Nudge
A nudge on a slot or fruit machine moves a reel by one symbol position, up or down, after the reels have stopped, so a symbol just above or below the win line can slide into place. On pub fruit machines players often choose which reel to nudge; on online slots nudges are automatic, built into features such as nudging wilds or mystery stacks.
By the Best Slots UK team. Last checked .
Key takeaways
- A nudge shifts one reel by one position after it stops.
- Pub fruit machines let players use nudges themselves; online slots apply them automatically.
- Online nudges are part of the result the game has already decided, not a skill element.
- A near miss that a nudge could ‘fix’ is not evidence that a win was close.
- Category
- Reel feature
- Origin
- British pub fruit machines
- What it does
- Moves a reel one position
- Online form
- Automatic: nudging wilds and stacks
- Skill involved online
- None
What a nudge is
Picture a three-reel machine. The reels stop with two cherries on the line and a third cherry sitting just above it. A nudge moves that third reel down by one position, the cherry drops onto the line, and the win pays. That single-step shift is the whole idea: the reel does not spin again, it simply moves by one symbol.
Nudges are a signature of British fruit machines, along with holds and feature trails. Our fruit machine features guide covers that family in detail. Online, the word survives in a different form, which is where most confusion comes from.
Kinds of nudge you might meet
| Nudge type | Where you find it | Who decides the move |
|---|---|---|
| Player nudge | Pub and arcade fruit machines | The player presses a nudge button for a chosen reel |
| Nudge counter award | Fruit machine feature trails | Machine awards nudges; player uses them |
| Nudging wild | Online video slots | The game, automatically |
| Nudging stack | Online video slots with tall stacked symbols | The game, automatically |
| Mystery stack nudge | Online slots such as Razor Shark | The game, one position per respin |
A nudging wild is usually a tall wild that lands partly visible. The game nudges it up or down until it covers the whole reel, and some games add a multiplier for each step it moves. Nudging stacks work the same way with ordinary symbols. In Razor Shark, mystery stacks move down one position at a time, with a respin after each nudge, revealing their symbols as they go.
How nudges work on online slots
On a licensed online slot, the random number generator decides the outcome of a spin, including any nudge, before the animation plays. The nudge is the way that outcome is shown, not a second chance the game grants mid-spin. This matters because it means an online nudge never ‘rescues’ a spin: the result, nudge included, was already set.
- You press spin and your stake is taken.
- The RNG selects the outcome, including the final reel positions and any feature.
- The reels stop slightly short of those positions where a nudge is part of the display.
- The game nudges the reel or wild into the final position and pays any win.
- The total is shown, and the next spin starts from scratch.
The RNG entry explains this process in more detail. Because the nudge is part of the designed result, its value is already counted in the slot’s RTP.
A nudging wild worked in pounds
Take an illustrative 5 × 3, 10-line slot at a 50p total stake, so 5p a line. A three-high wild lands on reel 2, with only its bottom symbol visible in the top row.
- Without a nudge, the single wild completes one line paying 4x the line bet: 4 × 5p = 20p.
- The game nudges the wild down two positions so it fills the reel. It now completes three lines worth 60p in total.
- If the game adds 1x to a multiplier for each nudge step, two steps give 3x and the spin pays £1.80.
The animation makes it look as though the nudge turned 20p into £1.80, but in fact the £1.80 outcome was selected first and the nudge is how it is presented. Over many spins the house edge still means a slot takes in more than it pays out.
Why nudges matter: near misses and perception
Nudges are closely tied to the feeling of being close to a win. On a pub machine with player nudges, choosing the right reel does have a small effect, which gives a sense of control. Online, that sense carries over even though there is nothing to choose. Seeing a symbol sitting one row away from a big win can feel meaningful, yet it says nothing about the next spin. Our guide to near misses in slots explains why.
Related terms
A nudge is a cousin of the respin, which spins reels again rather than shifting them. It is often discussed alongside the near miss, and nudging wilds belong to the expanding wild family. For how online slots differ from pub machines more broadly, see online slots vs pub fruit machines.
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Frequently asked questions
What does nudge mean on a fruit machine?
On a fruit machine, a nudge moves one reel by a single position after the reels have stopped. Machines award nudges during play or through feature trails, and the player chooses which reel to move by pressing its nudge button. A good nudge can drop a symbol from just above or below the line into place to make a win. The number of nudges available is shown on a counter. Our guide to fruit machine features explained covers nudges alongside holds and trails.
Do online slots have nudges?
Some do, but not in the pub machine sense. Online slots do not give you nudge buttons to use at will. Instead, nudges are built into features: a nudging wild slides into place to cover a reel, or a mystery stack moves down one position at a time. These moves are automatic and part of the outcome already chosen by the random number generator. Many online slots have no nudge feature at all. Our fruit slots page covers games that keep the classic look.
Is nudging a skill?
On online slots, no. Any nudge is decided as part of the spin’s random outcome, so there is nothing for the player to judge or time. On pub fruit machines, choosing which reel to nudge can make a small difference to a particular spin, but the machine’s overall return is still set by its design, so it does not let you beat the machine over time. Our answer to is there a trick to slots explains why no technique changes a slot’s long-run return.
What is a nudging wild?
A nudging wild is a tall wild symbol that lands only partly visible and is then moved up or down by the game until it fills its reel. Covering the whole reel lets it complete more lines than it would have done in its original position. Some games add a multiplier for each step the wild nudges. The feature is automatic and its value is included in the slot’s RTP. Our wild symbol entry explains how the various kinds of wild differ.
Why does a slot stop one symbol away from a big win?
Because that is simply one of the many outcomes the random number generator can select, and it tends to stand out in your memory. A symbol sitting just above the line is no closer to paying than one at the other end of the reel; each spin is independent and the next spin is unaffected. Online slots in the UK are tested to make sure outcomes are random. Our near miss entry explains why these moments feel more significant than they are.
Are nudges still allowed on UK slots?
Yes. Nothing in the UK rules bans nudge features, whether player-operated on pub machines or automatic on online slots. What the online design rules do ban is autoplay, turbo and slam-stop features, and spins faster than 2.5 seconds, along with celebrating returns smaller than the stake. A nudge that forms a win is fine, but the game cannot dress up a loss as a win. Our guide to UK slot game design rules sets out what changed in 2021.