Drill the Thrill (92) Demo Slot
Casinos Where You Can Play Drill the Thrill (92)
Similiar Games to Drill the Thrill (92)
More Games from Provider Hacksaw Gaming
Expert opinion on Drill the Thrill (NowNow Gaming) slot
Drill the Thrill Slot Review
Written by: Filip Gromovic Reviewed by: Nashon Khamala
Updated: Aug 2026
Drill the Thrill slot is a mining-themed video slot from NowNow Gaming, distributed through Hacksaw Gaming’s OpenRGS platform and released on July 27, 2026. It runs on a 5-reel grid with a variable 3-4-4-4-3 row layout that expands up to 3-8-8-8-3 during features, unlocking a maximum of 4,608 ways to win.
The default RTP is 96.32%, with two lower operator variants at 94.32% and 92.27%. Volatility is rated medium (3/5), and the base-game hit frequency is 27.12%. Bets range from $0.10 to $100 per spin, with a maximum win capped at 10,000× the stake.
The core mechanic centres on two expanding Wild drills that drive a coin-collecting Hold & Win respin round. A separate Blast Zone Bonus provides 5 free spins with a guaranteed drill on every spin, and three Feature Buy tiers offer direct access to different feature levels. Below is a detailed breakdown of each mechanic.
Theme & Design
Drill the Thrill is set inside an underground mine, with reels framed by rocky cavern walls, lantern light, and a rail track stretching across the bottom of the screen. A cartoon-style miner character sits in a mine cart and reacts to wins with exaggerated animations. The visual design leans into a lighthearted, cartoony aesthetic rather than a gritty realistic approach.
The reel symbols use standard mining imagery: pickaxes, dynamite bundles, lanterns, mining hats, and the miner himself for the high-pay tier, with card ranks 9 through Ace filling the low-pay positions. The two drill symbols — Silver and Gold — act as the central visual and mechanical anchors, expanding to fill their respective edge reels when they land.
The soundtrack uses a rock-driven beat that intensifies during bonus rounds, accompanied by camera shakes and colour bursts when drills activate. The game is built in HTML5 and scales across desktop, tablet, and mobile browsers without requiring additional downloads.
Bonus Features: Drill It Hard, Hold & Win, Blast Zone & Feature Buy
Drill the Thrill runs four interconnected bonus mechanics. The Drill It Hard feature feeds into Hold & Win, while the Blast Zone Bonus guarantees repeated drill activations across a free spins round. A three-tier Feature Buy system lets players skip directly to different feature levels. Here is how each one works.
Drill It Hard
The Silver Drill can land only on reel 1. When it appears, it expands to cover the entire first column and acts as a stacked Wild, substituting for all regular pay symbols. At the same time, reels 2, 3, and 4 expand from their base height of 4 rows to 5, 6, 7, or 8 rows. Reels 1 and 5 always stay at 3 rows high.
Once the middle reels expand, Coin symbols and Jackpot symbols can appear on them alongside regular symbols. Each Coin carries a bet multiplier value ranging from 1× to 100×. Jackpot symbols carry fixed values: Mini (10×), Minor (100×), Major (500×), or Grand (2,500×). The Silver Drill collects all visible Coin and Jackpot values when no Golden Drill is present.
Hold & Win
Hold & Win triggers when the Silver Drill lands on reel 1 and a Golden Drill lands on reel 5 in the same spin. The Golden Drill also expands to cover reel 5 as a second stacked Wild. All regular symbol wins pay immediately, and any Coins or Jackpot symbols already on the expanded middle reels lock in place.
You receive 3 respins. Every position without a locked Coin becomes a Void symbol (blank). Only these Void positions spin on reels 2, 3, and 4. Each time a new Coin or Jackpot symbol lands, it locks in place and resets the respin counter to 3. The round ends when all respins run out or every position on the expanded grid fills with coins.
If the entire grid fills, the maximum win of 10,000× is awarded instantly. The same applies if the combined total of all Coin and Jackpot values reaches 10,000× the bet before the grid fills. Otherwise, all locked values are summed and paid as a single win at the end of the round.
Blast Zone Bonus
Landing 3 FS Scatter symbols on reels 2, 3, and 4 during a base-game spin triggers the Blast Zone Bonus, awarding 5 free spins. During every free spin, the Silver Drill is guaranteed on reel 1, which means the Drill It Hard feature activates on every spin and the middle reels expand automatically.
This guaranteed expansion creates repeated opportunities for Coins and Jackpots to appear, and if the Golden Drill also lands on reel 5 during any free spin, the Hold & Win round triggers within the bonus. Free spins cannot be retriggered during the Blast Zone Bonus.
