Covers the classics people search for by name, the Scandinavian studios, and the slots that make a budget last.
Updated
This page carries figures checked on the date above, and that window has now passed. Studios publish new RTP settings and casinos change their rules: re-check the sources at the foot of the page.
Hold and win is a respin bonus. Special symbols, usually coins with values on them, land and lock in place. You get a few respins. Every new coin that lands sticks and puts the respin count back to the start. When the respins run out, the game adds up everything on the grid and pays it.
It's easy to follow, which is half its appeal. You can see every coin. You know exactly what you've got.
Relax Gaming's Money Train series turned it into something bigger, with character symbols that collect, add and multiply the coins around them. Three Money Train games take the top three places here, and their bonus rounds are the only three in our whole data set the editors scored 10. Only seven games in our data use the mechanic, so all seven are ranked.
At a glance
Best for
Players who like a bonus they can follow symbol by symbol
The catch
The best ones have quiet base games and very high volatility
Top pick
Money Train 2, for its RTP and the Money Cart round
Gentlest option
Wolf Gold or Stick'Em, both medium volatility
Check first
The RTP setting; Relax lists 90% versions for Money Train 2 and 3
Play instead if...
You want more happening every spin: see tumble slots
On this page
The 7 best hold and win slots, ranked
Ranked by Spin Score across every provider we cover, with no more than three from one studio. Spin Score = 40% RTP, 15% max win, 30% free spins round, 15% base game. How we score
First, because it pairs a perfect bonus with the best RTP of the three Money Trains, 96.4%. The Money Cart is three respins on a sticky grid where Collector, Payer, Sniper and Necromancer symbols collect, add and multiply values, and the grid grows when reels fill. Max win 50,000x. The base game is quiet, with a 19.55% hit frequency and a two-scatter respin feature. Relax also lists a 90% setting, so check. Full detail in our Money Train 2 guide.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Return to playerData · 40%8.2
Max winData · 15%10.0
Free spins roundEditors · 30%10.0
Base gameEditors · 15%5.0
What it is: A 5x4, 40-line western slot built around the Money Cart bonus: a sticky-symbol respin round where special characters collect, add and multiply values.
Free spins round: The Money Cart bonus is a 3-respin hold-and-win round with Collector, Payer, Sniper and Necromancer symbols, and the grid grows when reels fill.
Base game: Two scatters trigger a respin feature with a building multiplier; outside that, base spins are mostly quiet.
RTP, volatility and max win as Relax Gaming publishes them, checked on November 3, 2026. A casino may run a lower RTP setting: check the game’s info screen.
The last game in the series, and the most crowded bonus: the Money Cart starts on 6x4, unlocks more rows, and brings in the Arms Dealer, Upgrader, Unlocker and Reset among more than 20 features. Its 150,000x ceiling is the biggest on the page. It's second, not first, on RTP: 96.1%, and Relax lists a UK game ID that suggests a 92% version. The Arms Dealer can hand out features in the base game too.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Return to playerData · 40%7.3
Max winData · 15%10.0
Free spins roundEditors · 30%10.0
Base gameEditors · 15%6.0
What it is: A scatter-pays slot that ends the Money Train series, with a Money Cart hold-and-win bonus starting on 6x4 and unlocking more rows.
Free spins round: The final Money Cart bonus adds the Arms Dealer, Upgrader, Unlocker and Reset, with more than 20 features in play.
Base game: A base game respin feature and the Arms Dealer, who can hand out features at any time, add some base action.
RTP, volatility and max win as Relax Gaming publishes them, checked on November 3, 2026. A casino may run a lower RTP setting: check the game’s info screen.
Persistent symbols are the twist: the Shapeshifter, Absorber and Tommy Gun stay and act on every respin of the Money Cart instead of firing once. Max win 100,000x, very high volatility, 19.35% hit frequency. RTP is 96.1% with 94% and 90% settings listed. It sits third because it matches Money Train 4 on RTP and bonus and scores a point lower on the base game. Honestly, a coin toss between the two.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Return to playerData · 40%7.3
Max winData · 15%10.0
Free spins roundEditors · 30%10.0
Base gameEditors · 15%5.0
What it is: A 5x4, 40-line sequel where the Money Cart hold-and-win bonus adds persistent symbols that keep acting on every respin.
