Hold and win slots apps

What hold and win slots apps offer

Hold and win is a bonus feature rather than a single game. It started on land-based machines and is now one of the most common features in UK casino apps. Studios use different names, such as money respin, hold and spin or cash collect, but the idea is the same: special symbols carrying cash values or jackpot labels lock in place, and you get a short series of respins to land more.

Booming Games and Kalamba both name whole series after the mechanic, Relax Gaming built its Money Train series around it, and Pragmatic Play added it to the Big Bass fishing games. Some apps group these titles in a Hold and Win or Cash Collect collection; otherwise, searching 'hold' or 'cash' in the lobby usually finds them.

How the hold and win feature works, step by step

Every game has its own twist, but most follow this order:

1. During normal spins, cash or bonus symbols land with a value on them, shown as a multiple of your stake or a pound amount.
2. When the required number land at once, usually six or more, the feature starts. The base reels are replaced by a grid of single positions.
3. The cash symbols stay locked in place. All other positions spin again, and you are given a set number of respins, typically three.
4. Each time a new cash symbol lands, it locks too, and the respin counter goes back to its starting number.
5. The feature ends when the counter reaches zero with no new symbols, or when every position is filled.
6. All locked values are added up and paid. Jackpot symbols pay their fixed prize, and filling the whole grid often pays the largest one.

Some games add special symbols during the feature: collectors that gather the values of others, symbols that add an amount to every position, or multipliers. The rules screen lists each one, with pictures, so it is worth reading before you play.

A worked hold and win example in pounds

Say you are playing at 50p a spin on a 5 × 3 game with 15 positions. Six cash symbols land with values of 1×, 1×, 2×, 2×, 5× and 1× your stake. That starts the feature with three respins.

This is a typical result: a handful of positions filled, nowhere near the full grid. Values and probabilities differ between games, and many features pay less than this. The fixed jackpot for a full grid is advertised prominently, but most players never see it.

How hold and win slots look on a phone

The feature turns the reels into a board of single cells, each showing a number. On a large phone in portrait that is easy to read; on a compact phone, values such as '2.5×' or '£1.25' can be small. Turning the phone sideways usually enlarges the grid.

• Respin counter: usually above the grid, showing three lights or numbers that reset when a symbol lands.
• Jackpot panel: the mini, minor, major and grand labels often sit along the top and may shrink in portrait.
• Running total: some games show it below the grid; others only at the end.
• Accessibility: if you use a larger text size, it may not apply inside games. Our casino app accessibility guide covers zoom options on iPhone and Android.

How to play a hold and win slot in a casino app

1. Open a licensed casino app, sign in and search 'hold', 'cash' or a game name such as Money Train.
2. Open the game and read the rules from the menu, especially how many symbols trigger the feature and what each special symbol does.
3. Check the RTP in the rules screen and note the published maximum win.
4. Set your stake. It is capped at £5 a spin, or £2 if you are aged 18 to 24.
5. Tap spin for each base game round; there is no autoplay in UK games.
6. When the feature triggers, the respins usually play out after a tap to start; watch the counter and the locked values.
7. When the feature ends, the total is added to your balance and the game returns to normal spins.

Hold and win slots compared

These games are widely available in UK apps. Figures are as published by the developers, and your app may run a lower RTP version.

The Money Train games sit at the extreme end, with very large maximum wins and correspondingly rare big results. Wolf Gold and Chilli Heat are gentler, with medium volatility. Our Relax Gaming page has more on the Money Train series.

Volatility: why the feature drives the session

In most hold and win games, the base game pays modestly and the feature carries a large share of the return. That means sessions often follow a pattern of a slow decline punctuated by features, most of which pay a moderate amount. Occasionally a feature fills much of the board.

If £30 covers 60 spins at 50p, you might trigger the feature once or not at all in that session, depending on the game. The long-run average cost at 96% is £1.20 per £30 staked, but variance dominates over so few spins. Treat each session as entertainment with a set cost, not as a route to the grand jackpot.

UK rules for hold and win slots

Hold and win games follow all the Gambling Commission's online slot rules: stakes up to £5 a spin, or £2 for players aged 18 to 24; at least 2.5 seconds per base game spin; no autoplay or turbo; no celebration of returns below your stake; and your net position on screen. Bonus buy is not available in Great Britain, so you cannot pay to start the feature directly. Read more in our guide to UK slot design rules on mobile.

Pros and cons of hold and win slots on mobile

Where to play hold and win slots in a UK app

Hold and win games are common in the slot ranges of all five UK-licensed apps we cover; search by name to check what each app carries. The offers below are for new customers aged 18+, with the qualifying deposit, spin value, wagering and expiry terms set out in each box.

18+. Gambling should be entertainment that costs money, not a way to make it. Set a deposit limit before you play: how to set limits. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.