Introduction
Hold and Win is one of the most popular bonus mechanics in modern slot design. You’ll find it under various names — Hold and Spin, Coin Respin, Bonus Respin — but the core loop is always the same: special symbols lock on the grid, everything else respins, and each new landing symbol resets your chances. When the respins finally run out, all locked values are totalled and paid.
The mechanic creates a distinctive type of tension. Unlike free spins, where you’re watching for combinations across paylines, Hold and Win is about accumulation. Each respin either adds to your total or brings you one step closer to the round ending. The best outcomes — jackpot symbols, full grids — feel earned because you watched them build, position by position.
This guide breaks down how Hold and Win works step by step, covers the common jackpot structures, explains how it connects to the broader trend of coin collection slots, and identifies which providers use it most effectively.
How Hold and Win Works: Step by Step
Despite visual variations across different games, the Hold and Win mechanic follows a consistent sequence. Here’s the standard flow:
Step 1 — Trigger. During a normal spin, a set number of special symbols (coins, orbs, fish, or similar themed items) land on the reels. Most games require six or more to trigger the bonus, though some variants use a lower threshold of three. These symbols display cash values, multipliers, or jackpot labels.
Step 2 — Lock. All triggering symbols freeze in their positions. Every other symbol is cleared from the grid, leaving only the locked specials and empty spaces.
Step 3 — Respin. The empty positions respin. You receive three respins. Only the special symbols (and blank spaces) appear on the reels during this phase — regular game symbols are removed from the pool entirely.
Step 4 — Reset or Decrement. If a new special symbol lands during a respin, it locks in place and the respin counter resets to three. If no new symbol lands, the counter drops by one. This reset mechanic is what gives the feature its staying power — a single lucky landing can extend the round significantly.
Step 5 — Payout. The round ends when either all respins are exhausted or every position on the grid is filled. All locked symbol values are summed and paid out. If the grid fills completely, most games award an additional jackpot (typically the Grand or Mega tier).
The elegance of the system is that it’s self-regulating. Good rounds extend themselves through the reset mechanic; poor rounds end quickly. Your outcome is determined entirely by how many new symbols land during the respin phase — which keeps each individual respin meaningful.
Jackpot Tiers and Special Symbols
Most Hold and Win slots include fixed jackpot tiers that appear as special symbols during the respin round. These aren’t progressive — their values are predetermined relative to your bet size. The standard structure uses four levels:
Mini — the smallest jackpot, typically paying 10x–30x the bet. These land frequently during the respin phase and form the bulk of most Hold and Win payouts.
Minor — a moderate payout, usually in the 50x–100x range. Less common than Mini symbols but still a regular occurrence.
Major — a significant payout, often 500x–1,000x. Landing a Major symbol during a respin can single-handedly turn an average round into a strong one.
Grand / Mega — the top tier. In many games, this is awarded for filling the entire grid with symbols. In others, it can appear as a rare symbol during any respin. Values vary widely — some games set the Grand at 1,000x, while others push it much higher.
Not every game uses all four tiers. Some include only three, others add special symbols with unique effects — multipliers that double all values on the grid, symbols that expand to fill adjacent positions, or collector symbols that add the values of other symbols on screen. These variations are where different providers differentiate their implementations.
Hold and Win vs Coin Collection: What’s the Connection?
Hold and Win is part of a broader trend in slot design toward coin collection mechanics — games where accumulating special value-bearing symbols is the primary path to large payouts, rather than traditional payline wins.
The distinction matters because not every coin collection slot uses Hold and Win respins. Some use a free spins framework where value symbols accumulate alongside normal gameplay. The Big Bass Bonanza series by Pragmatic Play is a key example: during free spins, fish symbols carry cash values that are “collected” when a fisherman wild lands on the same spin. There are no locked positions, no respin counter, no grid-fill jackpot. It’s a collector mechanic, but it’s not Hold and Win.
The later Big Bass Bonanza Hold & Spinner variant added an actual Hold and Respin feature alongside the original free spins mode: when three money symbols land in the base game, they lock and trigger four respins with only money symbols and blanks on the reels. That is Hold and Win — sitting inside the same franchise that originally used a different collection system.
Understanding this distinction helps when evaluating games. A slot labelled “coin” or “money” doesn’t automatically mean Hold and Win. Look for the telltale signs: locked symbols, a respin counter, and the counter resetting when new symbols land. Those three elements define the mechanic.
Which Providers Use Hold and Win
Hold and Win isn’t universal. Some providers have built their identity around it; others ignore it entirely.
BGaming
BGaming is arguably the most consistent producer of Hold and Win slots. Their implementation — typically branded as Coin Respin — follows the standard six-symbol trigger with three respins and a full-grid Mega Jackpot. Elvis Frog in Vegas is their most recognizable Hold and Win title, featuring coin symbols with cash values and three fixed jackpot tiers (Mini, Major, Mega). The Mega Jackpot is awarded when all 15 grid positions fill with coins — a rare but spectacular outcome. BGaming applies the Coin Respin mechanic across a significant portion of their catalog, making it something of a studio signature alongside their provably fair technology.
Pragmatic Play
Pragmatic Play uses Hold and Win-adjacent mechanics in several forms. Their most widely known coin collection system is the fish collector in the Big Bass Bonanza series, which — as discussed above — is technically a different mechanic. However, the Hold & Spinner sub-variant does include genuine Hold and Win respins triggered by three money symbols. Outside the Big Bass franchise, Pragmatic has used Hold and Win-style bonus rounds in titles across their broader portfolio, though it’s not their default approach the way it is for BGaming.
Belatra
Belatra Games has built a substantial portion of their catalog around Hold and Win. Their implementations tend to be straightforward — standard trigger thresholds, classic four-tier jackpot structures, and clean respin mechanics. They’re a less visible studio than BGaming or Pragmatic, but Hold and Win is central to their design philosophy.