Free spins round: Money Cart bonus with persistent characters, the Shapeshifter, Absorber and Tommy Gun, plus four bonus buy levels including a 500x persistent option.
Base game: Base game has some respin teases, but most value sits in the bonus.
RTP, volatility and max win as Relax Gaming publishes them, checked on November 3, 2026. A casino may run a lower RTP setting: check the game’s info screen.
Push Gaming's 1920s bank job has two bonuses. Fortune Link is the hold-and-win part, a respin round collecting bullion and multipliers. The other is free spins where the banker grows by eating money bags. The base game scores 7, better than any Money Train, because bullion and multiplier symbols land often and a Red Car feature adds wilds or safes. RTP 96.43%, with a 94.45% setting; highest observed win 25,000x.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Return to playerData · 40%8.3
Max winData · 15%8.8
Free spins roundEditors · 30%8.0
Base gameEditors · 15%7.0
What it is: A 6x6, 50-line 1920s slot with bullion and multiplier symbols, a Fortune Link respin feature and growing-banker free spins.
Free spins round: Two bonuses: a Fortune Link respin round collecting bullion and multipliers, and free spins where the banker grows by eating money bags.
Base game: Bullion and multiplier symbols land often and a random Red Car feature adds wilds or safes.
RTP, volatility and max win as Push Gaming publishes them, checked on November 3, 2026. A casino may run a lower RTP setting: check the game’s info screen.
Mainly a cluster-pays game, here for its Judgement round: four bonus symbols open a hold-and-win drop round with stacking multiplier blocks. The other bonus, Underworld free spins, builds per-reel multipliers up to x9,999. Together they score 9. The base game scores 5. Very high volatility, max win 10,000x, and four RTP settings from 96.24% down to 88.41%.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Return to playerData · 40%7.7
Max winData · 15%7.2
Free spins roundEditors · 30%9.0
Base gameEditors · 15%5.0
What it is: A dark Egyptian cluster-pays slot on a 5x6 grid where Soul Orb wilds carry growing multipliers. Three bonus symbols open Underworld free spins and four open the Judgement hold-and-win round.
Free spins round: Two distinct bonuses: Underworld builds per-reel multipliers up to x9,999 that must be unlocked, and Judgement is a hold-and-win drop round with stacking multiplier blocks.
Base game: Random red and blue Soul Orb wilds with growing multipliers add some action, but most spins are plain cluster results.
RTP, volatility and max win as Hacksaw Gaming publishes them, checked on November 3, 2026. A casino may run a lower RTP setting: check the game’s info screen.
The classic version of the idea. Six or more moon money symbols start a Money Respin with three fixed jackpots, and the top one, Mega, pays 1,000x for a full grid. Free spins join reels 2 to 4 into one giant symbol. Medium volatility, 96.01% RTP, 2,500x max win. It ranks low because the scores for both features are middling, not because it's broken. For a smaller budget it's the calmer choice here.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Return to playerData · 40%7.0
Max winData · 15%4.8
Free spins roundEditors · 30%5.0
Base gameEditors · 15%6.0
What it is: A 5x3, 25-line slot. Six or more money symbols start a hold-and-respin feature with three fixed jackpots, and three scatters give free spins with a giant symbol on the middle reels.
Free spins round: Five free spins where reels 2-4 join into one giant symbol, with three spins added per retrigger.
Base game: Six or more moon money symbols trigger a Money Respin that can pay three fixed jackpots, including the 1,000x Mega for a full grid.
RTP, volatility and max win as Pragmatic Play publishes them, checked on November 3, 2026. A casino may run a lower RTP setting: check the game’s info screen.
The lightest game on the page. Three thumbs-up symbols stick and trigger respins on a 5x4, 1,024-ways grid, and filling the grid pays 2,048x, which is also the max win. Separately, scatters give 5, 10 or 15 plain free spins and a bonus wheel pays up to 1,000x. Nothing escalates. Medium volatility, 96.1% RTP, and no bonus buy mentioned in our sources. Simple, and scored that way.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Return to playerData · 40%7.3
Max winData · 15%4.4
Free spins roundEditors · 30%5.0
Base gameEditors · 15%5.0
What it is: A light 5x4, 1,024-ways slot where three thumbs-up symbols stick and trigger respins; filling the grid pays 2,048x. Scatters give up to 15 free spins and a bonus wheel pays up to 1,000x.
