slots online

• RTP versions. Many slots are offered at several RTP settings, with each casino choosing one. Check the RTP on the game's info screen where you play. See online slots.
• Jackpot type. Many online hold and win jackpots are fixed multiples of your stake. A few connect to a progressive jackpot; the rules screen says which.
• GB rules. In Great Britain there is no autoplay (RTS 8), each spin takes at least 2.5 seconds and turbo modes are banned (RTS 14), and stakes are capped at £5 a spin, or £2 for players aged 18 to 24 (stake limit guidance). Feature buys, common on hold and win games elsewhere, are not offered in GB (bonus buy slots).
• Demo play. A demo shows you how the respins and modifiers behave. It cannot tell you how often the feature lands in the long run.

Where to play

We list licensed casinos only: UK casinos, Ontario casinos, Alberta, New Jersey casinos, Pennsylvania casinos and Michigan casinos. Browse every casino market, or see the studios on our providers hub. Related: Megaways slots.