Hold the Joker™ Slot

Hold the Joker™ Details, RTP, Details and Wager Limits

The Hold the Joker™ slot by Northern Lights Gaming and Games Global takes place on 5 reels and 4 rows. It has 20 fixed paylines—certainly, it won’t compete with Megaways slots. To form a winning combination, land 3 or more symbols on adjacent reels from left to right.

Enter the circus with stakes between 20p and £15—high rollers would not find it favourable. Like most free online slots, the Hold the Joker™ demo has Autoplay and Turbo spin options for players outside the UK.

The default Hold the Joker™ RTP is 96.06%. Even though it is above the industry average, it won’t rank among the best payout slots. I didn’t find lower RTP variants at Hold the Joker™ casinos, but I recommend playing at top slot sites to get the highest potential return.

The game falls in the medium volatility range, ideal for players looking to hit decent wins with fewer extended dry spells. The Hold the Joker™ max win of 15,000x the bet is attractive, but with the low upper bet limit, this prize won’t break new ground. If you are aiming for mega prizes, consider our list of progressive slots.

Hold the Joker™ Theme—Take the Front Seat and Enjoy the Performance

The providers present a magical performance with a striking circus-themed aesthetic. They keep things simple yet eye-catching with the grand curtain background and metallic gold pillars. Joker stands by the grid, ready to perform tricks with the potion in her hat.

I like her introduction to the game and voiceover during play. The soundtrack starts with soft, slow piano chords and transitions into the upbeat rhythm of strings and drums in the bonus game.
The paying symbols include familiar retro items like fruits, bells, and double 7.

Here is a closer look at the payouts:

Symbol	Payouts/Info
Cherries	3, 4, 5 = 0.1, 0.3, 1x the stake
Lemon	3, 4, 5 = 0.1, 0.3, 1x the stake
Watermelon	3, 4, 5 = 0.1, 0.3, 1x the stake
Raspberries	3, 4, 5 = 0.1, 0.3, 1x the stake
Grapes	3, 4, 5 = 0.1, 0.3, 1x the stake
Dice	3, 4, 5 = 0.1, 0.3, 3x the stake
Bell	3, 4, 5 = 0.2, 0.5, 3x the stake
Triple 7	3, 4, 5 = 0.5, 1, 5x the stake
Diamond	3, 4, 5 = 1, 25, 10x the stake
Wild	3, 4, 5 = 2, 5, 20x the stake; Substitutes for regular paying symbols
Scatter	Triggers free spins
Joker	Adds more Wilds on the reels

Hold the Joker™ Mobile

Games Global is responsible for several online slot games with smooth mobile conversion, and it has nailed it again here. The Hold the Joker™ mobile slot looks sharp, and I didn’t need to download special software for it to run smoothly.

In portrait mode, the Joker and the menu options are neatly tucked below the grid—nothing looks out of place at mobile casinos. But with the landscape mode, you will get a better view of the grand curtain in the background, which is just as immersive as the desktop display.

Hold the Joker™ Bonus Features

The Hold the Joker™ slot game is packed with bonus features, including Sticky Frame with increasing multipliers, Bonus Boost, Wild Bonus, and Nudging Scatter Respin. There are also Free Spins with modifiers and 4 fixed Jackpots.

Wild Sticky Frame

The slot features 2 Wilds: regular and Golden. Whenever the Golden Wild appears, it adds more regular Wilds or another Golden Wild on the reels. Each Wild that lands leaves behind a Sticky Frame, and each new Wild that falls in that position increases the multiplier value by +1x.
The Sticky Frame can have up to a 5x multiplier value but can only apply on wins during the Joker Wild bonus round.

Bonus Boost Bar

Every 2 Scatters that land simultaneously on the reels add a token to the Bonus Boost Bar located on the top of the reels. Filling the bar will activate a Bonus Boost at the start of Free Spins, after which it resets at the end of the round.

Keep in mind that the progress is saved per bet level, meaning the bar resets if you adjust your stake.

