A respin is an extra spin of some or all of a slot's reels, awarded by the game without a new stake, usually with certain symbols held in place. It is a small, short feature that gives the current spin a second chance to improve.
What respins are
Respins sit between an ordinary spin and a full bonus round. They are normally triggered by a specific event, such as a wild landing, a near-complete win, or a set number of special symbols. The game then holds the relevant symbols and spins the rest once, or several times. The best-known pattern is the expanding wild respin: a wild lands, expands to fill its reel, holds there, and the other reels spin again.
How it works, step by step
- You place a stake and spin.
- A trigger appears, for example a wild on a middle reel.
- The game holds whatever the feature says to hold: the wild reel, a set of matching symbols, or cash symbols.
- The remaining reels spin again at no extra cost.
- If the respin lands another trigger, many games award a further respin. Otherwise the sequence ends.
- All wins from the original spin and the respins are added to give the spin total.
Common variations
- Wild respins: an expanding wild or sticky wild holds while the rest respins.
- Walking wild respins: a walking wild moves one reel each respin until it leaves the grid.
- Symbol-collection respins: matching symbols lock and the others respin, aiming to fill more of the screen with one symbol.
- Hold and win: a longer respin feature with a reset counter, covered under hold and win.
- Paid respins: some games, mostly older ones, let you pay to respin a single reel at a price that varies with how close you are to a feature. That is a new paid stake, not a free respin.
What it does to the maths and the feel
Free respins are already accounted for in the game's RTP, so they do not add value on top. They change the shape of results: a respin feature usually lands fairly often and pays modest amounts, which smooths out the base game a little compared with a game that saves everything for a rare bonus. That tends to sit at the lower to middle end of volatility, though it depends on what else the game does.
Paid respins are different. The price is set by the game, and the chance of completing a win is built into it. Paying to respin does not beat the house edge; it is another wager with its own expected loss.
Rules in Great Britain
Respin features are available on GB-licensed sites under the usual game design rules and stake limits. Stake limits apply per game cycle, and any extra stake paid inside a feature counts towards the limit, so a paid respin cannot be used to go above £5, or £2 for 18 to 24 year olds. Free feature respins are part of the original game cycle.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between a respin and free spins?
A respin is usually a single extra spin, or a short run of them, inside the same game, often with something held in place. Free spins are a separate bonus round with a set number of spins and often different rules.
Do respins cost anything?
Feature respins triggered by the game are free and part of the original spin. A few games let you pay to respin one reel; that is a separate paid stake, and each paid spin counts as a game cycle of its own.
Can respins chain?
In many games, yes. If a respin lands another trigger symbol, it awards a further respin, until one lands without a trigger.