Sticky symbols slots lock certain symbols in place while the rest of the reels spin again, so progress carries from one spin to the next. The most familiar version is the cash-coin respin round in games such as Money Train and Wolf Gold, but winning symbols, multiplier spots and special characters can stick too. Each new spin is still random.
A sticky symbol stays in its position for a set number of spins, a respin sequence or a whole feature.
Cash coins in hold-and-win rounds are the most common sticky symbols; wilds are a separate topic.
Many respin rounds use a counter that resets to three whenever a new symbol sticks.
Stickiness improves the odds of finishing a pattern within a feature; the game's RTP already allows for it.
On fruit machines the nearest idea is the hold button, which never beats the machine's payout percentage.
Feature type
Symbol modifier
Most common form
Cash coins in respin rounds
How long they stick
A respin sequence, a set number of spins, or a feature
Typical companion
A respin counter (often 3)
Effect on volatility
Depends on values; often medium to high
Fruit machine cousin
Hold buttons
What sticky symbols are in slots
On most spins every position on the reels is redrawn. A sticky symbol is the exception: once it lands, it stays in its position while the other positions spin again. How long it stays depends on the game. It might be one respin, until a counter runs out, or for the rest of a free spins round.
Sticky wilds get their own page, sticky wilds, because they substitute for other symbols. This page covers everything else that sticks: cash and coin symbols, winning combinations, multiplier spots and special characters. For the full list of mechanics, see our slot features hub.
Kinds of sticky symbols in online slots
Sticky symbol types other than wilds
Sticky symbol
What it does
Where it appears
Example
Cash or coin symbol
Shows a prize value; locks until the round ends, then all values are added
Symbols in a win lock while the rest respin for more of the same
Base-game respins
Midas Golden Touch
Special characters
A theme symbol locks and may change into something else
Free spins
Reindeer Royale
Collector or modifier symbols
Locks and acts on other symbols, such as collecting or multiplying their values
Respin rounds
Money Cart 2
Multiplier spots
A grid cell keeps a multiplier for later wins
Free spins on grid slots
Sugar Rush Xmas
How the respin counter works with sticky symbols
Most coin-style sticky rounds share the same basic structure, now found across many online studios:
A set number of cash or bonus symbols land in one spin (often six) and trigger the round.
Those symbols lock in place and the respins counter is set, usually to three.
Only the empty positions spin.
If at least one new cash symbol lands, it locks too and the counter resets to three.
If nothing lands, the counter drops by one.
The round ends when the counter reaches zero or every position is filled.
All locked values are added up and paid; filling the screen often adds a top prize.
The reset is what keeps the tension going. Each new symbol buys three more chances, and the more positions are already full, the fewer remain to be filled.
Worked example: a sticky coin round at £1
The figures below are invented to show the mechanics. The stake is £1, the grid has 15 positions, and each coin shows a multiple of the stake.
Illustrative sticky coin respin round
Respin
New coins
Coins locked
Counter after respin
Locked value
Trigger
6 (1×, 1×, 2×, 2×, 3×, 5×)
6
3
£14
1
0
6
2
£14
2
1 (2×)
7
3 (reset)
£16
3
0
7
2
£16
4
0
7
1
£16
5
2 (1×, 10×)
9
3 (reset)
£27
6
0
9
2
£27
7
0
9
1
£27
8
0
9
0: round ends
£27 paid
The round paid 27 times the stake. Notice that the last two coins arrived on the final chance before the counter ran out; a different random draw at respin 5 would have ended the round at £16. Filling all 15 positions is far rarer, which is why games attach a big fixed prize or jackpot to it.
Sticky winning symbols: the lock-and-respin pattern
A second family sticks the symbols in a win rather than coins. Say three matching symbols land on reels 1 to 3 of a 5×3 slot. They lock, and the other positions respin. If another matching symbol lands on reel 4, it locks too and the game respins again; the sequence stops when a respin adds nothing. A three-of-a-kind that would have paid, say, 50p can grow into a four or five-of-a-kind paying several times more. Thunderkick's Midas Golden Touch is built around this idea, as slotcatalog's Midas Golden Touch page (opens in a new tab) summarises.
Sticky symbols slots you may know
Details below come from our slot facts records. Lower RTP versions may be offered, so check the game's help screen.
Reindeer Royale's sticky reindeer are described on OLBG's Reindeer Royale page (opens in a new tab). Its 94% RTP is lower than most titles here, a good reminder to compare RTP as well as features.
Why sticky symbols change the maths, but not the RTP
Sticky symbols shift probability within a feature. Without them, landing five matching symbols needs all five to appear on the same spin. With them, each one that arrives is kept, and the game only needs the missing ones on later spins. That makes completed patterns much more likely inside the feature than they would be on a single spin.