Feature Buy
Three Feature Buy tiers are available, each entering a different feature level at a fixed cost multiplied by the current bet:
| Feature Buy Tier | Cost | What You Get |
| Bonushunt FeatureSpins | 2× bet | Base-game spins with a 3× higher chance to trigger the bonus round |
| Drill It Hard FeatureSpins | 50× bet | Guaranteed Silver Drill on reel 1 and Golden Drill on reel 5 (instant Hold & Win) |
| Blast Zone Bonus | 150× bet | Instant 5 free spins with active Drill It Hard on every spin |
The 2× Bonushunt tier is the lowest-risk entry point, raising the bonus trigger frequency without guaranteeing a specific feature. The 50× tier drops you directly into Hold & Win with both drills active. The 150× tier provides the full Blast Zone Bonus experience. None of these tiers alter the RTP or internal mechanics of the features themselves.
Symbols & Payouts
The paytable splits into two tiers of regular symbols, plus special symbols that appear only during features. Wins form by matching 3 to 5 identical symbols on adjacent reels from left to right across any of the available ways.
| Symbol | Type | 5-of-a-Kind Payout |
| Miner | High Pay | 2× bet |
| Dynamite Bundle | High Pay | 1.5× bet |
| Pickaxe | High Pay | 1.2× bet |
| Lantern | High Pay | 1× bet |
| Mining Hat | High Pay | 0.8× bet |
| A | Low Pay | 0.5× bet |
| K | Low Pay | 0.45× bet |
| Q | Low Pay | 0.4× bet |
| J | Low Pay | 0.35× bet |
| 10 | Low Pay | 0.3× bet |
| 9 | Low Pay | 0.3× bet |
The Silver Drill and Golden Drill are expanding Wild symbols that substitute for all regular pay symbols. They appear exclusively on reels 1 and 5, respectively. Coin symbols, Jackpot symbols, and FS Scatters do not appear during normal base-game spins — Coins and Jackpots only appear on the expanded middle reels after the Drill It Hard feature activates, and Scatters only appear on reels 2, 3, and 4 in the base game (maximum 1 per reel).
During Hold & Win, Coin values range from 1× to 100× the bet. Jackpot symbols carry fixed values: Mini at 10×, Minor at 100×, Major at 500×, and Grand at 2,500×.
RTP & Volatility of Drill the Thrill
The default RTP published by NowNow Gaming is 96.32%. However, two lower operator-configurable variants exist: 94.32% and 92.27%. This three-tier RTP structure is common across Hacksaw Gaming’s OpenRGS catalogue. Confirm the active RTP version in the game’s Info or Paytable screen at your specific casino before starting a session.
At 96.32%, the return sits in line with the industry average of roughly 96%. The 92.27% variant is significantly below that baseline and changes the long-term expected return by approximately 4 percentage points compared to the default. Volatility is rated medium (3 out of 5) by the provider, and the base-game hit frequency is 27.12%, meaning roughly one in four spins produces some form of payout in the base game.
| Metric | Value |
| RTP (default) | 96.32% |
| RTP (variant 2) | 94.32% |
| RTP (variant 3) | 92.27% |
| Volatility | Medium (3/5) |
| Hit Frequency | 27.12% |
| Max Win | 10,000× stake |
The medium volatility profile means payout distribution is more even than in high-volatility Hold & Win titles. Base-game wins appear more frequently, though individual win sizes tend to be smaller. The large payouts concentrate in the Hold & Win round and Blast Zone Bonus, particularly when multiple Jackpot symbols land on a fully expanded grid.
Best US Casinos to Play Drill the Thrill
99/100
RTP: 96%
Payout: 1–3 days
Games: 200+
98/100
RTP: 99%
Payout: 0–1 days
Games: 2000+
TOP
97/100
RTP: 98%
Payout: 1–3 days
Games: 500+
98/100
RTP: 99%
Payout: 0–1 days
Games: 2000+
NEW
98/100
RTP: 95.80%
Payout: < 15 min
Games: 10,000+
NEW
BONUS
97/100
RTP: 96%
Payout: 1–3 days
Games: 200+
95/100
RTP: 97%
Payout: 0–3 days
Games: 400+
EXCLUSIVE BONUS
TOP
97/100
RTP: 99%
Payout: 0–1 days
Games: 2000+
HOT
97/100
RTP: 96%
Payout: 1–3 days
Games: 200+
NEW
99/100
Games: 4,000+
Play Drill the Thrill for Free
A free demo version of Drill the Thrill is available at multiple casino sites and slot review databases. The demo uses the same mechanics, hit frequency, and RTP as the real-money version, which makes it suitable for testing how often the Silver Drill triggers, how the reel expansion behaves at different heights, and how quickly Hold & Win rounds develop.
