Gambling terms, explained straight

Slots & Gaming Machines

Stay wild meaning

Stay wild is a slot feature where a symbol or reel remains wild for one or more subsequent spins rather than reverting to a normal state immediately.

Applies to
Slots with variable-state or feature-based mechanics where wild status can persist across spins 12
Example rule
In one game, every tenth spin can be fully wild depending on the outcome of the prior nine spins 1

Key points

  • A stay-wild feature retains wild status on a symbol, reel, or game state into a later spin instead of resetting after each spin 12.
  • Slots remain random spin to spin unless a specific feature changes the state between games 2.
  • Stay wild differs from a standard wild symbol, which substitutes on a single spin but does not persist 2.

Where this term is used

Not the same as

  • Wild symbol — a standard symbol that substitutes for others on a single spin, not one that persists across spins
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Sources

  1. Golden Jungle Grand - Games wizardofodds.com Provides an example of a stay-wild feature where every tenth spin can be fully wild based on prior spins.
  2. Slot Machines wizardofodds.com Explains that slots are random spin to spin unless a feature changes state, and distinguishes stay wild from standard wild symbols.

Sources are drawn from regulators, universities and published research, and each one is labelled with what it actually is — a preprint is not called a paper. Bookmaker and affiliate pages are never cited here, because a page that sells betting is not a neutral authority on it.

Written and maintained by Ellis Warrender, writer and maintainer.

Last updated 28 July 2026. Spotted an error? Tell me and it gets fixed and logged on the corrections page.