Retrigger

Activating a bonus feature again from inside that same feature, typically to add more free spins.

Definition

A retrigger happens when the condition that started a feature is met again while the feature is running, extending it. Most commonly this means landing enough scatter symbols during free spins to award an additional batch of spins on top of those remaining. Retriggers can occur multiple times, occasionally with a cap on total spins. They lengthen a bonus round and its win potential, but the chance of retriggering is built into the math so the feature's expected contribution keeps the game below break-even over time.

Worked example

You start free spins with ten. Midway through, three more scatters land, retriggering the feature and adding another ten spins to whatever was left, so the round runs longer.

Why it matters

For a learner, retriggers explain how a free-spin round can run far longer than the spins first awarded. For a professional, retrigger frequency is a key input to a feature's expected value and to communicating realistic outcomes.

Related

Note: How many scatters are needed to retrigger and whether a maximum total exists vary by game.