Joker Wild Bonus

Landing a Joker symbol in the base game or Free Spins triggers a Joker Wild Bonus. During this feature, the Joker throws Wilds into all Sticky Frames in view. The Sticky Frame multiplier applies to winning combinations its Wild is part of.

In the base game, all Sticky Frames are removed at the end of the round. On the other hand, if you triggered the bonus feature during free spins, the Sticky Frame will remain active till you use up the bonus spins.

Nudging Scatter Respin

You can trigger a Nudging Scatter Respin by landing 2 Scatters on any of the top 3 rows. The reels with the Scatters are locked and nudge down 1 row, while the other reels spin normally. The respin continues until the Scatter hits the bottom row or 5 Scatters appear on the reels.

If 2 Scatters remain on the reels after a respin, a token is added to the Bonus Boost Bar. Interestingly, you can trigger Free Spins if 3 or more Scatters appear.

Free Spins and Bonus Boost

Landing 3, 4, or 5 Scatters on the reels awards 10, 15, or 20 Free Spins, respectively. Before entering the bonus round, pick 3 out of the cards on the screen. The selected cards reveal awarded modifiers for the round. These can be:

• Boost Perk: Unlocks the first suit on the trail above the reels. It awards 5 additional spins with a 2x multiplier
• +2 Spins Perk: Awards 2 extra spins
• +Frames Perk: Adds a random number of Sticky Frames onto the reels
• +Wilds Perk: Adds more Wilds on the reels
• +Joker Perk: Adds Joker symbols on the reels
• No Perk: Ends the bonus boost

You can make an extra pick if you are lucky enough to fill up the Bonus Boost Bar. Each Joker symbol that lands during Free Spins unlocks 1 position on the bonus trail. Moreover, the Joker symbol will trigger the Joker Wild bonus if a Sticky Frame is in view.

Collecting 3 Joker symbols unlocks a suit (club, diamond, heart, or spade) in the trail. Each unlocked suit awards 5 extra spins with a multiplier value between 2x and 10x. Additionally, one extra spin can be awarded randomly at the end of the bonus round, with a Joker symbol guaranteed to land.

Top Hat Jackpot

Whenever a symbol with an Orb overlay hits the reels, it is collected in the Joker’s hat and can randomly trigger a Top Hat Jackpot. During the Jackpot round, 12 Top Hats are displayed on the screen, each with hidden jackpot prizes. To win a jackpot, you must pick 3 Top Hats with matching prizes.

Here are the fixed jackpot prizes:

• Mini: 20x the bet
• Minor: 75x the bet
• Major: 1,000x the bet
• Grand: 5,000x the bet

Note that you can trigger the Top Hat Jackpot during the base game and bonus spins.

Buy Bonus (Not Available in the UK)

You can move directly into Free Spins from the base game by activating the Bonus Buy option. It costs 100x the bet.

Hold the Joker™ Verdict: Thrilling Gameplay Packed with Bonus Features

4.2/5

Based on our expert’s review. Reviewed by Olamidotun Otis

Olamidotun Otis

Play Hold the Joker™

Hold the Joker™ Slot

If you are into slots with thrilling bonus features to keep you coming back, the Hold the Joker™ slot game delivers just that. Even though the visuals look simple, the potential of hitting a fixed jackpot and triggering Free Spins with modifiers makes the gameplay engaging.

Pros

• 15,000x max win
• 4 fixed jackpots
• Increasing multipliers and nudging Scatters
• Interesting gameplay

Cons

• Bet capped at only £15

Visually, Hold the Joker™ is a delight. Although I would have preferred a mystical setting, like many magic-themed slots, I can’t deny that the simple approach is still captivating. The game’s features and extras work together with the graphics. They keep you on the edge of your seat without bombarding you with many colours or complex mechanics.

The 15,000x max win is impressive, but the low bet levels might keep high rollers away. Nonetheless, with the variety of bonus features available in all game modes, every spin is promising. I am not usually a big fan of the circus or magic genre, but this one left a good impression.