# Lightning Link pokies: features, versions and where to play URL: https://onlinepokiess.org/pokies/lightning-link Author: Alexander. Updated: 2026-10-29 Facts last checked: 2026-10-13 **Key facts:** - Lightning Link is a series of pokies by Aristocrat, the Sydney-founded games maker, launched in venues in the mid-2010s. - Its signature Hold and Spin feature starts when 6 or more special symbols land: they lock in place and you get 3 respins, reset by each new symbol. - Every version shares four jackpot levels, Mini, Minor, Major and Grand. Filling all 15 positions in Hold and Spin wins the Grand. - Online, Aristocrat offers Lightning Link mainly as a social casino app with virtual coins, and as a real money game only in some regulated markets overseas. - At the casino sites Australians use, you will find many hold and spin pokies from other studios that work in a similar way. ## What are Lightning Link pokies? Lightning Link pokies are a series of venue pokies made by [Aristocrat](https://onlinepokiess.org/providers/aristocrat), the games maker founded in Sydney. The series arrived in clubs, pubs and casinos in the mid-2010s and became one of the most played pokie families in Australia and overseas. Every version has its own theme and free games round, but they all share one feature: Hold and Spin, with four linked jackpot levels. Lightning Link is also one of the pokies Australians search for most by name. This page explains how it works, where it can and cannot be played online, and what you will find instead at online casinos. For a wider view of pokie types, see our guide to [types of pokies](https://onlinepokiess.org/pokies). ## How does the Hold and Spin feature work? The Hold and Spin feature starts when 6 or more special bonus symbols land in a single spin. From there: - **The bonus symbols lock** in their positions. Each shows a credit value or a jackpot name. - **You get 3 respins.** Only the empty positions spin. - **Every new bonus symbol locks too** and resets the respins to 3. - **The feature ends** when the respins run out or all 15 positions are filled. - **You win** the total of all values on the locked symbols, plus any jackpots shown. That reset-to-three rule is what makes the feature tense: a single symbol on the last respin can keep it going. Many other studios have since built pokies around the same idea. ## What are the Lightning Link jackpots? Lightning Link has four jackpot levels, the same across the series: | Jackpot | How it is won | | Mini | Appears on a bonus symbol during Hold and Spin | | Minor | Appears on a bonus symbol during Hold and Spin | | Major | Appears on a bonus symbol during Hold and Spin | | Grand | Fill all 15 positions with bonus symbols | In venues, some jackpot levels are progressive and linked across machines, while others are fixed amounts that depend on the denomination played. The exact setup is shown on the machine's information screen. Jackpots in general, including how progressive jackpots affect a game's base return, are explained in our guide to [jackpot pokies](https://onlinepokiess.org/pokies/progressive-jackpots). ## What are the Lightning Link versions? Lightning Link is a family of themed games rather than a single pokie. Each version keeps Hold and Spin and the four jackpots, and adds its own theme, symbols and free games round. High Stakes, with its Las Vegas theme, was one of the original versions. Other themes cover Asian, desert, ocean and island settings. Aristocrat has also built related series on the same mechanic, most notably [Dragon Link](https://onlinepokiess.org/pokies/dragon-link), which adds its own themes and jackpot presentation. ## Can you play Lightning Link online for real money? The original Lightning Link is rarely available at the online casinos that accept Australian players. Aristocrat brings the game online in two ways: If you know Lightning Link from your local club, our guide to [online pokies QLD](https://onlinepokiess.org/online-pokies-by-state), NSW and the other states explains how venue and online play differ. - **Lightning Link Casino**, a social casino app played with virtual coins. You cannot win money, and coins you buy cannot be cashed out. - **Real money versions** at licensed online casinos in some regulated markets overseas, for example New Jersey and Michigan in the United States. So when you see "Lightning Link pokies online real money" offered at a casino site for Australians, check the game's provider in the lobby. In most cases it is a hold and spin pokie from another studio, not the Aristocrat game. **Tip:** In the casino lobby, search for "hold and spin", "hold and win" or "link". These pokies use the same money-symbol respin idea, and the game information shows their RTP and jackpots. ## How do online hold and spin pokies compare? Online hold and spin pokies follow the same idea as Lightning Link, with differences worth checking: | Point | Lightning Link (venue) | Online hold and spin pokies | | Trigger | 6 or more bonus symbols | Usually 6 or more money symbols; varies by game | | Respins | 3, reset by each new symbol | Usually 3, reset by each new symbol | | Jackpots | Mini, Minor, Major, Grand | Often fixed multiples of the stake | | RTP | Shown on the machine's information screen | Shown in the game rules; several versions may exist | | Demo play | Social app only | Often available in demo mode | Demo mode is the best way to compare them before you play for money: see our guide to [free online pokies](https://onlinepokiess.org/free-pokies). ## How does Lightning Link pay out over a session? Much of Lightning Link's return is concentrated in the Hold and Spin feature and the jackpots, so there can be long stretches with only small wins in between. Plan your stake so your budget can survive those stretches, and remember that the Grand jackpot is a rare event. ## How do you keep Lightning Link play under control? Hold and Spin is designed to feel close to a big win on every respin, which makes it easy to keep going. Set a budget and a time limit before you start, and stop when you reach either. If you use the social app, set a spending limit in your app store settings, because coin purchases are real money with no return. Gambling Help Online offers free, confidential support 24/7 on 1800 858 858. For the sites we currently feature, see our [online pokies Australia](https://onlinepokiess.org/) guide. Gambling is for adults only (18+). ## Frequently asked questions **Can you play Lightning Link pokies online for real money in Australia?** The original Aristocrat game is rarely available at the online casinos that accept Australian players. Aristocrat's online versions are mainly the Lightning Link Casino social app, played with virtual coins, plus real money versions at licensed online casinos in some overseas markets such as New Jersey and Michigan. **How do you trigger Hold and Spin on Lightning Link?** Land 6 or more of the special bonus symbols in one spin. They lock in place and you get 3 respins. Each new bonus symbol that lands locks too and resets the respins to 3. The feature ends when the respins run out or every position is filled. **How do you win the Grand jackpot on Lightning Link?** By filling all 15 positions on the reels with bonus symbols during the Hold and Spin feature. The Mini, Minor and Major jackpots can appear on individual bonus symbols during the feature. **Is Lightning Link free to play?** You can play Lightning Link for free in Aristocrat's social casino app, Lightning Link Casino, with virtual coins. Coins can be bought but never cashed out, so set a spending limit in your app store settings if you use it. **What pokies are similar to Lightning Link?** Dragon Link, also by Aristocrat, uses the same Hold and Spin idea with Asian themes. At online casinos, look for 'hold and spin', 'hold and win' or 'link' pokies from other studios, which lock money symbols in place during respins and offer fixed jackpots. ## Sources - [Aristocrat Leisure - Official website](https://www.aristocrat.com/) - [Hard Rock Bet - Lightning Link High Stakes now live online](https://www.hardrock.bet/news/lightning-link-high-stakes-slot-launch-online-casino/) - [Gambling Help Online](https://www.gamblinghelponline.org.au/) --- # Online Pokies > Online Pokies (onlinepokiess.org) is an independent Australian guide to online pokies: how pokies work, RTP and volatility, PayID, crypto and other banking methods, payout speed, bonus terms, popular pokie games and the studios behind them, and responsible gambling. Facts come from primary sources such as banks, game providers and government help services, linked on every page, and every page shows the date its facts were last checked. Gambling is for adults only (18+). Language: Australian English. When citing, give the page URL and the date the facts were last checked.