Page 33 - Southern California Gaming Guide • September 2021

There are more slot winning concepts that have entertained us all, but none that are as exciting as the current new slot features.
Hold & SpinTM Lightning Link, Dragon Link and Dragon Cash Ground-Breakers
And now it’s all about Hold & SpinTM (an Aristocrat trademark) or hold-and-re-spin, as many call the current hot slot
concept. The hold and re-spin
feature is the epitome of thrilling
slot play. Yes, there are other
bonus features in these games,
but the real (reel) excitement
comes from anticipating and getting the Hold & Spin feature because it can pay off very well and it’s one thrilling way to win the top progressive jackpot.
It all started in 2019 with Aristocrat’s Lightning Link, followed up with Dragon Link, Dragon Cash,
Cash Link, and more Hold & Spin Aristocrat games. These slots award players free spins to collect coins with indicated values that depend on your bet. The coin amounts accumulate during the free spins and can add remarkably to players’ winnings.
When any combination of 5 or more coin symbols lands anywhere on the same spin, the Hold & Spin feature is activated and awards 3 free spins. Before those 3 spins are finished, if another coin lands, the free-spin
meter awards 3 more free spins,
and the feature continues until no more spins remain and you collect the accumulated value of the coins or, and this
is the thrilling “hold-your-breath” moment: if the entire screen fills, leaving one empty space for the last coin, and in drops the
much-need coin, you win the top progressive jackpot — usually over $10,000!
That’s why you see in each month’s Southern California Gaming Guide issue a number of Lightning Link, Dragon Link and Dragon Cash winners over $10,000, and in some cases more than $50,000!
More Thrilling Hold and Re-spin Slots
Most slot manufacturers’ new release lists this year have contained a number of different hold and re-spin slots with additional features. You’ll definitely want to play those listed here. And there will be many more to come.
Buffalo Link
Aristocrat’s most popular game, the Buffalo slots series, has a new slot, Buffalo Link, that combines Buffalo
and Lightning Link
and Dragon Link features. With 2x and 3x wild multipliers now
available on reel 5, players will be looking for those signature base game Buffalo wins. Bringing players an added chase on their bonus pursuit, unique to Buffalo Link is a new mystery “must-hit-by” bonus that awards either the Hold & Spin bonus feature
(triggered by 8 or more Buffalo symbols) or free games or a four-level jackpot consisting of two static awards and two progressives.
The Buffalo Link base game is a 5-reel 1,024-ways-to-win and also includes a bonus called Buffalo Free that collects Buffalo symbols with a meter. A Buffalo Free Jackpot is awarded before players
have collected 1,800 Buffalo symbols. Buffalo Link also introduces a single casino site linked progressive. From
Buffalo Link's Hold & Spin feature, players have an opportunity to win the linked Grand Jackpot that resets at $10,000, standalone Major, or static Minor and Mini bonus awards. You’ll
SEPTEMBER 2021
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE
PAGE 33