Hold , Spin , Repeat
Hold , Spin , Repeat
Of all the modern slot mechanics that exist , hold-and-re-spin is the one that most closely approaches ubiquity
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Aristocrat
Twenty-six years go , slot-maker IGT started a trend that would lead to one of the most popular — and most copied — slot game mechanics in history . Correct — the bonus wheel .
IGT ’ s Wheel of Fortune actually was the second game to employ a roulette-style wheel above mechanical spinning reels . A year before that game was released in 1996 , Bally had released a game called Wheel of Gold that employed the same style of wheel . It actually had been patented by Anchor Gaming and released by Bally in partnership with Anchor in that game , a slant-top mechanical reel-spinner with a physical bonus wheel .
IGT subsequently bought Anchor Gaming and the patent for the wheel feature . Bally successfully sued to produce its own wheel games , and eventually , the patent was declared invalid , after which a flood of games with wheel bonuses poured forth from all the slot manufacturers .
The wheel has become a mainstay of the slot floor , with scores of manufacturers each producing their own versions of wheels that operate in a manner very similar to that original Bally Wheel of Gold game . It has become a widely accepted element of an array of slot games to this day .
Fast-forward to 2022 , and meet the new wheel . It ’ s called the holdand-re-spin bonus . The idea is that the player is given a certain number of free spins in which to collect icons of some value , the prizes for which accumulate . More often than not , the symbols involved are so-called “ cash-onreels ” symbols — a symbol that simply displays a credit award .
If the number of free spins is three , every time one of those special symbols appears , it locks in place on that reel spot and the free-spin meter goes back to three . The rest of the reels spin , and every time an additional cash symbol appears , it locks in place for the accumulating award and the spin meter returns to three .
’ s Lightning Link was the first brand to employ the game mechanics with its “ Hold & Spin ” game technology
This type of bonus ends when either three spins yield none of the special symbols , or the entire screen is filled with the symbols .
Filling the entire screen with special symbols has become known as a “ blackout ,” and for many games , it results in the game ’ s top progressive jackpot .
This type of bonus first appeared on the Aristocrat game franchise Lightning Link , launched in Australia and New Zealand in 2014 . It was invented by legendary game designer Scott Olive , who was Aristocrat ’ s top designer at the time , and who still designs games for the manufacturer from his proprietary Australian game studio , HRG Studios .
Dubbed “ Hold & Spin ” by Aristocrat , the persistent game mechanic has resurfaced repeatedly from slot-makers across the spectrum . Whether called “ Lock & Spin ,” “ Hold-and-Respin ” or any number of other proprietary brands , the basic feature is similar to Lightning Link , Dragon Link and a wealth of other games from Aristocrat .
Slot manufacturers are almost required to offer hold-and-re-spin games in their product libraries these days , for one simple reason : players love it . In fact , players require it .
Olive , who in 2021 was inducted into the EKG Slot Hall of Fame by Eilers & Krejcik Gaming , comments that the simple thrill of the chase is what keeps Hold & Spin popular with players .
“ With Hold & Spin , what you see is what you get ,” Olive says . “ The mechanics make it exciting for players to see what they are chasing in the game . Simplicity is the secret ingredient for the best and most enduring games .”
Like the wheel before it , hold-and-re-spin has likely achieved a permanent spot in the world of slot design . In 2023 , we can expect a parade of new games that showcase this simple , ingenious play mechanic . — Frank Legato
26 Global Gaming Business DECEMBER 2022