Booongo (SOFTSWISS)
Booongo — now operating within the SOFTSWISS ecosystem — was one of the earlier studios to adopt Hold and Win as a core mechanic. Their games frequently feature the standard six-symbol trigger, three-respin format with Mini/Minor/Major/Grand jackpot tiers. The studio’s output is heavily oriented toward the Hold and Win format, making them a reliable source for players who enjoy the mechanic.
Providers that typically don’t use Hold and Win
Hacksaw Gaming and Nolimit City build their volatility through different mechanics (multiplier-heavy free spins, xWays, xNudge, etc.) and don’t include Hold and Win in their games. Play’n GO occasionally uses respin mechanics but doesn’t typically employ the standard Hold and Win format with coin values and jackpot tiers.
Example Slots
| Slot | Provider | Mechanic Name | Trigger | Jackpot Tiers | RTP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elvis Frog in Vegas | BGaming | Coin Respin | 6+ Coins | Mini, Major, Mega | 96% |
| Big Bass Bonanza | Pragmatic Play | Fish Collector (free spins) | 3+ Scatters for free spins | None (value collection) | 96.71% |
| Big Bass Hold & Spinner | Pragmatic Play | Hold & Spinner + Fish Collector | 3 Money symbols (H&W) / 3+ Scatters (FS) | None (value collection) | 96.07% |
Elvis Frog in Vegas is the textbook BGaming Coin Respin implementation. Six or more coin symbols on a single spin trigger the feature. Each coin carries a value between 1x and 20x your bet. During respins, jackpot-labelled coins can also land — Mini pays 20x, Major pays 100x, and the Mega Jackpot awards 1,000x your bet but only when all 15 positions are filled. The game also features blazing reels during free spins with giant symbols, making it one of BGaming’s most feature-rich slots overall. See our full Elvis Frog in Vegas review.
Big Bass Bonanza uses a collector mechanic that’s conceptually related to Hold and Win but structurally different. During free spins, fish symbols display cash values. When a fisherman wild lands, it “collects” (pays out) the values of all visible fish on that spin. Collecting four wilds triggers extra spins and increasing multipliers (2x, 3x, 10x). There are no locked positions and no respin counter — it’s a collection system built on top of standard free spins. The distinction is worth noting because many players group it with Hold and Win when it’s actually a separate mechanic. Our Big Bass Bonanza review covers the full feature set.
Big Bass Bonanza Hold & Spinner bridges both worlds. It retains the fish collector free spins from the original and adds a genuine Hold and Win round: three money symbols in the base game trigger four respins (rather than the usual three) where only money symbols and blanks appear. Locked money symbols stay in place, and each new landing extends the feature. It’s the clearest illustration of how the two mechanics — collection and Hold and Win — can coexist in a single game.
Common Misconceptions
“You need to fill the whole grid to make Hold and Win profitable”
A full grid is the dream outcome and often unlocks the top jackpot, but most profitable Hold and Win rounds don’t require it. Landing a Major jackpot symbol or several high-value coins on early respins can produce strong results even if the round ends with half the grid empty. The respin mechanic rewards any new symbol, not just complete fills.
“Hold and Win rounds are predetermined”
Each respin is an independent RNG event, just like a normal spin. The outcome isn’t decided at the point of triggering — each new respin genuinely determines whether a symbol lands or not. This is a requirement of licensing and certification at regulated casinos. The respin counter reset when new symbols land is a mechanical rule, not an illusion.
“All coin collection slots are Hold and Win”
They’re not. As discussed in the Big Bass Bonanza example, a slot can use value-bearing symbols with a collection mechanic without employing the Hold and Win respin loop. The defining features of Hold and Win are: symbols locking in place, a fixed respin counter, and that counter resetting when new symbols appear. If a game is missing any of those three elements, it’s using a different system — even if it involves collecting coins or similar items.
FAQ
How does the Hold and Win feature work in slots?
When you land a threshold number of special symbols (usually six), those symbols lock on the grid and you receive three respins. Only special symbols can land during respins. Each new symbol that appears resets the count to three. The round ends when respins run out or the grid is completely full, and all locked values are summed and paid.
What triggers the Hold and Win bonus round?
The standard trigger is six or more special symbols on a single spin. Some games use a lower threshold — Pragmatic Play’s Hold & Spinner variants trigger with three money symbols. The specific threshold is always stated in the game’s paytable.
What are the jackpot tiers in Hold and Win slots?
Most games use a tiered system: Mini (small, frequent), Minor (moderate), Major (large, rare), and Grand or Mega (the top prize). These are fixed payouts relative to your bet, not progressive jackpots. The Grand/Mega is often tied to filling the entire grid with symbols, though some games also offer it as a rare respin landing.
Which slot providers make the best Hold and Win games?
BGaming is the most prolific, with their Coin Respin system appearing across much of their catalog — Elvis Frog in Vegas being the standout. Pragmatic Play uses Hold and Win in their Hold & Spinner variants. Belatra and Booongo also specialize heavily in the mechanic.
Is Hold and Win the same as Hold and Spin?
Yes. Hold and Win, Hold and Spin, Coin Respin, Bonus Respin — these are all different names for the same underlying mechanic. The core loop (lock, respin, reset counter on new landings, pay total) is identical across implementations. The name varies by provider and sometimes by game.
Can you win the Grand Jackpot without filling the entire grid?
It depends on the specific game. In Elvis Frog in Vegas, the Mega Jackpot requires all 15 positions to be filled. In other Hold and Win titles, a Grand Jackpot symbol can land on any respin as a rare special symbol, regardless of how many positions are occupied. Always check the game rules to see how the top jackpot is awarded.
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