Retrigger
A retrigger is when a slot’s free spins round awards extra spins because the trigger condition happens again during the round, for example three more scatters landing while you are already in free spins. The new spins are added to the ones you have left, so the round lasts longer and has more chances to pay.
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Key takeaways
- A retrigger extends a bonus round that is already running; it does not start a new one.
- Rules vary widely: some games add a full set of spins, some add a few, some cannot retrigger at all.
- Retriggers are a big reason why the same feature can pay 5x one day and 200x the next.
- The game’s help screen states the rule, including any cap on total spins.
- Category
- Slot feature mechanic
- Happens during
- Free spins or another bonus round
- Common trigger
- Scatters landing again
- Extra cost
- None; spins play at the original stake
- Where to check
- Feature rules in the help screen
Retrigger meaning: extending the round you are in
Most slots enter their free spins feature when a set number of scatters land in the base game. Retriggering is that same kind of event happening again, but inside the round. Instead of opening a second bonus, the game adds spins to the counter and carries on. Some players write it as ‘re-trigger’; game help screens also call it ‘additional free spins’ or ‘extra spins’.
Every retriggered spin plays at the same stake as the spin that started the round, and any special modifier in play, such as a chosen expanding symbol or a running multiplier, usually carries on through the extra spins. That continuity is what makes retriggers so valuable when they happen.
Five kinds of retrigger rule
No two developers handle retriggers in quite the same way. These are the patterns you will meet most often in UK slot lobbies.
| Rule | How it works | Effect on the round |
|---|---|---|
| Full reset | The trigger lands again and the original award is added in full | Can double the length of a round in one spin |
| Fixed top-up | A smaller set number, often 5, is added whenever 3+ scatters land | Steady extension; rounds rarely run very long |
| Per symbol | Each special symbol that lands adds one or two spins | Frequent small extensions |
| Milestone | Collecting a number of special symbols unlocks more spins and an upgrade | Rewards long rounds with bigger values later |
| None | The round cannot be extended | Short, predictable feature; value comes from the modifier |
Book of Dead uses a full reset: three or more books during the round add another ten spins with the same expanding symbol. In Gonzo’s Quest, landing three Free Fall symbols during Free Falls adds ten more. Big Bass Bonanza uses a milestone instead: collecting fisherman wilds builds towards extra spins and a higher multiplier on the fish values he collects.
A retrigger worked out in pounds
The numbers below are illustrative, not taken from any particular game, but they show why retriggers make bonus outcomes so uneven.
- You trigger 10 free spins on a 40p stake.
- Assume each spin in the round averages a win of 2x the stake, or 80p.
- Without a retrigger the round is worth about 10 × 80p = £8 on average.
- On spin 6, three scatters land and the game adds 10 more spins. You now have 14 left instead of 4.
- Twenty spins at an average of 80p is about £16, double the expected value of the original round.
- If the round has a growing multiplier, the extra spins are played at higher values, so the gain is larger still.
Because the game’s RTP already includes the chance of retriggers, they are not a bonus on top of the maths; they are part of it. Over many rounds, the occasional long retriggered feature balances many short ones that pay little. Losses over time remain the likely result, because the house edge applies to the whole game.
Where retrigger rules appear
The rule is usually printed in the free spins section of the help screen or paytable. Look for phrases such as ‘the feature can be retriggered’, ‘additional free spins are awarded’ or ‘free spins cannot be retriggered’. Some games also state a ceiling, for example a total maximum of 100 free spins or a stop once the max win is reached.
- How many scatters are needed during the round (sometimes fewer than in the base game).
- How many spins each retrigger adds.
- Whether modifiers carry over or reset.
- Any cap on total spins or total win.
Related terms
Retriggers belong to the wider bonus round family and are closely tied to the scatter symbol. A respin is different: it re-runs a single spin rather than adding to a free spins counter. For the maths of how often retriggers happen and how many spins to expect, see our answer to how free spins retrigger.
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Frequently asked questions
What does retrigger mean in slots?
It means a free spins round, or another bonus round, has been extended because its trigger happened again while the round was running. Usually that means three or more scatter symbols landing during free spins. The extra spins are added to the counter and play at the same stake as the original round, often with the same modifiers still active. Because it is part of the game’s design, its likelihood is already built into the slot’s RTP. Our slot features guide shows how retriggers fit alongside wilds and multipliers.
Can every slot retrigger free spins?
No. Many slots can, but some are designed so the free spins round cannot be extended, putting all the value into a modifier such as a high multiplier or sticky wilds instead. Others replace scatter retriggers with a collection target, where gathering special symbols unlocks more spins. The only reliable way to know is to read the feature rules in the help screen before you play. Our guide on how to read a slot’s game info screen shows where to look.
Is there a limit to how many times free spins can retrigger?
It depends on the game. Some slots allow unlimited retriggers in principle, while others cap the total number of spins in a round or the number of retriggers allowed. Every slot also has a maximum win, and if the round reaches it, play stops whatever spins remain. In practice, long chains of retriggers are rare on any game. Check the help screen for a stated spin or win cap, and see our page on the win cap for how early endings work.
Do retriggered spins pay the same as the first ones?
They play at the same stake, but they do not always pay the same. On games with a running multiplier, the extra spins start from whatever the multiplier has reached, so they can be worth more than the opening spins. On games where a symbol upgrades or a collector’s value grows, the later spins also tend to carry more value. On a plain free spins round with no progression, retriggered spins behave exactly like the first ones. The multiplier entry explains how running values grow.
Does a retrigger change a slot’s RTP?
No. A slot’s RTP is set by its maths model and already accounts for every possible retrigger. When developers calculate the long-run return, they include the rare long rounds along with all the short ones. Retriggers are therefore a normal part of how the game pays, not an extra on top of it. The RTP figure in the help screen is the full theoretical return across millions of spins, and losses remain the likely outcome for most sessions. Read how slot RTP is calculated for the method.
Are retriggers more likely at certain times or stakes?
No. On a licensed UK slot, every spin, including every spin inside a bonus round, is decided independently by a random number generator. Time of day, the size of your stake, how long you have been playing and whether you recently won make no difference to the chance of a retrigger. The odds are fixed by the game’s design and are tested before the game can be offered in Great Britain. Our guide on slots and time of day myths explains why.