Retrigger meaning: landing the trigger symbols again while a slot's free spins round or bonus feature is already running, which adds more spins or restarts the feature at the same stake. Whether a game allows it, how many spins it adds and whether there is a limit all depend on the slot, so the help screen is the only reliable guide.
A retrigger extends a free spins round already in progress; it doesn't start a new paid spin.
Rules differ by game: fixed extra spins, spins based on scatter count, a cap, or no retrigger at all.
Retriggered spins play at the original trigger stake, so their value scales with it.
More spins means more chances in the round, not a better RTP; the house edge is unchanged.
Retrigger rules are part of the paytable that UK casinos must show before you play.
Means
Triggering the feature again during the feature
Usual result
Extra free spins added
Stake
Same as the original trigger
Limits
Some games cap or disallow retriggers
Where to check
The game's help screen
Retrigger meaning on a slot
To retrigger is to set off a feature again while you are still inside it. On most slots the phrase refers to the free spins round: you are partway through, say, ten spins, the scatters land again, and the game adds more spins to the count. Some games use the same idea for other bonus rounds, such as respin features where a new special symbol resets the counter.
A retrigger doesn't cost anything extra. The added spins play at the same stake as the spin that started the feature, and their wins join the round total paid at the end. The term appears in our casino bonus glossary because it affects what promotional spins can produce, even though it is a game rule rather than an offer term.
Common retrigger rules
Developers handle retriggers in different ways. The table below describes the patterns you will commonly read in help screens; it doesn't describe any particular slot.
How retrigger rules are commonly written
Rule type
What happens
What to look for in the help screen
Fixed extra spins
A set number of spins is added each time
'Landing X scatters during the feature awards Y extra spins'
Scatter-based
More scatters add more spins
A table of scatter counts and spins awarded
Counter reset
The spin counter returns to its starting number
Common on respin and hold-and-win features
Capped
Retriggers stop after a total spin limit
A maximum number of spins or retriggers per round
Progression
Collecting symbols adds spins and raises a multiplier
Levels, meters or upgrade steps
None
The feature can't be extended
No retrigger wording, or 'cannot be retriggered'
Progression features are popular on fishing slots. Big Bass Keeping it Reel lists free spins where Fisherman wilds collect fish prizes and upgrade multipliers, and Big Bass Day at the Races lists Punter wilds collecting money symbols with multipliers rising up to 50×; how extra spins fit into each is set out in the help screen. See our Big Bass Keeping it Reel and Big Bass Day at the Races pages and the wider fishing slots guide.
Retrigger maths with pound figures
Take a round of 10 spins triggered on a 20p spin, with a rule that three more scatters add 5 spins. If the retrigger lands once, the round becomes 15 spins, all at 20p, with no extra stake taken. If those 15 spins pay a combined 40× stake, the round returns £8; at a 10p trigger the same result would be £4.
What a retrigger doesn't do is improve the game's long-run return. The chance of retriggering, and the average value of the extra spins, are already counted in the slot's RTP. A high-volatility game may pay most of its returns through long, retriggered rounds, which is why its results swing so much more than a low-volatility one; our volatility entry explains this. Every round is also bounded by the game's max win, and many slots end a feature once that figure is reached, so check the help screen.
Seeing retriggers on other people's videos says nothing about your odds. UK games can't be adjusted to hit a target return, and there is no pattern that makes a retrigger more likely.
Retriggers during casino free spins
Promotional spins play the real game at a fixed value, often 10p. If one of them triggers the slot's free spins round, and that round retriggers, all of the extra spins also play at 10p. The total is then treated under the promotion's terms: as cash where there is no wagering, or as bonus funds where wagering applies (capped at 10x the bonus since 19 January 2026).
The slot design rules in force since 31 October 2021 (no autoplay, no turbo, at least 2.5 seconds per spin) apply to base-game spins. The RTS 14 standard (opens in a new tab) guidance exempts bonus games that need no extra stake from the speed requirement, which is why a retriggered round plays through on its own. More on our slot game design rules page.
Related terms
Game round: the full cycle from pressing spin to the final result, including any retriggered feature.
Any retrigger you see during our partners' spins comes from the game, not the offer. PlayOJO's offer (18+, new UK customers, excluding Northern Ireland) is 80 free spins on Big Bass Bonanza at 10p, credited on a first deposit of £10 or more via the designated offer link, with no wagering on winnings. Big Bass Bonanza lists a 96.71% RTP, high volatility and a 2,100x max win, so a single 10p spin can return at most £210; check its help screen for how its free spins round extends.
