What happens if I close the game during free spins?

What happens if I close the game during free spins?

Closing a slot is like putting a bookmark in a page. The casino keeps a record of how many offer spins you have left, and the game studio’s server keeps the state of any feature you were in. When you come back and open the same game from the same account, both records are read back and you carry on. That applies whether you closed one tab, shut the whole app or turned your phone off.

What matters most is the moment you closed it. The table shows the usual result for each point in a free spins session, using a 10p offer spin as the example.

How the slot saves your place when you close it

Every spin is a request to a remote server, which draws the result, records it against your account and only then sends the animation to your screen. Because the record exists before the reels stop, closing early only cuts the show short. Multi-stage features, such as a free spins round with a rising multiplier, are written to the server after each step.

UK rules expect that. The Gambling Commission’s technical standard on interrupted gambling, RTS 10 (opens in a new tab), says games with several stages should be restored to their last known state, and operators must publish how they treat customers when play is interrupted. PlayOJO’s help page (opens in a new tab) gives a plain example: once a stuck session is ended and the game reopened, your funds and bonus rounds should still be there.

Tab, app, logout or uninstall: does it matter?

Not for the spins themselves. Closing a tab, swiping the app away, logging out or deleting and reinstalling the app all leave your account untouched, because nothing about your balance lives on the device. The only practical difference is time: reinstalling or resetting a password takes longer, and the offer deadline doesn’t wait.

The expiry clock keeps running after you close the game

Closing the slot pauses your play, not the offer. Every batch of offer spins has a claim window and a validity period, and both count down in real time. On Coral’s welcome offer (18+, new players, terms apply), the 100 free spins after a £10 slots bet must be accepted within 48 hours and used within 7 days. Ladbrokes (18+, new customers, terms apply) gives 50 free spins a day for 10 days after a £10 slots spend, each daily batch must be claimed before 23:59 and each is valid for 7 days.

Here is how that plays out if you close the game and take a few days off during a Ladbrokes run, as a worked example of the stated terms:

Closing and reopening a slot won’t change your luck

A popular belief says that closing a ‘cold’ game and reopening it, or switching between slots, resets the odds. It doesn’t. Each spin is an independent draw from a random number generator, and UK rules under RTS 7 (opens in a new tab) bar online games from adjusting outcomes to steer towards a target return. Spin 64 after a restart has the same chances as spin 64 would have had without one.

The long-run figure that describes a slot is its RTP, and the spread of results around it is its volatility. Neither moves when you close the game. If you notice yourself restarting games hoping for a change of fortune, that is a cue to stop for the day rather than a strategy.

How to pick up your free spins after closing the game

1. Log in to the same casino account you used to claim the spins.
2. Open the bonus, promotions or rewards area to confirm how many spins are left and when they expire.
3. Launch the slot named in the offer; offer spins only load on the eligible games.
4. If you left during a bonus round, let it load fully before tapping anything; it should open on the saved spin.
5. Play the remaining spins at the fixed stake the offer sets, such as 10p.
6. If spins or a round are missing, check the game history, then contact support with the time and game name.

Opening a different slot first won’t use up offer spins: most casinos only apply them to the listed games, and other games use your cash balance instead. Read how to find which slots your spins are on before you start.

Closing the game on a pick screen or feature choice

Some slots ask you to make a choice inside the feature. Big Bass Secrets of the Golden Lake, for example, starts its bonus with a card pick between classic free spins and Golden Lake free spins with Fisherman wilds (see our Big Bass Secrets of the Golden Lake free spins page). If you close the game on a screen like that, the feature normally waits for your decision when you return. Some games describe a default choice; that is set out in the game’s help screen, so open it if you are unsure.

Choices like these don’t alter the long-run return in a way you can exploit. They change the shape of the round, such as fewer spins with bigger multipliers or more spins with smaller ones, while the game’s RTP is published in advance under the UK’s RTP information rules.

Closing the game to take a break is a good habit

Nothing spends your offer spins while the game is shut. Autoplay has been banned on online slots in Great Britain since 31 October 2021, so each spin needs a deliberate tap, and the slot game design rules also require at least 2.5 seconds per spin. Stepping away is always safe for the spins you have left.

Casinos must show your session time and net position, and the Commission’s standard on time requirements and reality checks (opens in a new tab) covers reminders about how long you have played. If you set a time-out while spins are still live, you won’t be able to use them until it ends, and they may expire. That is the right trade: a break matters more than 10p spins, and you can ask support afterwards whether anything can be reinstated.

What happens to free spins winnings when you close the game

Winnings from finished spins are already on your account when you close the game. On no wagering offers, such as our three partners’ spins, those winnings are paid as cash you can withdraw (see do free spins winnings count as cash). On offers with wagering, they sit in a bonus balance with the wagering progress saved, and the 10x cap that has applied since 19 January 2026 still limits how much play is needed.

If you want to withdraw while some spins are unused, check the terms first: some offers cancel outstanding bonus items when you withdraw. Your own deposit must remain withdrawable at any time, as explained in can I withdraw my deposit with a bonus active.

Free spins offers you can pause and come back to

All three partner offers are 18+ and terms apply. Coral gives new players 100 free spins at 10p on selected games after a deposit and a £10 slots bet, with 48 hours to accept, 7 days to use them and no wagering on winnings; Neteller, PayPal, Paysafe, Skrill, prepaid cards and certain debit cards don’t qualify. Ladbrokes gives up to 500 free spins over 10 days (50 a day, 10p each) after a £10 slots spend, claimed before 23:59 each day, valid 7 days and wager-free; prepaid cards, PayPal, Paysafe, Neteller, Skrill and Moneybookers deposits don’t qualify.

PlayOJO gives new UK customers outside Northern Ireland 80 free spins on Big Bass Bonanza at 10p each with a first deposit of £10 or more, no wagering and cash winnings, through its offer link only. Coral’s single batch suits people who want to close the game and return within the week; Ladbrokes rewards logging in daily, which is worth weighing honestly against how often you want to play. The qualifying £10 is real money at the normal house edge. More answers are on the questions hub.

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.