What are Hold and Win and Link and Win slots?
You’re spinning away when a group of special symbols lands. But instead of clearing away on the next spin, the symbols stay right where they are while the open positions respin. Welcome to the Hold-and-Win feature, one of the most recognisable bonus mechanics found in modern online slots.
You’ll come across plenty of variations when exploring games at an online casino Like Jackpot City. Some keep things simple with locked cash symbols and respins, while others add collectors, multipliers, expanding grids or jackpots. So, how do Hold and Win slots work, where does Link and Win fit in and what should you check before playing? Let’s take a closer look.
What are Hold and Win slots?
Hold and Win slots feature a bonus round based on locked symbols and respins. The action usually begins when you land a set group of symbols during the same base-game spin.
These symbols often appear as coins, cash values, gems or other objects that suit the theme. If you trigger the feature, those symbols normally stay fixed while the open positions respin.
Many games begin the round with 3 respins. Every time another qualifying symbol lands, it usually joins the collection and refreshes the counter. That gives you more chances to fill the remaining spaces.
This is where the feature creates its familiar sense of anticipation. Each new symbol helps the collection grow, but every respin without one takes the counter a step closer to zero.
The feature often opens with 3 respins, but this isn’t a fixed rule. Some games begin with a different number or use their own reset system. Trigger requirements can vary too. One feature may need three symbols, while another requires five, six or more.
Once the respins run out, the game normally awards the values shown on the symbols that were collected. Depending on the title, there may also be multipliers, collector symbols, jackpot prizes or a separate reward for filling the whole grid.
What are Link and Win slots?
Link and Win slots use a collection-style feature that shares some similarities with Hold and Win. Special symbols typically stay fixed while the open positions respin, giving more symbols a chance to land.
Although the basic idea may feel familiar, Link and Win games don’t all follow one standard set of rules. One title might keep things simple with cash-value symbols and respins, while another adds collectors, multipliers or an expanding grid.
A Link and Win feature may include:
- Locked cash or prize symbols
- A set respins number
- A counter that refreshes when new symbols land
- Collector or multiplier symbols
- Fixed or progressive jackpots
- Extra rows or grid positions
- Upgrades to existing symbol values
- An extra prize or feature for filling the grid
These are possible elements rather than guaranteed rules. Even the number of symbols needed to trigger the feature can vary between games.
The easiest way to think about Link and Win is as a family of related collection features rather than one fixed formula. Symbols may lock, open positions may respin and new symbols may extend the round, but the paytable will explain exactly how each game works.
How do Hold and Win slots work?
The exact rules vary, but most Hold and Win bonus rounds follow the same basic journey.
- Qualifying symbols land: First, enough special symbols must appear while the base game is on. The trigger might require three, five, six or another number of symbols, depending on the game. In some games, these symbols can land across the reel area. In others, only certain reels or positions count towards the trigger. You won’t need to guess. The game’s help screen or paytable should show the trigger.
- The symbols lock in place: When the feature starts, the symbols normally stay in the positions where they appeared. Regular symbols may disappear, leaving the empty spaces ready for respins. Some games keep the same reel layout, while others move the action to a separate feature grid. Either way, the idea is easy to follow. The special symbols stay put and the open positions remain active.
- The open positions respin: The empty positions now spin again. Many games begin with three respins. If no new qualifying symbol appears, the counter usually drops by one. Once it hits zero, the feature usually ends unless another finishing condition applies. The locked symbols generally don’t need to form a normal payline. Their displayed values are collected based on the feature’s own rules.
- New symbols refresh the counter: Here’s where the round can gather momentum. When another qualifying symbol appears, it usually stays on the grid for the rest of the feature. In many versions, the respin counter then returns to its original value. Let’s say you begin with three respins. Two pass without a new symbol, leaving you with one. In a game that resets the counter to three, another qualifying symbol would refresh it and give you three more respins. As the collection grows, the grid becomes fuller and there are fewer open spaces left. Of course, an almost-full grid is only almost full. It doesn’t guarantee that the last position will be filled or that a jackpot is waiting around the corner.
- The feature comes to an end: The round usually finishes when the respin counter reaches zero. The round may also stop when every grid position is occupied, the payout limit is reached or another game-specific end condition applies. The collected values are then awarded. The game then factors in any applicable collectors, multipliers or jackpot prizes as explained in its paytable. Full grids don’t produce the same result in every game. They may award a fixed prize, activate another feature or simply pay the combined values on the screen.
Which extra features can appear?
The lock-and-respin format provides the foundation, but individual games can add their own flavour.
Here are some of the extras you may encounter:
- Collectors: A collector gathers values from special symbols. It may collect from the whole grid or only certain positions.
- Multipliers: These can increase a symbol value, a group of prizes or another amount specified in the rules.
- Upgrades: An upgrade may improve selected cash values or transform one type of symbol into another.
- Grid expansions: Some features add rows, columns or positions, creating more room for symbols.
- Mystery symbols: These can reveal a value, modifier, jackpot prize or another feature element.
These additions aren’t standard across every game. Even similarly named symbols can behave differently.
That’s part of the appeal of the format. The central idea remains familiar, so it’s easy to follow, but the extra features can give each bonus round its own character.
Do Hold and Win slots always include jackpots?
No. Jackpots often appear in Hold and Win and Link and Win slots, but they aren’t essential to the format.