Coral (18+, new players, offer runs 1 October 2026 to 1 February 2027) gives 100 free spins at 10p once you deposit and bet £10 on slots; accept within 48 hours, use within 7 days, no wagering; Neteller, PayPal, Paysafe, Skrill, prepaid cards and certain debit cards don't qualify. Ladbrokes (18+, new customers) gives up to 500 free spins at 10p, 50 a day for 10 days, after £10 of slots play, with no wagering, claimed by 23:59 daily and valid 7 days; PayPal, Paysafe, Neteller, Skrill, Moneybookers and prepaid card deposits don't count. Both list their own selected games on the promotion page. Terms apply: see the PlayOJO, Coral and Ladbrokes pages.
Coral and Ladbrokes are both run by LC International Limited (Entain). If you already hold an account with one Entain brand, you may not be able to open a new account with another; check the terms before signing up.
Significant terms: 18+. New players only. Offer runs 01/10/2026 to 01/02/2027. Deposit (certain types excluded) and bet £10+ on slot games to get 100 free spins (selected games, £0.10 each, 48 hrs to accept, valid 7 days). No wagering on free spin winnings. Deposits by Neteller, PayPal, Paysafe, Skrill, prepaid cards and certain debit cards do not qualify. Restrictions and T&Cs apply. GamCare.org.uk
Read the Coral reviewLicence: LC International Limited, UKGC account 54743. Offer checked 5 October 2026.
Significant terms: 18+. New customers only, from 14/11/25 until further notice. Certain deposit methods excluded. Deposit and spend £10+ on slots for 50 free spins a day during the first 10 days after first deposit and registration (max 500, £0.10 each, selected games, claim before 23:59 each day, valid 7 days). No wagering. Prepaid cards, PayPal, Paysafe, Neteller, Skrill and Moneybookers deposits do not qualify. Restrictions and T&Cs apply. GamCare.org.uk
Read the Ladbrokes reviewLicence: LC International Limited, UKGC account 54743. Offer checked 5 October 2026.
Significant terms: 18+. New UK customers (excluding Northern Ireland). First deposit only. Minimum deposit £10. 80 free spins on Big Bass Bonanza, £0.10 each. No wagering requirements; winnings paid in cash. Cannot be used with any other offer. Only available to players who arrive through the designated offer link. Full T&Cs apply. GamCare.org.uk
Read the PlayOJO reviewLicence: Skill On Net Limited, UKGC account 39326. Offer checked 5 October 2026.
18+. Gambling should be entertainment that costs money, not a way to make it. Decide a budget before you play: set a budget. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.
Frequently asked questions
What does retrigger mean in slots?
It means landing the trigger symbols again while a feature is already running, usually a free spins round, so that more spins are added or the feature restarts. The extra spins play at the same stake as the original trigger and cost nothing more. Not every game allows it, and some cap the total number of spins in one round. The game's help screen states the exact rule before you play. Our free spins round entry explains the feature that is most often retriggered.
Do all slots let you retrigger free spins?
No. Some slots add spins every time the scatters land again, some award spins based on how many scatters appear, some cap the total, and some don't allow retriggers at all. Newer games often swap a plain retrigger for a progression system, where collecting symbols adds spins and raises multipliers. Because the rule varies so much, check the help screen of the exact version you are playing. The short answer page on whether you can retrigger free spins adds more detail.
Does a retrigger cost extra?
No. Retriggered spins play at the same stake as the spin that started the feature, and nothing further is taken from your balance. That doesn't make them free in a long-run sense, because the average value of retriggers is already counted in the slot's RTP and you reach them only through paid spins. Over time the house edge still applies to everything you stake. Our RTP and house edge entries explain how those long-run figures work.
Can casino free spins lead to a retrigger?
Yes, if the game allows it. Promotional spins play the normal slot at a fixed value such as 10p, so they can trigger the free spins round, and that round can then retrigger, all at 10p. Whatever the round pays follows the promotion's terms, so with no-wagering offers it is paid as cash, and with wagering offers it becomes bonus funds. Some terms cap winnings from promotional spins. See can free spins trigger the bonus round? for more.
Is there a limit on how many times you can retrigger?
Many slots set one, either as a maximum number of spins in a round or a maximum number of retriggers. Others have no limit except the game's max win, and many end the feature once that figure is reached. The help screen shows which applies. UK standards require game rules and payouts to be available before you play, so the information should always be there to read. The RTP information rules page explains what UK casinos must show you about each game.
Does a retrigger make a slot better value?
Not over the long run. A retrigger feels valuable in the moment, but its average contribution is part of the published RTP, which is the same whether or not you see one. Games built around long retriggered rounds tend to be high volatility, meaning results swing widely: most sessions return less than staked, and occasional rounds return much more. Bonuses don't change that. Our volatility entry and is a casino bonus worth it? guide go into the maths.
Gambling can be addictive. Free, confidential help is available 24 hours a day from the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133. Visit GamCare.org.uk and GamCare, or block yourself from all UK-licensed gambling sites with GAMSTOP.
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