Free spins round: Free spins (5, 10 or 15) are plain, and a separate bonus wheel pays up to 1,000x; nothing escalates.
Base game: Three thumbs-up symbols start sticky respins that can fill the grid for the 2,048x top prize.
RTP, volatility and max win as Hacksaw Gaming publishes them, checked on November 3, 2026. A casino may run a lower RTP setting: check the game’s info screen.
Demo buttons open the free-play version on the game studio’s own site: no deposit, no account. We are not paid for them. How we make money
How hold and win works
The trigger is usually a set number of special symbols on one spin. Wolf Gold needs six moon symbols. Stick'Em needs three thumbs-up symbols.
Those symbols lock. Everything else on the grid clears, and you get a small number of respins: three on Money Train 2. Each new special symbol that lands also locks and resets the count. The round ends when you run out of respins or fill the grid.
Then it pays the total of all the values on the grid. Some games add fixed jackpots for filling the screen, like Wolf Gold's 1,000x Mega or Stick'Em's 2,048x full grid.
What makes a hold and win round worth playing
Symbols that interact. In a basic version, each coin is just a number and the round is a count. In Money Train 2, Collector, Payer, Sniper and Necromancer symbols collect, add to and multiply the values around them. Now the order things land in matters, and a round with eight coins can pay more than one with twelve.
The later Money Trains push this further. Money Train 3 keeps character symbols in play on every respin. Money Train 4 has more than 20 features in the round. That's why all three scored 10 for the bonus and why the plain fixed-jackpot games, Wolf Gold and Stick'Em, sit at the bottom.
Room to grow helps too. Money Train 2 adds rows when reels fill; Money Train 4 starts on 6x4 and unlocks more.
Volatility and budget
This page splits in two. The Money Trains, Hand of Anubis and Fat Banker are high or very high volatility. Wolf Gold and Stick'Em are medium.
On the Money Trains, the base game is mostly waiting: hit frequency around 19% to 20%, so about four spins in five return nothing. The bonus is where the money is, and most bonuses pay a modest multiple. The big results are rare. Budget for a long wait, and size your stake so you can afford it.
On Wolf Gold and Stick'Em, the ceilings are lower and so is the swing. You'll see the respin round more often, and it'll usually be smaller. If you like the mechanic but not the volatility, start there. Our low and medium volatility page has more like them.
Bonus buys and RTP settings
Five of the seven sell the bonus. Money Train 2's buy costs 100x, and SlotCatalog puts its RTP at 98%. Still under 100%, and a single 100x purchase is a big piece of most budgets. None of the Relax buys are available in the UK. My advice is the same as on the bonus buy page: skip it.
Settings matter more. Relax lists a 90% version of Money Train 2 and 90% and 94% versions of Money Train 3. Hacksaw lists Hand of Anubis down to 88.41%. Check the figure in the game's info screen before you play; the RTP guide shows where.
Studios
Relax Gaming owns this category through Money Train. Our cap of three games per studio happens to fit the series exactly. Push Gaming's Fat Banker is the best non-Relax game here and the one with the liveliest base game. Hacksaw Gaming has two very different takes, and Pragmatic Play brings the old-school jackpot version with Wolf Gold.
Frequently asked questions
What is a hold and win slot?
A slot with a respin bonus where special symbols, usually coins with values, lock in place. Each new one that lands resets the respin count. When the respins run out, the values on the grid are added up and paid.
Which Money Train is the best?
On our Spin Score, Money Train 2 at 8.5, then Money Train 4 at 8.3 and Money Train 3 at 8.2. All three bonus rounds score 10. Money Train 2 leads on RTP; Money Train 4 has the biggest ceiling at 150,000x.
Is hold and win the same as hold and spin?
Yes, it's the same idea under different names. Studios also call it respins, Money Respin (Wolf Gold) or, on Fat Banker, Fortune Link.
Are hold and win slots high volatility?
The best-known ones are. The three Money Trains are high or very high. Wolf Gold and Stick'Em are medium, with max wins of 2,500x and 2,048x.
Can you buy the hold and win bonus?
On five of the seven here, where local rules allow. Money Train 2's buy costs 100x. It doesn't improve your long-run odds, and the Relax buys aren't offered in the UK.