The developer balances this. Coin values are set lower, the triggering combination is made rarer, or a full screen is made extremely unlikely by keeping the chance of a new coin on each empty position small. The result still adds up to the published RTP. Coin-round games often feel medium to high in volatility, because most rounds end with a handful of coins and only a few fill the screen.
What a sticky symbols slot costs over 250 spins
This uses Money Train's published 96.2% RTP. At the UK minimum of 2.5 seconds per spin, 250 spins take at least about 10 and a half minutes.
250 spins at 96.2% RTP
Stake
Total staked
Average cost (3.8%)
10p
£25
95p
50p
£125
£4.75
£1
£250
£9.50
£2
£500
£19
£5
£1,250
£47.50
These are long-run averages. A session can end well up or well down, and the respin round's large prizes are rare. Our slot budget planner helps set a limit before you start.
Sticky symbols and fruit machine holds
British fruit machines had their own sticky symbols long before online slots: hold buttons. When the machine offers holds, you can keep one or more reels in place while the others spin. Unlike online sticky symbols, which lock automatically, holds involve a choice, and using an offered hold sensibly can avoid missing a win the machine has made available. What holds can't do is beat the machine's built-in payout percentage; the programme decides how often holds are offered and what they can lead to.
'Five coins stuck means a full screen is close.' Each empty position is still drawn at random; more locked coins mean fewer positions to fill, not a higher chance per position.
'The last respin is rigged to miss.' Every respin uses the same random process. The last-chance tension is presentation.
'Stopping the reels early locks more coins.' UK online slots don't allow slam-stop, and timing never changes an online result. See can you stop a slot spin early?
'Holds on a fruit machine let you beat it.' They can help you take an offered win; they don't change the payout percentage.
UK rules for sticky symbols slots
Online slots in Great Britain have followed game design rules since 31 October 2021: no autoplay, at least 2.5 seconds per spin, no turbo or slam-stop, and no celebrating a return equal to or below the stake. Our slot game design rules page covers each rule. Stakes are capped at £5 a spin for players aged 25 and over and £2 for 18–24s, and a respin round is played at the stake that triggered it. Bonus buys that jump straight to a respin round aren't offered on UK versions.
Where to play sticky symbols slots in the UK
No partner offer is linked to a sticky symbols game, and casinos change their lobbies, so search for titles such as Wolf Gold or Money Train 2 by name. Each welcome offer below is limited to new customers aged 18+ and comes with terms.
Coral Casino: deposit, then bet £10 or more on slots, and 100 free spins worth 10p each are credited on selected games. You have 48 hours to accept them and 7 days to use them; winnings aren't subject to wagering. The offer runs 1 October 2026 to 1 February 2027. Payments by Neteller, PayPal, Paysafe, Skrill, prepaid card and certain debit cards don't qualify.
Ladbrokes Casino: spend £10 on slots and collect 50 free spins a day for 10 days, so up to 500. Spins are 10p each on selected games, must be claimed before 23:59 each day and expire after 7 days; no wagering. Prepaid card, PayPal, Paysafe, Neteller, Skrill and Moneybookers deposits are excluded.
PlayOJO: first deposit of at least £10 for 80 free spins on Big Bass Bonanza at 10p each. There is no wagering and winnings are paid in cash. New UK customers outside Northern Ireland.
Coral and Ladbrokes share one operator, LC International Limited (Entain), so check the terms if you're thinking of joining both. Free help is available any time from GamCare (opens in a new tab) on the National Gambling Helpline, 0808 8020 133.
Coral and Ladbrokes are both run by LC International Limited (Entain). If you already hold an account with one Entain brand, you may not be able to open a new account with another; check the terms before signing up.
Significant terms: 18+. New players only. Offer runs 01/10/2026 to 01/02/2027. Deposit (certain types excluded) and bet £10+ on slot games to get 100 free spins (selected games, £0.10 each, 48 hrs to accept, valid 7 days). No wagering on free spin winnings. Deposits by Neteller, PayPal, Paysafe, Skrill, prepaid cards and certain debit cards do not qualify. Restrictions and T&Cs apply. GamCare.org.uk
Read the Coral reviewLicence: LC International Limited, UKGC account 54743. Offer checked 5 October 2026.