Demo availability depends on your region and the specific casino. Some operators require account registration to access demos, while others offer instant play. Since the game is an HTML5 title, it runs in any modern browser on desktop or mobile without additional downloads. The variable grid scales well on smaller screens, though the fully expanded 3-8-8-8-3 layout provides the best visual clarity on larger displays.
FAQ about Drill the Thrill
The default RTP is 96.32%. Two lower operator-configurable variants also exist: 94.32% and 92.27%. Check the in-game Paytable at your casino to confirm which version is active.
The maximum win is 10,000× the bet. It is awarded instantly if the entire expanded grid fills with Coin and Jackpot symbols during Hold & Win, or if the combined value of all locked symbols reaches 10,000× before the grid fills.
Volatility is rated medium (3 out of 5) by the provider. The base-game hit frequency is 27.12%, meaning roughly one in four spins returns a payout. Larger wins concentrate in the Hold & Win respin round and Blast Zone Bonus.
Hold & Win triggers when the Silver Drill (reel 1) and Golden Drill (reel 5) both land in the same spin. Existing Coins lock in place and you receive 3 respins. Each new Coin or Jackpot that lands resets the counter to 3. The round ends when respins expire, the grid fills, or the total value hits 10,000×.
Land 3 FS Scatter symbols on reels 2, 3, and 4 during a base-game spin. This awards 5 free spins with the Silver Drill guaranteed on reel 1 every spin, keeping the Drill It Hard feature active throughout the bonus.
Yes, but they are fixed-value jackpot symbols, not progressive. Four tiers exist: Mini (10×), Minor (100×), Major (500×), and Grand (2,500×). These symbols can land on the expanded middle reels during the Drill It Hard feature and Hold & Win.
Yes. Three Feature Buy tiers are available: Bonushunt FeatureSpins at 2× the bet (enhanced trigger chance), Drill It Hard FeatureSpins at 50× the bet (guaranteed both drills for instant Hold & Win), and Blast Zone Bonus at 150× the bet (instant 5 free spins with guaranteed Silver Drill). None change the RTP.
The base-game layout of 3-4-4-4-3 offers a starting number of ways. When the Drill It Hard feature expands the middle reels up to 8 rows high, the grid reaches a maximum of 4,608 ways to win.
Bets range from $0.10 to $100 per spin. Adjust using the stake selector in the game interface.
Yes. The Blast Zone Bonus awards 5 free spins when 3 FS Scatter symbols land on reels 2, 3, and 4. Free spins cannot be retriggered during the bonus round.
No. Drill the Thrill does not include a gamble feature. All winnings are credited directly to the balance without an option to risk them on a double-or-nothing bet.
Conclusion: Who Suits Drill the Thrill
Drill the Thrill fits players who prefer coin-collecting Hold & Win mechanics with medium volatility and a 27.12% base-game hit frequency. The variable grid that expands up to 4,608 ways during features adds a dimension that most static-layout Hold & Win slots lack, and the four-tier fixed jackpot system (up to 2,500× on the Grand tier) gives the respin round a meaningful ceiling even before the 10,000× max win cap.
Players who want high-volatility variance or free spins rounds with retrigger potential will find this title limited. The Blast Zone Bonus is fixed at 5 spins with no extension, and the medium volatility profile means extreme session swings are less common. The mining theme and core mechanic set are familiar, offering competent execution rather than a novel experience.
Start with the free demo to test how the Silver Drill trigger rate feels against your preferred bet level, and pay attention to how often the Golden Drill appears to convert collections into full Hold & Win rounds. Before switching to real money, confirm the active RTP in the paytable — operator settings can range from 96.32% down to 92.27%, which materially affects the long-term return profile.
Filip Gromovic is a senior slots reviewer here at FreeSlots99 with over five years of experience evaluating the latest drops in the world of iGaming.
Being a slot fan himself, Filip approaches slot ratings just the way we like it – professionally, but also from a player’s standpoint.
That enables him to give his unbiased take on the slot’s features, gameplay and design, while only recommending top-tier releases to our readers.
More info on Filip Gromovic
Having served FreeSlots99 for more than 5 years as a senior content editor and reviewer, Nashon Khamala has extensive knowledge in game slots and iGaming.
His membership in the Editorial Freelancers Association helps him deliver content that reaches both editorial excellence standards and an engaging information level.
By using his expertise in slots games combined with player-focused analysis, Nashon delivers a professional evaluation of slot features and player experiences in his reviews.
More info on Nashon Khamala