Some games include prize levels called Mini, Minor, Major and Grand. Others offer fewer levels or use names linked to the theme.
A jackpot might be awarded when you:
- Land a particular jackpot symbol
- Collect a required combination
- Trigger a special modifier
- Fill the feature grid
- Meet another condition listed in the rules
It’s also worth knowing the difference between progressive and non-progressive jackpots.
A non-progressive or fixed jackpot doesn’t increase through contributions from ongoing qualifying play. The award is defined by the game and may be a set amount or a fixed multiple of the bet.
A progressive jackpot can increase as qualifying bets are placed until the prize is awarded under the game’s rules.
Don’t assume that a prize is progressive simply because it’s called Mini, Major or Grand. Likewise, filling the grid won’t always unlock the biggest prize. It could activate another bonus, provide a fixed award or pay the combined values of all the symbols you collected.
Where does Hold and Win fit into online slots?
Hold and Win is one of many features used to shake up the usual reel action. Others include free spins, cascading symbols, multipliers, expanding wilds and changing reel layouts.
Our online slots guide explores the wider building blocks, including reels, paylines, symbols, RTP and volatility.
A game might use regular paylines during the base game before switching to a separate grid for its Hold and Win round. Another might keep the same reel area but clear away the standard symbols.
The presentation can change, but the central idea is easy to spot. Eligible symbols stay on the screen while the open positions spin again.
How do Hold and Win slots compare with Megaways™?
Hold and Win and Megaways™ are very different mechanics.
Hold and Win usually refers to a bonus feature based on locked symbols and respins. Megaways™ can alter how many symbols appear on the reels with each spin. This changing layout also changes how many potential winning ways are available. As the reel configuration changes, so does the potential ways to form combinations.
Here’s the quick version:
- Hold and Win centres on collecting locked symbols during respins.
- Link and Win may refer to a named collection or lock-and-respin feature.
- Megaways™ uses changing reel configurations and variable ways to win. One game can combine more than one of these mechanics. No mechanic guarantees a win or a particular result.
For a closer look at those shifting reel layouts, read what are Megaways slots and how do they work.
Do Hold and Win features affect RTP?
A Hold and Win feature forms part of the slot’s overall mathematical design. This means some of the game’s theoretical return may come through the bonus round.
RTP, short for return to player, shows the share of total stakes a game is designed to pay back over an extended period of play.
Two games with similar-looking Hold and Win rounds can still have different:
- RTP percentages
- Volatility levels
- Feature frequencies
- Prize distributions
- Maximum payouts
Some games may also be available in more than one RTP configuration. If so, use the figure shown in the information screen of the version available to you.
It’s also a mistake to assume that every Hold and Win slot is highly volatile. Volatility depends on the entire game, including how often awards occur and how their values are distributed across the base game and features.
Is there a Hold and Win strategy?
There’s no strategy that can force a Hold and Win bonus to trigger or control which symbols land.
Increasing the bet after a near miss doesn’t improve the chances of triggering the feature. Leaving the game and coming back later doesn’t reset it in your favour. Speeding up or slowing down the spins doesn’t create a predictable sequence either.
A nearly full grid can certainly look close, but it doesn’t mean the final space is due to be filled.
What you can do is make sure you understand the game:
- Read the feature rules
- Check the RTP and volatility
- Confirm how the bonus is triggered
- Review the available bet range
- Check whether jackpots are progressive
- Find the maximum payout
- Set spending and time limits before playing
These steps won’t influence the outcome, but they can help you choose a game that suits your preferences and manage your play.
To separate fact from familiar fiction, take a look at common slot myths players still believe.
What should you check before playing?
The feature may look familiar, but it’s worth taking a quick peek at the paytable before you begin.
Check:
- The trigger: How many eligible symbols do you need?
- The respins: Does the round begin with three, four or another number?
- The reset rule: Does every new symbol refresh the counter?
- The modifiers: Are there collectors, multipliers or upgrades?
- The jackpots: Are they included, and how are they awarded?
- The game details: What RTP and volatility are listed?
- The maximum payout: Is there a cap on the total award?
A minute spent checking the rules can save a lot of head-scratching once the reels start moving.
Are Hold and Win and Link and Win slots the same?
Not exactly. They can use a similar lock-and-respin structure, but the terms aren’t interchangeable in every context.
- Hold and Win broadly describes features where selected symbols remain on the grid while the other positions respin. You may also see related names such as Hold & Spin or Money Respin, but these labels don’t promise an identical set of rules.
- Link and Win, sometimes styled as Link&Win™, follows a similar pattern of held symbols, respins and collected values. However, each game may introduce different triggers, jackpots or modifiers.
The feature name provides a useful clue, but it doesn’t tell you everything. The paytable will confirm how the round begins, what refreshes the counter and how the available prizes work.
Final thoughts on Hold and Win and Link and Win slots
Hold and Win features and Link and Win games bring a collection-style twist to the reels. Special symbols remain in place, open positions respin and every new qualifying symbol can keep the feature moving.
The basic idea is refreshingly simple, but there’s still plenty of room for variety. Different games may introduce their own triggers, counters, modifiers, grids and jackpot conditions.
Before trying a new title, give the paytable a quick read. You’ll then know what starts the feature, what the special symbols do and how the available prizes are awarded.