Significant terms: 18+. New customers only, from 14/11/25 until further notice. Certain deposit methods excluded. Deposit and spend £10+ on slots for 50 free spins a day during the first 10 days after first deposit and registration (max 500, £0.10 each, selected games, claim before 23:59 each day, valid 7 days). No wagering. Prepaid cards, PayPal, Paysafe, Neteller, Skrill and Moneybookers deposits do not qualify. Restrictions and T&Cs apply. GamCare.org.uk
Read the Ladbrokes reviewLicence: LC International Limited, UKGC account 54743. Offer checked 5 October 2026.
Significant terms: 18+. New UK customers (excluding Northern Ireland). First deposit only. Minimum deposit £10. 80 free spins on Big Bass Bonanza, £0.10 each. No wagering requirements; winnings paid in cash. Cannot be used with any other offer. Only available to players who arrive through the designated offer link. Full T&Cs apply. GamCare.org.uk
Read the PlayOJO reviewLicence: Skill On Net Limited, UKGC account 39326. Offer checked 5 October 2026.
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.
Frequently asked questions
What are sticky symbols in slots?
Sticky symbols are symbols that stay locked in their position while the rest of the reels spin again. They might stick for one respin, until a counter runs out, or for a whole free spins round. The most common examples are cash coins in hold-and-win rounds, but winning symbols, special characters and multiplier spots can stick too. Sticky wilds are a separate feature with their own page, sticky wilds.
How do sticky respins work?
A typical sticky respin round starts when enough cash or bonus symbols land in one spin. They lock, a counter is set (often to three), and only the empty positions spin. Every new symbol that lands also locks and resets the counter; a respin with nothing new reduces it by one. When the counter hits zero or the screen is full, the locked values are added and paid. Our hold and win page explains the format in full.
Are sticky symbols the same as sticky wilds?
No. A sticky wild is a wild that stays in place and substitutes for other symbols, helping to form wins across spins. Other sticky symbols, such as cash coins or winning symbols, don't substitute; they hold a value or a position while the game respins. Both use the same 'lock in place' idea, but they shape the game differently. Read our sticky wilds page for the wild version.
Do sticky symbols make a slot pay more?
No. Sticky symbols make it more likely that a pattern is completed within a feature, but the developer balances that with lower symbol values or rarer triggers, so the overall return stays at the published RTP. Two games with the same RTP can feel very different depending on how their sticky features are tuned. Compare RTP and volatility before choosing. Our page on what is a good RTP for a slot explains how.
Which slots have sticky symbols?
Well-known examples include Wolf Gold, whose moon symbols stick in the Money Respin; Money Train 2 and Money Cart 2 from Relax Gaming, with sticky cash, collector and multiplier symbols; Big Bass Hold & Spinner, with sticky money symbols; Midas Golden Touch, which locks winning symbols for re-spins; and Reindeer Royale, with sticky reindeer. Availability changes, so search a casino's lobby. Our Wolf Gold page is a good example.
Is a fruit machine hold the same as a sticky symbol?
They're related but not the same. A hold on a fruit machine is offered by the machine and chosen by the player, letting you keep reels in place for the next spin. Online sticky symbols lock automatically. Using an offered hold well can avoid missing a win the machine has made available, but no technique beats the machine's payout percentage. Pub machines are usually Category C, with a £1 stake and £100 top prize, and are 18+. See our hold buttons page.
Does the respin counter always reset to three?
Three is the most common number, but not universal. Some games start with a different count, some reset to a lower number later in the round, and some use a fixed number of respins with no reset. Special symbols may also add respins or change the grid. The help screen sets out the exact rules for each game, so check it before you play. Our guide to respins covers the variations.
Can I make sticky coins land by stopping the reels?
No. In UK online slots there's no slam-stop or turbo, under rules in force since 31 October 2021, and the result of every spin, including each respin, is decided by the random number generator before the reels finish moving. Timing your taps changes nothing. Our page on can you stop a slot spin early? explains why, and why the rule exists.
How much can a sticky coin round pay in the UK?
The ceiling is the slot's published max win multiplied by your stake. UK online stakes are capped at £5 per spin for players aged 25 and over and £2 for players aged 18 to 24. Money Train 2's 50,000× maximum, for instance, would be £250,000 at £5 and £100,000 at £2, but almost no rounds come anywhere near it. Read max win caps for how these limits are applied.
Are sticky symbols slots good for beginners?
They can be easy to follow, because the locked symbols show clearly how a round is building. But many coin-respin games are medium to high volatility, so most rounds pay modestly and long gaps are common. Beginners usually do best with a small stake, a clear budget and a look at the demo (available after age verification) first. Our slots for beginners guide covers the basics.
Gambling can be addictive. Free, confidential help is available 24 hours a day from the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133. Visit GamCare.org.uk and GamCare, or block yourself from all UK-licensed gambling sites with GAMSTOP.
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