Big Bass Hold & Spinner Megaways slot

Big Bass Hold & Spinner Megaways slot: three engines in one game

Most Big Bass games are 5×3 with 10 paylines. This one throws out the paylines. It combines the ideas of two earlier titles, Big Bass Hold & Spinner and Big Bass Bonanza Megaways, and adds tumbling wins on top. The result is a busy game where a single spin can change shape several times before it settles.

Because the return is shared across three systems rather than one, the base game pays a little more often than the 10-line originals, but the biggest results still come from the bonus rounds. It belongs to the wider group of Megaways slot machines and is distributed by Pragmatic Play.

How the Megaways reels and tumbles work

On each spin the RNG chooses not only which symbols land but how many appear on each of the six reels. Multiply the symbol counts together and you get the number of ways for that spin. A win needs matching symbols on adjacent reels from the leftmost, in any row. The maximum the game can reach is 147,456 ways; many spins will have far fewer.

A simple example: if the six reels show 4, 5, 3, 6, 4 and 2 symbols, the spin has 4 × 5 × 3 × 6 × 4 × 2 = 2,880 ways. If fish symbols land on reels one, two and three, every fish on those reels combines with every other to form wins: two fish on reel one, one on reel two and two on reel three make 2 × 1 × 2 = 4 winning ways. Our guide to Megaways vs 243 ways shows how this compares with fixed-ways games.

After a win, the tumble removes the winning symbols and lets new ones drop in. If they form another win, it tumbles again, all within the same paid spin. This is the cascading reels idea, and it is why one stake can produce a chain of small wins. The game also uses a mystery symbol in some spins, which reveals as a random paying symbol.

The Megaways mechanic is licensed from Big Time Gaming. Our Megaways history page explains how it spread across the industry.

The Hold & Spinner coin bonus

Land enough coin money symbols in the base game and the hold and win style feature starts. The triggering coins lock in place, everything else clears, and you get three respins. Each new coin locks too and resets the count back to three. The feature ends when you run out of respins, and the fisherman collects the coin values.

1. Coins land in the base game and the feature triggers.
2. Triggering coins stay; other positions empty.
3. You receive three respins.
4. Any new coin locks and resets the respins to three.
5. When respins run out, all coin values are added together and paid.

Coins carry cash values, and rarer diamond coins carry larger ones. The rules also describe a safety net: if the feature finishes with a total below a set threshold, extra respins are given. Check the help screen for the exact threshold, the coin values and the number of coins needed to trigger, because these details matter more than they look when you are judging the feature.

Big Bass Hold & Spinner Megaways free spins and multiplier trail

Three or more scatters start free spins; the rules describe more spins for more scatters, up to 25 for six. During the round, fish money symbols land on the reels and the fisherman, as a collecting wild, gathers their values. A trail beside the grid tracks how many fishermen you have collected.

Every fourth fisherman moves you along the trail: more spins are added and a multiplier is applied to future fish collections. This is the same increasing multiplier idea used across the series, adapted to a Megaways grid where more symbols can land on each spin.

A worked example: on a 20p stake, two fish show £1 and £3. A fisherman lands and collects £4. If the trail has lifted the multiplier to 2×, the same collection pays £8. The figures are illustrative; plenty of free spins collect nothing.

Big Bass Hold & Spinner Megaways RTP and cost to play

The top published RTP is 96.70%. Versions at 95.69% and 94.62% also exist. The casino chooses one, and only the rules screen tells you which. Here is what each version costs on average for £100 of total stakes:

At 20p a spin, 100 spins is £20 staked, with an average long-run cost of 66p on the top version and about £1.08 on the lowest. Those averages hide a lot of variation. A 20,000× ceiling and two separate bonuses mean sessions can differ hugely; see our guide to volatility for why.

Big Bass Hold & Spinner Megaways max win in pounds

The cap is 20,000× stake, double that of the 10-line Hold & Spinner. When a round reaches the cap it ends and pays that figure. In pounds:

We hold no verified figure for how often the cap is reached, so we don't quote one. It is a rare outcome, and building a budget around it is a fast way to overspend.

Is Big Bass Hold & Spinner Megaways worth playing?

It suits adults who like busy screens and are happy to read the rules before they start. Anyone wanting something calmer could try the original Big Bass Bonanza or one of our low-volatility slot machines. If Megaways appeals beyond fishing, Bonanza Megaways is the game that made the mechanic famous.

Megaways and Big Bass myths

• "More ways means more chance of winning money." More ways change how wins are counted, not the RTP.
• "A spin with 147,456 ways is a lucky spin." Big ways counts often come with lots of low symbols.
• "The coin bonus is due after a long gap." There is no memory between spins.
• "Tumbles cost extra." Every tumble is part of the spin you already paid for.

Big Bass Hold & Spinner Megaways demo and help screen

A Big Bass Hold & Spinner Megaways demo, where a casino offers one, is free demo play after age verification; the age check has applied to free-to-play games since May 2019. To check the version you are on:

1. Open the game menu and choose the rules or info page.
2. Find the theoretical RTP: 96.70% is the top version.
3. Read the coin bonus section for the trigger count and respin rules.
4. Read the free spins section for scatters needed and trail steps.
5. Confirm the max win reads 20,000× bet.

Our guide to finding a slot's RTP walks through common menu layouts step by step.

UK rules that apply to this Megaways slot

Since 31 October 2021, online slots in Great Britain have had no autoplay, no turbo or slam-stop and a minimum game cycle of 2.5 seconds; see our autoplay ban page. A tumble sequence counts as part of one game cycle. Stake caps are £5 a spin for players aged 25 and over and £2 for 18 to 24-year-olds, per the Gambling Commission's online slots stake limit guidance (opens in a new tab).

The bonus buy options sold elsewhere for free spins and the coin feature aren't offered in Great Britain. Our page on bonus buys explains how games are supplied here.

Where to play Big Bass Hold & Spinner Megaways in the UK

Check each casino's lobby before signing up, since game availability changes. Our partners are UK-licensed. At Coral you bet £10 on slots and get 100 free spins (10p each, selected games, 7 days, no wagering on winnings). Ladbrokes gives up to 500 free spins, 50 a day for 10 days, after you play £10 on slots. PlayOJO gives 80 no-wagering free spins on Big Bass Bonanza with a first deposit of £10 or more. All are 18+, new customers only, and terms apply. Coral and Ladbrokes are both Entain brands, so check whether you can claim both. Our Megaways free spins page covers how offer spins work on games like this.

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.