Shifting reels slots

What shifting reels slots are

There is no single trademarked “shifting reels” mechanic. Studios use the phrase, and related ones like shifting wilds, moving wilds and sliding reels, for any feature where part of the grid moves position after a spin and the game spins again. What moves can be a single wild, a whole reel’s contents or a set of held symbols.

The defining feature is the step-by-step movement between spins, which sets it apart from cascading reels, where winning symbols vanish and new ones drop in, and from Megaways, where reel heights change at random each spin. Shifting reels sit with the movement-based features on our features hub.

The main kinds of shifting reels feature

The last row overlaps with respins and sticky symbols; the first two overlap with walking wilds. Developers mix them freely, so the game’s rules are the only reliable description.

How a shifting wild plays out, step by step

Taking a classic walking wild on five reels as the model, this is what happens. The outcome of every respin, like the first spin, is drawn by the random number generator; the game cannot react to how you are doing.

1. You pay for one spin. A wild lands, say on reel 4.
2. Wins on that spin are paid with the wild in place.
3. The wild shifts one reel to the left (reel 3) and the game awards a free respin.
4. The other reels spin again; the wild stays put during the respin.
5. The wild keeps shifting and respinning: reel 2, then reel 1.
6. When it steps off reel 1, the sequence ends unless another wild has landed, which starts its own walk.

Some games shift wilds to the right instead, and some move them only when they are part of a win. Check the direction and the conditions in the help screen.

Respin maths: how far a shifting wild can take you

The number of free respins from one wild depends on where it lands and which way it walks. For a wild walking left on a five-reel game, one reel per respin:

If wilds could land equally often on any reel, the average would be two free respins per wild (0+1+2+3+4 divided by 5). Real games don’t place wilds evenly, so this is illustrative. The key point is that those respins aren’t extra value. The game’s RTP is calculated across paid spins and the respins they lead to, so the free respins are already counted in the price of every paid spin.

Shifting reels slots in our checked data

• Jack and the Beanstalk (NetEnt): 5 reels × 3 rows, 20 paylines, 96.28% RTP, medium-high volatility. Its walking wilds move one reel left with a free respin each time, and it is the textbook example of a shifting wild.
• Age of the Gods: God of Storms (Playtech, 2017): up to 25 paylines and a 96.14% RTP including jackpot contribution. Its Wild Wind Respins send a moving ship wild across the reels, and the game is linked to the four-tier Age of the Gods progressive jackpot.
• Midas Golden Touch (Thunderkick, 2019): 5 × 3, 15 paylines, 96.1% RTP. Its sticky re-spins lock winning symbols while the rest of the reels spin again, the hold-and-shift form of the feature.

We only name a game where our verified slot facts support the description. For anything else, open the paytable and look for “walking”, “shifting”, “moving” or “sliding”.

What shifting reels mean for cost and volatility

Shifting features spread one paid spin across several results, which tends to smooth a session a little: a wild that walks four reels gives five looks at a win. That suits players who prefer steadier play, but it isn’t free. On Jack and the Beanstalk at 96.28%, the average long-run cost is 3.72% of what you stake: about 74p over 100 spins at 20p (£20), or £7.44 over 100 spins at £2.

The free respins aren’t charged separately: the £5 and £2 stake limits apply to the amount you pay for each game cycle. Our guide to hit frequency explains how features like this change how often you see wins without changing the RTP.

Shifting reels and pub fruit machines

Pub fruit machines don’t usually walk symbols across the reels, but they share the underlying idea of keeping part of a result and spinning the rest. Holds let you keep reels in place when the machine offers them, and nudges move a single reel one step. The difference is that you make the choice on a fruit machine, and using an offered hold or nudge well can avoid missing a win the machine has offered. It still doesn’t beat the payout percentage built into the machine.

Pub machines are normally Category C, with a £1 maximum stake and a £100 top prize; see what is a Category C machine for the rules.

Shifting reels myths

The Commission’s technical standards bar adaptive behaviour that changes probabilities during play, and UK slots have had no slam-stop since 31 October 2021. See do slot machines have patterns for more.

UK rules that apply to shifting reels slots

Online slots supplied to Great Britain follow the design changes the Gambling Commission brought in on 31 October 2021: no autoplay, at least 2.5 seconds per game cycle, no turbo or slam-stop, no celebration of returns at or below the stake, and a constant display of your net position. The Commission’s summary of the changes to the remote technical standards (opens in a new tab) sets them out.

Under the Commission’s RTS 3 standard on game rules (opens in a new tab), the rules, including how winners are decided, must be available before you play, so the help screen should say how and when reels shift. Stake limits are £5 per spin for players aged 25 and over and £2 for 18 to 24-year-olds. Read our page on the spin speed rule for how the 2.5-second minimum works.

Where to play shifting reels slots

Search our partner casinos’ lobbies for the game you have in mind, for example Jack and the Beanstalk; game lists change, and we don’t claim a particular casino carries it.

New customers aged 18+ can choose from these offers, with full terms applying. Coral: bet £10 on slots, get 100 free spins at 10p each on selected games, accepted within 48 hours and valid 7 days, with no wagering on winnings. Ladbrokes: play £10 on slots to get 50 free spins a day for 10 days (up to 500), 10p each, no wagering. PlayOJO: 80 free spins on Big Bass Bonanza with a first deposit of £10 or more, no wagering, winnings paid in cash. Some payment methods are excluded, and Coral and Ladbrokes share an operator.

Decide your budget before you start, and use a deposit limit. If you want to talk to someone, GamCare (opens in a new tab) runs the free National Gambling Helpline 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.