Respins in slots

What respins in slots are

A respin is a spin you do not pay for, played straight after a triggering event, in which some positions are frozen. The held symbols might be wilds, winning symbols or cash coins. The other positions spin again, and the game checks whether the new symbols add to what was held.

Respins differ from free spins in two ways. Free spins are a separate round, usually with their own reels and rules, and they spin the whole grid. Respins are short, often only one to three spins, and they keep part of the previous result. Both are standard slot machine features, and many games use both.

The four kinds of respin feature

The names vary between studios, and some use ‘re-spin’ or ‘respin’ for things that are really mini free-spin rounds. The help screen is the reliable source for what a particular game holds and for how long.

Wild respins: how the Starburst slot does it

Starburst is the textbook wild respin. Its wild can land only on reels 2, 3 and 4. When it does, it expands to fill the reel, stays in place and the other reels respin once. If another wild lands during the respin, it also expands and holds, and the game respins again. Because there are only three middle reels, there can be at most three respins in a row.

Starburst lists a 96.09% RTP, low volatility, 10 paylines that pay both ways and a 500× max win, figures that fit a game whose main feature produces frequent, modest wins. See our expanding wilds page for the mechanics of the expansion itself.

Sticky win respins: keeping the symbols that paid

In a sticky win respin, the symbols in a winning combination lock in place and the rest of the reels spin again, looking for more of the same. If new matches land, they lock too and another respin follows. The sequence ends when a respin adds nothing.

Our spec sheet for Thunderkick’s Midas Golden Touch lists exactly this as the main feature: sticky re-spins that lock winning symbols while the rest of the reels respin, on 15 paylines with a 96.1% RTP. Slotcatalog’s Midas Golden Touch listing (opens in a new tab) describes the same loop. Because each respin can only add to the held symbols, a two-symbol win can grow into a full line over a few respins.

Hold and respin bonuses: the reset counter explained

The most common respin round today is the coin-collecting bonus, usually called hold and win or hold and respin. Six or more coin symbols start it. The coins stick, everything else clears, and you get a set number of respins, usually three. Any new coin sticks and, in most games, resets the counter to three. The round ends when the counter reaches zero or the grid is full.

1. Six coins land on a 15-position grid and the respin round starts with 3 respins.
2. Respin 1: two new coins land and stick. Counter resets to 3.
3. Respin 2: nothing lands. Counter drops to 2.
4. Respin 3: one coin lands. Counter resets to 3.
5. Respins 4, 5 and 6: nothing lands. Counter runs down to 0 and the round ends.
6. All coin values on the grid are added up and paid.

Here is that example in money, using illustrative coin values at a £1 stake.

Games in our database built on this loop include Piggy Riches 2 Megaways, whose Hold & Respin bonus is triggered by Lady Pig scatters (95.71% RTP, 20,000× max win), and Money Cart 2, a respin bonus with collector, persistent and multiplier symbols listed at 98.00% RTP in its top version.

Character and feature respins

Some games award a single themed respin when a set of symbols lands together. Age of the Gods: God of Storms has Wild Wind Respins with a moving ship wild, alongside the Age of the Gods progressive jackpot; our spec lists a 96.14% RTP including the jackpot contribution. In El Paso Gunfight, reference listings describe a respin that triggers when all five character symbols land, with the multiplier wild expanding across the middle reels.

Other examples on our pages include the Reindeer Respins in Reindeer Royale and the SwitchSpins respins in Rotten. Each follows its own rules, so the trigger and what is held vary.

Respins, RTP and the cost of a session

A respin costs nothing at the moment it happens, but it is not a gift. The value of every respin, averaged over millions of spins, is built into the game’s RTP. A game with generous respins pays a little less on ordinary spins to make room for them.

Respin type also shapes volatility. Wild respins on a game like Starburst add frequent small boosts and suit low volatility. Hold and respin bonuses, with coin values and jackpots, push value into rarer rounds and usually sit at high volatility.

A higher RTP lowers the long-run average cost, but it does not make any single session cheaper. Many casinos run lower-RTP versions of the same game, so check the figure shown in the help screen.

The fruit machine respin: holds and repeat chance

Respins grew out of UK fruit machines. A pub machine offering holds lets you keep some reels and spin the others, which is a player-chosen respin. A repeat chance feature replays a winning result. Both appear on Category C machines, where the maximum stake is £1 and the top prize £100, and play is 18+ only.

Using an offered hold sensibly can avoid throwing away a win the machine has already offered. It cannot beat the machine. A UK fruit machine pays out according to its built-in percentage, and some are compensated, which means the machine’s state, not your choice of hold, mostly decides what is available.

Respin myths and the facts behind them

• Myth: a respin round that has started badly will make up for it later. Fact: each respin is settled independently; the counter resetting is a rule, not a correction.
• Myth: more coins already on the grid make the next coin likelier. Fact: the chance per empty position is set by the reel strips, not by what is held.
• Myth: respins are a sign the slot is warming up. Fact: there are no hot or due slots; see also our page on slot machine myths.
• Myth: you can stop a respin early to catch a coin. Fact: online, the result is fixed by the RNG before the reels stop, and UK slots no longer have a slam-stop.

UK rules that apply to respin slots

All online slots in Great Britain, respin features included, have run without autoplay, turbo or slam-stop since 31 October 2021, with a minimum 2.5 seconds per spin and the balance and net position always on screen. Stakes are capped at £5 per spin for players aged 25 and over and £2 for 18–24s, under the Commission’s online slots stake limit guidance (opens in a new tab). Bonus buy, including paying to start a hold and respin round, is not offered on UK versions. The full list is on the slot game design rules page.

Where to play respin slots in the UK

Respins are in many of the slots our partners’ offers can be used on, but no offer is tied to a specific respin game. For new customers aged 18+: Coral gives 100 free spins at 10p on selected games when you deposit and bet £10 on slots; Ladbrokes gives up to 500 free spins at 10p, 50 a day for 10 days, after you play £10 on slots; PlayOJO gives 80 free spins at 10p on Big Bass Bonanza with a first deposit of £10 or more, with no wagering on winnings. Terms apply, and some payment methods do not qualify.

For Starburst, Midas Golden Touch or Money Cart 2, search the casino’s lobby, as game availability changes. Compare partners on our casinos page, and use deposit limits and time-outs to keep play affordable. If you want to talk to someone, GamCare’s National Gambling Helpline (opens in a new tab) is free and open 24/7 on 0808 8020 133.

18+. Gambling should be entertainment that costs money, not a way to make it. Decide a budget before you play: plan a slot budget. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.